Conference time reminders for Tuesday. From Mike

Please be on time and there is no formal class that day, so you just must show up for your individual conference, and that's it!

All best, and Happy Halloween!

Mike

See you Tuesday!

Tuesday, Nov. 3

10:30  Morgan

10:37  Paul

10:44  Bonnie

10:51  Brittney

10:58  Daniel

11:05  Hans

11:12  Noel

11:30  Tristen

11:37  Cameron

11:44  Pernale

11:51  Zach

11:58  Tim

12:05  Lexia

12:12  Kayla

Journal 9 Bonnie Welsh

The thing that this movie made me think about is how much these kids know about Shakespeare. When I was ten years old I never even knew about Shakespeare until I got into my junior year of high school. With that being said, I feel that kids in the education system have bigger stress/responsibility. It is nice to know that they are getting to see what kids are learning in schools now, but the same thing they will have more things that my generations have not been doing since they were ten or so. In my elementary days, I went to a catholic school from Pre-K until 7th grade so you could say that my education wasn't what everyone else probably went through. You can say that I had a very sheltered start in life, and you would be true. So we never read anything that went against the religion. The book that was the biggest gasp moment was Animal Farm. So I didn't really get into Shakespeare until my junior year because that is what my teacher taught was basically only Shakespeare. I had, and still have problems with it because I was never taught how to read it.  Elementary schools should start teaching things that the students will need in high school.  I learned from this film that goal setting is important because you need to know where you want to be. To move there. A goal that I have for myself is to get a B average in my next English classes, and other classes. I will have to do hard work for this but I know if I put my best foot forward I can do it.     

journal 9 Zach

The documentary The Hobart Shakespeareans made me think about how we view education. Rafe Esquith is a teacher at Hobart Elementary school in Los Angeles,California and uses a different method of teaching.This made me feel like there was something for these kids;they come from a rough neighborhood and some didn't even speak english yet they are excited to come to school and learn,even on days that they are not required to.

Growing up where I went to elementary school;at Elgin West it was much different. I personal did have fun and did enjoy going but the way these kids did. The Hobart students were also much farther advanced than I was during my time in elementary school. I did like my teachers growing up but not as much as the kids from hobart who were taken on trips out of state and meet famous actors and novelists.

What I learned about goals and expectations from this film is that it doesn't matter where you come from if you want to learn you can find success. Dont be held down or held back on where you came from or even what you have done or have seen in the past. This is why this is a great film about the teacher who truly takes what he does to heart and his methods should be used more often.

My goal for next year is pick a major and set my heart to it. To not be held down by anyone on what I want. I hope to have a better work habit and also hope to get better grades

J9- Pernale Blake

Journal 9: Response to a ‘The Hobart Shakespearians” From Pernale Blake
After watching the video “The Hobart Shakespearian” I immediately
began to think about how much Esquith had to sacrifice in order for
those kids to have the opportunity to attend this elementary school.
In the video he states that he was juggling four jobs just so that all
the students can go on trips like Washington D.C. The school was
important to the kids, but it was also important for Rafe. It was
touching to see how much he cares about the kids, and how much he
truly wants them to succeed. It made me tear up a little. It made me
sad to see how much he actually affected his students, and to see how
successful his way of teacher was. Teachers believe it or not have and
will always have a huge impact on their students; they are always
teaching us new material, whether it is math or whether it is learning
to play baseball.
I loved my elementary school. It was awesome, and it ranked as one of
the top elementary schools in central Ohio. Mill Valley Elementary has
sculpted me into the young adult today, and I am very blessed to have
had the opportunity to attend there. My school never had a person get
shot and killed directly in front of it like the Hobart one. One thing
I found extremely interesting was Esquith’s reward system. He pays his
students money, not real money but fake money. The students earn money
through completing homework, showing up and participating in class,
following rules, and from other things. After the students earn enough
“money” they are then able to purchase goods, such as a guitar that a
student purchased for $25,000 fake dollars. This reminded me of a
point system we used in my elementary school. We would earn points
each day by showing up and answering questions correctly during class.
You could also lose points by getting in trouble or skipping class.
Eventually at the end of each nine weeks our teacher would set out a
whole bunch of stuff, and the people would use their points to collect
them. The people with the most amounts of points got to choose first,
and each person was given the opportunity to choose a good according
to their points.
You cannot achieve a goal that you do not set. This video taught me
how important it is to achieve your goal. My goal is to be the first
person in my family to complete college. I know I can do this because
I want to do it. The kids in the video were asks about their goals,
and you would be surprised with some of their goals. Some were school
related, like “Doing better reading”. But some were not school related
for example when the one boy said he would like to  “Not do drugs or
alcohol”.

