Analyzing Mr. Keating’s Teaching Concept in Dead Poets Society from Progressivism Essay

Introduction1.1 Brief Introduction of Dead Poets fellowship In 1959, Welton Academy is remarked by the pot for its dignified style at that prison term. The fostering mode in that location is fixed, non only mo nononous tho ideology shackled. However it whole changed in the hands of a newfangled t apieceer. John Keatings didacticsal method against tradition brought vitality to this work in his classroom, he advance the students to stand upon the desk, to observe the world virtually with a diametrical perspective he introduced suasionful poetry to students the informal divergent thinking philosophy he advocated caused great repercussions among students. Gradually, some(a) people accepted him, began to bravely brass every day and grasp their aver bearing. Charlie is eager to predominate the real self, renamed Nuwanda.He takes advantage of beingness wholeness of the proofers, seeks chance of expressing self-independent archetype. Knox be contrives uncharacteri sti adverty, be brave to pursue his cacoethes, finally come in a gleam of hope. With the jockstrap of Mr. Keating and Neil, the autistic Todd breaks taboo infinite potential, walkways unwrap of shadower and dumbfounds confident and gregarious. Under the edification of the Poetry Society, Neil listens to inner voice and rear his real ideal. In spite of his fathers opposition, he successfully starred in the play A Midsummer Nights Dream. 1.2 O verseas and Domestic Research StatusAccording to the document literature, in that location be non many domestic scholars convey on training by means of Dead Poets Society. The articles angiotensin-converting enzyme-sidedly poll the pedagogics methods, program line concept or instructor-student relationship of this inject, which still help the analysis of several aspects in this thesis. For moral The pedagogics Paradigm Thinking Triggered by Dead Poets Society indite by Long Qixiang, it has explained the changes in breedin g procedure in this film and Discussion on Mr. Keating precept Concept in Dead Poets Society written by Liu Weixing, it has analyzed dogma concept of Mr.Keating.Western scholars confuse fully analyzed Progressivism. They aim jell ship their sop up views from the importation, thought and influence of Chinese and westward using reform. The writer collates and selects the useful materials, by unite liberal conjecture with this film go forth allow necessitateers conceive how to reasonably teach in theory, and properly apply theory into pull better. Backg turningKnowledge of Progressivism advancing Education is an companionshipal philosophical thought populated in the United States in first half of twentieth speed of light. It has a considerable impact on skill at Ameri fag end takes. 2.1 DefinitionAt the end of 19th century and the early twentieth century, with the emergency of modern Education movement in United States, the squ ar(a) status of Western Abso lutism which was completed by Herbart was shaken. Progressive program line is an extensive tuitional trend based on progressive ideas. Its consequence idea is to promote the transformation of society and the update of human, so as to promote successive progress of human society by reading and educational reform. This educational trend originated from 17, 18 century, its influence has continued to trust day.2.2 Theoretical BasisProgressive Education is the education experiment under the guidance of Deweys naive realism educational thinking. People strongly criticized the previous(a) traditional theories and methods led by Herbart, then its opposite Children Centered theory put forward. Brief Introduction of Content ab off Deweys Pragmatism Educational Thought (1) Education namely is Life, Growth and Experience shimmy Education is the process tykeren are now living however non the preparation of future sustenance. The outmatch education is read from livelihoodspan, study from sense. receivable to soulfulnessal contact with people in social life, respective(prenominal) influences each a nonher(prenominal), and then we bear gradually expand and advance commence, acquire friendship and develop moral character. (2) School namely is Society.Dewey proposed, I believe school primarily a social cheek. Now that education is a social process, the school is a form of social life. (3) Learning from Doing.The acquaintance children gain from listening and reading is not real. The underlying and impressive knowledge was gain from doing something analogous experiment. When we engaged in activities that are pregnant to us, our study effect go out be magically revealed. So the study from doing will neverbe replaced by schoolbooks. (4) Children Centered guessProp atomic number 53nts of this theory take a childs development as a natural process that teachers can not dominate, exactly being a natural servant. Take childrens interest as the cente r, emphasize childrens personalised development and growth and put students in central point of teaching. Promote new forms, content, methods of education. 2.3 Influences to American EducationDue to the establishment of guiding ideology based on people (children, scholarly persons), it would inescapably mastermind to the overall changes which are related to this aspect in education arrangement. That is this whole education reform, at the end of 19th century, early twentieth century American society really needs. In this sense, the first section of Progressive Education to American education is that, it precedentfully promotes American education from agricultural age to industrial age, from modern to contemporary. The Progressive Education constitutes an all important(p) beginning of modern American education.Another critical contri howeverion of Progressive Education to the development of American education in 20th century is that, it has had pro demonstrate impact in formin g the canonic characteristics of school education in U.S.A. In contemporary American education, progressive educators have strongly advocated the magnificence of childrens needs and personality differences emphasized providing to a greater extent space for children en courageousnessd inquiry and creative development respect for the rights of children and so on. All these have become a widespread human beings.To some extent, Progressive Education funda psychicly changed the automated teller of American schools and classrooms. Though the Children Centered theory advocated by Progressive Education was criticized, the authoritarianism educators opposed could no longer rule the American schools. Analyzing Mr. Keatings Teaching Concept from the Perspectives of Progressivism In this chapter, the writer will analyze Mr. Keatings teaching from the Teaching Purpose, Teaching Principles and Teacher-student Relationship of Progressivism point out the advantages and hidden problems in his t eaching. 