This essay analyses obstacles emerging in the film titled, “Stand and Deliver” directed by Ramon Menendez. The film shows that Jaime Escalante (JE), a math teacher at James A Garfield High School encounters several obstacles when attempting to help students receive good grades in math. For example, members of the faculty are not supportive, the school community cannot make payments to acquire modern computers, and students are constantly being rebellious. The essay argues that while JE faces several obstacles in the course of teaching math, difficult students and unsupportive staff remain to be the two hardest obstacles.
JE faces rebellion from faculty members. Raquel Ortega (RO), the math department chair and Molina, the school principal differs largely with JE on matters of implementing math curriculum and helping students pass their math tests. RO reasons that a lack of resources has lowered the number of computers used to teach math at the school, something that led to high level of illiterates. Actually, RO quips that “our kids can’t handle calculus … I’m thinking about those kids. If they try and don’t succeed you’ll shatter what little self-esteem they have.” On her part, Molina argues that teachers should realize more good results as the year
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Most of the students have been programmed that there is racial discrimination in text marking and that the only way they can perform well is when they cheat in the tests. Other students simply walk out of the classroom because they think they can do whatever they want. Other students have low self-esteem. For example, Pancho says, “I’ve been with you guys two years. Pancho says that “everybody knows that I am the dumbest. I can’t handle calculus,” diminishing all self-esteem in him and that of his classmates. Further, Angel, another student, tells off JE by accusing him of never listening to his students yet he is not as knowledgeable as he thinks he