Journal 9 (Cam K)

     What i thought about The Hobart Shakespearians was that Rafe has to be one of the most unique teachers that i have ever seen. For one he has his own method of teaching but it works and his students are on a higher learning level than most other students that are in the same grade as they are. I have never known of a teacher to take elementary students on class trips like Rafe did for his students. And he didn't treat his students like little kids i felt as if he treated the student's in his class as young adults. The documentary made me happy to see today's learning about things that most kids don't learn about till they are in middle school or high school.

When i was in elementary all those years ago, I wasn't learning about Shakespeare I was only learning the basic math, reading, writing and any other basic subjects that i was required to learn in elementary. Also the only field trips that we took was to Cosi down in Columbus,Ohio i wasn't going on class trips to Washington,D.C. And I definitely wasn't reading any Mark Twain books or any Shakespeare books. And the plays that i was involved in were your normal mill of the run plays about the holidays and other things like that i was never involved in any sophisticated plays like the Hobart Shakesperians were a part of. I feel as if Rafe's teaching style was used in my elementary school i probably would have put more effort into actually trying when i got to middle school.

I learned that seeting goals means everything, not only did i learn that from watching the documentary in class but that has always been a life lesson that my family has taught me. Because without life goals then you will just being going through life without any true plans of what you want to do and yo may miss your opportunity of your true calling because you waited to long in life and didn't plan out how you were going to make it all happen.

My goal for next year is to continue with my education at Ohio State and to possibly relocate to down to Columbus. Also i want to possibly be a substitute teacher and possibly start my own after school programs for students that cant afford to do other things that some kids can do due to the fact or what neighbor hood they live in or even due to the fact that their family doesn't make a lot of money.  

  

Journal 9 From Tristen Stover.

The film The Hobart Shakespearians, made me think about how important education is to not only the students but also to the teachers. The teachers are very important to the children. The teacher’s definitely impact the children’s lives a lot. I feel like the class that Rafe has is another way to better the students’ lives in the long run because of the lessons that he teachers and also the way he teaches them. I think it is great how Rafe’s class is creating a better foundation for these students’ lives as they grow up and they learn the importance and/or values of education. Rafe’s students cared so much about their education they even came to school on Saturday’s. Rafe stated “Students even came over to my house on their Saturdays so that they could come learn”. Unlike kids today, who would never think about going to a class on Saturday his students used their vacation or break time to go and learn one more extra day. I love how Rafe is teaching a class that helps teach long lasting life skills for the students and is always encouraging them to do their best. My experience in elementary school was kind of similar to how Rafe was to the students except for me, all of my teachers were there for me and was always there if I needed help with something or had a question. I tended to struggle with my work so it was nice to be able to go straight to my teachers and get help from them at such a young age. It was nice to see what I was capable of doing on my own but if I had a question on something, I made sure I went and got help right away. With me, I tend to learn better in a visual way or learn with a hands on activity so in my opinion I think my elementary education went very good just like Rafe’s student’s educations went. On the other hand, I learned that the value of setting goals were very high for Rafe’s students. Rafe cared so much about his students and really wanted his students to all create goals for themselves so that they knew where they would be going/heading later on in life. Rafe’s students are being taught how to set goals for themselves and also how to accomplish them, and in my opinon all children need to be taught that. A specific personal goal that I have set for myself for next year is to either be in my first couple of classes for nursing at OSUM or to be moved out and living on Ohio State’s main campus and taking my nursing classes there.

Morgan kiehl Journal 9

"The Hobart Shakespearians" really brought me a lot of joy and excitement for those inner city children from Los Angles. I really loved how truly dedicated the teacher was to his students and his work as a teacher. Rave didn't just want his students to learn the required 5th grade material, he wanted to educate them to prepare them for life, and have a lot of fun. My sister is also a teacher and the way Rave talked about his students reminded me a lot of her and that makes me really happy to know she has goals like that for her students.

My elementary education surely wasn't bad, it was actually pretty great, lots of friends, lots of fun, and a lot of kick ball. Maybe my memory isn't crystal clear, considering I'm trying to think back to elementary school, but I know I had good quality teachers growing up. I did not have any teachers that would work four jobs to send us on trips, none the less they were still great people though .

"Be nice... work hard" Rave stated over and over to his students and I loved that he said this to his kids so repeatly. These kids who have poor back grounds learned that they can succeed and they need to push themselves to do better everyday. The value of setting goals was so crucial for these kids, it may have been all they had to hold onto when they got home. I learned that having bigger goals and bigger dreams is okay, and having faith in ourselves is most important.