3.1 Teaching PurposeProgressivism considered there is no ultimate, electrostatic or universal goal pre designingning for education. Education should promote childrens never-endinggrowth and development, and this kind of growth and development will contri abidede to the conserve-up. That is the purpose of education. In Welton Academy which filled with dogma and stuffy atmosphere, great courage and boldness is needed to be faithful to ones personality. only when Mr. Keating dares to use a unique flair, visually warn students to find your throw road, to find your protest walk, do not care what others say. He uses Seize the Day to alert students to find themselves, to do what they want to do, to perform your life extraordinary.He is a maverick. He is brave to lead the students to get rid of the shackles of tradition and report, to arouse the passion and proneness in their hearts. In his view, paying attention to students creative thinking and self-expression of perso nality is more valuable than inheriting tradition. The traditional education starts from imparting knowledge and skills, the students project is to accept and stack away knowledge as ofttimes as potential in order to succeed at all levels of exam. This kind of education leads to the consequence that study is for knowledge and exams not for students themselves or their ideal life. So during the teaching process, Mr. Keating not only emphasizes students acquirement somewhat knowledge and skills, but the training of the style they thinking and the cultivation of whole personality. 3.2 Teaching PrinciplesThe principles of Progressive Education like methods, content and materials being adopted in the teaching process are all included. These are concrete steps to pass on the teaching purpose of Progressivism, and these are also the steps Mr. Keating al shipway prevails on doing. Basic principles of progressive education is express and reclaim personality, oppose to enlighten fro m outside behave unleashly, protest lordly discipline involve from experience not from the textbooks oppose to obtain isolated skills and techniques by dint of training repair full use of opportunities in real life, against fixed target and materials. To be more detail, principles can be divided into 10 points (1) Attention to all abilities and power of a child.Student is considered to be a total existence which contains reason, social, emotional, physical, spiritual and other aspects. Students should not only develop intelligence but social, emotional, physical and other aspects should also be developed. This point is thought to be one of basics of Children Centered theory. It doesnt set a specific goal or inclined to develop the important aspect for children, but to grow up comprehensively.However, Welton as an educational institution, it likes a machine without ignite and emotional coloring which only focuses on registration rate, processes each student into qualified p roduct with its powerful deterrent and imprisoned force. The arrival of Mr. Keating injects odorous blood for them, so that they see the human instinct. The spontaneous impulse, subdue desires, emotions and intentions duncical in their unconscious begin to stir. (2) The voice of a teacher is to throw out but not to supervise. This point is related to teacher-student relationship. In traditional teaching, the role of teacher is not only to teach students knowledge but a supervisor to correspond students would not do the things which are out of discipline or influence their study. One pillar of Welton is discipline.What school should do is to assure enrollment rate, eradicate every activity that would influence students score, teachers always put heavy study closet on students shoulder. Students there are not people but learning machine. In Progressivism, Teacher is a person who uses his rich and right experience to help students analyze and deal with different situations. He i s important to be a guide or a leader in teaching, but he is not the only authority. In Mr. Keatings teaching, he teaches book knowledge and life philosophy through normal daily activities and his own experience. He doesnt limit students immunity and to encourage them to seize the day, to find things people really stay active for. scarcely it also shows that if students lack proper supervision, it will have negatively charged impacts. (3) School should be positive and active to solve problems then enhance, but not be negative or passive in teaching through memories. Analysis and reconstruction of facts is indispensable for an increase of knowledge, explanatory power and the ability to correctly classified. If people want to find something new, they must do something to the object. It is unavoidable to jump out of the environment which has been set previously.A habitual way of teaching is to remember and recite the book knowledge like formulas, equations and metrical compositi ons then repeat practicing. Welton only uses traditional ways to teach small-arm sometimes not suitable for students, for example students learn Latin by reading after teacher they learn science by doing much homework. While Mr. Keating encourages students try to look at things from different perspectives when they are learning, stock-still though it may seem silly or wrong. He regards the way to rate and determine a poem great or not by the rational coordinate in textbook is excrement.He let students rip out entire introduction. (4) Friendly, enthusiastic and humanitarian classroom atmosphere. variance is the main place for teaching, the quality of teaching hinges on the atmosphere in class more or less. A teacher of profound learning should have the ability to eviscerate his students actively participate in the learning process, students have interest to learn then even profound knowledge could be understood. In other teachers classroom, students are silent and indiscriminate, teachers are autocratic and rigorous and the atmosphere is always tense. Students should follow and comply with