I have so many goals for myself I can get overwhelmed. I have always been one to push myself maybe a little to hard. One major goal I have for next year if not this year is to ride for OSU western equestrian team at there National finals in Kentucky.

"Ride aggressive, be confident, because its all of nothing and the number one thing is you cannot ride timid"

Journal 9. Kayla Frea.

The film The Hobart Shakespearians, made me think about how children are educated and how influential teachers are in children’s lives. I feel the program this teacher has built is one of the best programs I have seen. It is a great class to build the students in both the arts, the sciences, history and other areas for later in life. Esquith uses music in his teaching, “Music helps in all different subjects.” I love this project that the film showed, it is a class that is teaching life skills and all children need to learn them. The film made me feel like I wish I had this opportunity for me when I was younger so I was not hit so hard when I got to the real world. My experience in elementary school was not like this. I struggled with my school work and it was not until high school that I realized what I was capable of doing. I was taught one specific way K-8^th grade and I always struggled. I’m a visual learner, I did not realized this until I got to high school and I started advancing in my classes that I had struggled in.  I learned that these children have much bigger goals than I had when I was that age. The expectations for setting goals are high for these children. Their teacher cared for them to set these goals. They are being taught how to set goals and to accomplish them and that is something that all children need to be taught. By the end of my sophomore year of college I want to be through my first full year at the College of Nursing, and be ready for my junior year.

Journal Nine: By The Daniel Scheiderer

The Hobart Shakespeareans was a very very good movie in my opinion. It was very touching the way the teacher connected to with the students and how the students felt towards learning and everything even with what was going on in there community. I really liked how he teaches the kids, he makes them feel like a human not a robot that should know something and he really tries to connect with every student. When i was in elementry school the teachers didn't really try and help you learn they just kind of gave you the material and hoped that they could get through to you and if they couldn't than they just left you behind and thought you weren't as smart as everyone else. In the film all the kids really had big goals for themselves in the future and i thought that was really cool and i honestly believe most of them will fulfill it. In the film all of the kids are in Fifth grade and they are already striving to be better when they get older and i think that is great, Mr. Rafe really connected with the kids and told them that they can achieve anything with hard work. In the film Mr. Rafe says to a group of kids that "there are no shortcuts" this stood out to me because the kids are young and most teachers would let it go and the kids wouldn't feel bad about what they've don't or anything but he really talked to them and got to them and made them feel bad about what they have done and that they can't get to where they want to go with shortcuts. This film really made me think of my goals and some that i should set for myself, Im going to start studying every night, and excel to my top potential and transfer to mail campus and become successful over there also.

Journal 9 Noel Beyer-Hermsen

The documentary "The Hobart Shakespearians" made me think about many things in the education world. Such as it is important for kids to learn about literature like Shakespeare and the importance of kids getting a lot out of it. From what I saw these kids were really into the story and they really grasped the concepts of the books, they were even crying. It made me feel like I would love to have had a teacher like that in elementary school because his teaching style was exactly what I would have wanted. I do believe if the teacher really cares about the students they will understand what it is they are suppose to be learning. A lot of teachers now of days seem to only to concentrate on getting the curriculum done and making sure test scores are good. Rafe was really into what he was teaching, in the film he said "My passion is passed onto the students". In my elementary school I did have great teachers but it was mostly making sure we read fast and knew our multiplication tables. They books they were reading I didn't even read until later in my schooling. I read Hamlet during my junior year of high school, and I read of mice and men that same year too. I did read To Kill a Mocking Bird in 5th grade. I think it is good for these kids to have goals at such a young age because it gives them motivation early in life to try to get on the right path. A goal I have for next year would be to use the math lab in the academic and enrichment center more. I have only gone a couple of times this year and I think it would help me a lot if I used it. I am not the best at math and it is free and I should use it more than I do. In the front of the class on a banner it said there are no shortcuts and I think this is really good for students to learn at a young age.

Journal 9: Hans

After watching The Hobart Shakespearians, I had many different emotions. In this documentary you see Rafe Esquith, fifth grade teacher at Hobart Elementary in Los Angeles, California, pedagogy. Mr. Esquith takes his 5th grade class through, in my opinion, the best teaching experience of their lifetime. The teacher does this by giving his students many opportunities to experience the different and key aspects of life, in and out of the classroom. He teaches core subjects like math, science, etc. to playing instruments, sports, etc. Rafe Esquith also takes the students to field trips around the U.S.A. so that the kids may also experience the real world. The way he treated his class made me feel very sentimental because it shows his compassion and love for every kid that he meets. The students say that being there "feels like home." It made me think about how great the impact of that class can have on the students who have the opportunity to be part of it. What made the story all the more interesting was the environment in which Hobart is located in one is very unsafe and had the kids not had Mr. Esquith they would have been part of the streets. I wish there was a teacher like this in every classroom. My elementary experience was not good, I went to elementary school in L.A. post-katrina and most of my teachers did not care about their teaching. I had one teacher that I remember was good his name was Mr. Nawash, he was my social studies teacher. I feel if there were teachers like Rafe in every classroom then it would increase the graduation rate. He made all the kids feel so special and gave every kid an equal opportunity to shine. Rafe taught me how important it is to set goals in life. My goal for next year is to get a small internship and work on my Dive Master.

JOURAL 9 (BRITTNEY HANKS)

Seen the video the other day in class, inspired me even more to be a teacher now. In the short film " the Hobart Shakeseareans" shows how inspired the teacher is about his students. Hobart elementary is located in Los Angeles California with  2000 students. The students go to school all round. The children work very hard and also speak other languages as well. So very hard to get to them to be outstanding. On top of teaching Math, English, Social Studies, and Science, He goes above and beyond by teaching kids William Shakespeare because that is what the teacher enjoys. The children work very hard to be able to get to be good students. The  kids have set goals in life, so when the teacher pushes them to the limits to because he know that they are capable of doing what they're doing.  That shows how passionate the teacher is. All teachers should be like that I Believe. I know I've only read two of William Shakespeare's stories and I am 19 years old. I can only name one or two not 37, And that shows a lot that the teacher care so much about the students to teach him something that is not even on the California curriculum. The teacher cares about his students a lot. You can even tell in the video, at the end the students are upset do to the end of the year and going to the next grade level. The teacher wants the students to succeed and do so much better then what the  have before. That one teacher is  inspiring  the students  to do better in school and not give up and as a student you want a teacher to push you to the best you can be.

My elementary school I had teachers are truly cared about their students and then I had other teachers I didn't care about students. I remember I had a teacher who went above and beyond to help me with the reading. She tried her hardest all the time because she wanted me to succeed and get past the reading level for the third grade. To this day I still talk to Mrs. Franklin, she actually gave me my diploma At graduation.


My goal I am setting for my self is to be on the deans list, I know that's going to take a lot of work but if I put my mind to it I will be able to do it. In high school I blew school off and got by I had a 3.5 my senior year but I never did anything. But once I got to college something changed its probably because I am paying for school, if  I got a bad grade now that bothers me unlike high school if I got a F on a  test I would laugh it off. So in the next year my goal is to study hard and get on the deans list.

Journal 9: From Paul Winters

The documentary of The Hobart Shakespearians made think about how important it is for all children to know someone cares about them. This creates a hope in them that they don’t even know to have in themselves yet. It was touching to know most of them don’t have the best home lives and for most of them going to school is the only way out. It is like on A House on Mango Street if they want out of their condition they are going to have to work hard and make it in life. It made feel inspired to go out and make a difference, many times we think we can’t make a difference we are just trying to make it in life ourselves but everyone can make a difference and all the little things aren’t even that little. This also made me think of how great it is to be an American and to have all the opportunity that is here that is looking us in the face. Also it makes me think of all the courageous men and women that have gotten us to where we are. The vietnam memorial scene really can touch all of as someone has sacrificed everything so we have the opportunity to live the lives we live. It also made me think about how most of the children are of different ethnicities and he wanted them to feel American and I think that is the American way, we are the melting pot of the world and that is what makes us great. For them to be told they have so much potential on a daily basis is great, we can only hope that they kindle that idea throughout their journey through school and don’t let anyone put out their flame of hope.

I could compare this to my elementary days, I was not very good and struggled with reading, writing, and especially math. I was in all the special programs. I was even told at one point I was going to never be able to have good speech and they had their speech coach working with me. I didn’t have a good self image of what I could be. I let all that speculation get on the inside, I thought they were the adults and they knew what was real. It wasn’t until 4th grade when I had a teacher that believed in me and talked about me going to college and  she told me I could excel and becoming something. She removed all those bad thoughts out and she took me from administrators speculating on holding me back to thinking about skipping a grade. I really owe it to her for helping me in such a critical time, I would not be the same person if it weren’t for her.

My goal for the next year is to keep above a 3.5 GPA. I used to never be a good student. As soon as I got to college I saw it all flash before me and I thought this is the time to make it happen. I think it isn’t all about the work or getting the good grades that matter so much as who I become in the process. That is what is going to carry on for the rest of my life and that is why I have set that goal for myself.