teachers requirements otherwise they would get a low score in their exams. Mr. Keatings class is on the contrary, no bondage is in the classroom. He does not adopt the way that teacher stands seriously on programme and students sit properly below. He walks among students and uses approachable ways imparting knowledge. (5) More space.This point likes the second point, which is to domiciliate more space for children in learning and private daily life. In this film, students are under the control of authority their inner desires are fix by reality. Space is namely freedom, it is required to learn, to live. People are instinctive to chase happiness, but it always restricts by reality, so we need to find a compromising way to chase happiness.They release repressed pattern by reading poems in the cave, by reading a meaningful sentence before kicking football game. The th ings they cannot achieve in real life can be got in poetic imagination. Under the suppression of Weltons educational concept, Mr. Keating also harshly criticized schools management corpse with his own practical live up to. (6) The curriculum should be conciliateed to each childs level of maturity, and based on childrens interest, creativity, self-expression and personal development to achieve individualized. Children were born in their own way, but through the deal with reality their individual character would be obliterated, from a pentagon to a round shape.Though Welton always cultivates only one type of person, which is qualified graduate. It is unverbalized to implement this kind of curriculum even in todays society, what we could do is to keep our pure personality from changing by our surroundings. (7) To provide children with a wealth of teaching materials, facilitate students to look, to operate, to apply. Teaching is not extra in classroom, not limited in the required materials. Learning can in everywhere. In the first class of Mr. Keating, he whistled and led students to the school history exhibition room, let them stop their impetuous pace and face the age-old yellow photos, to listen to the silent advice Carpe Diem, to comprehend the short time and demise of life.In gym class, he was playing vibrant baroque practice of medicine, while let students line up single file and read an incentive poetry before kicking the ball. These are not the ways traditional teachers would adopt but by which encourage students most. In victors eyes, students should sit in the classroom and absorb traditional materials which have been tested by practice. There is no need for them clapping and marching in the courtyard or doing anything which does not help with their study. (8) Establish organization to promote cooperation and reach out common experience.The knowledge and experience work out together by learners themselves will be more impressive than the one by force-feeding. In this film, students firstly organize study groups to help each other with their homework. Afterwards, they reorganize The Dead Poetsa community devotes to suck out all the marrow of life. They transfer the way to release repressed emotion to this literary society. Students rally in a cave at night, they recite the works of Byron, Whitman and even the one make believes by them, feel the meaning and value of life. (9) Oppose to the concept of education is preparation for life. Advocate education is a constituent part of actual production process.This point is the very(prenominal) as Deweys Pragmatism. Progressivism sides on the idea that education is to enhance personal development in real life sort of than let children adapt to education, but let education adapt to children. Mr. Keating never urges students to get a high score or be the top of ranks, he practiced wants his children to acquire right determine and grow up comprehensively through education. How ever, headmaster insists that the duty of school is to prepare students for college, because a best inscription means bright future for students and reputation for school. The development of students rest aspects will take care of itself. It cannot say which one is absolutely right, but the two contradictions will cultivate entirely different students. (10) Against compulsory and strict punishment.This is the common rewards and penalties system even in todays school. Students with sober grades will receive many rewards, and others behave badly will be published differently due to their behaviors. In Welton Academy which takes enrolment rate as the ultimate goal. Mr. Keating as an English teacher, he abandons the emboss and dogma and teaches without pointer and corporal punishment, but in the form of poetry, music and sports, inspires students to pursue the truth of life by applying his unique insights towards art . But when Charlie slipped an article in school paper, received a p hone call from God demanding girls be admitted to Welton, he was published by headmaster he has to bow his head and look for forgiveness. 3.3 Teacher-student RelationshipProgressivism inherited and developed the educational philosophy of Deweys Pragmatism. They think that children should be in accordance with their own needs and interests. Therefore, teachers should act as a mentor or consultant rather than an authoritative figure. The responsibility of the teacher is not to command relying on the authority but to provide advices. Children should determine their own things by the interest, and they plan their own development, teachers are just learning guide. (1) The role of students they turn from knowledge passive receptacles to positive constructors.Mr. Keating always thought the idea of education was to learn to think for yourself. He further students to be a free intellect and told them the dangers of conformity. Suck out the marrow of life in my own way. And not, when I had come to die, hear that I had not lived. Obviously, Mr. Keating asked students to break the reality that passively accept tradition and authority, trying to require them to acquire knowledge through active thinking then imparting in the growth of life. Student is a total organism which is autonomous and developmental.They are not affected by external factors and continuously feel, experience the meaning and value of life in growing process. Thus teachers should not to control students behavior but to respect their self-awareness pay attention to the needs of students physical, emotional and other aspects. Make the learning process becoming the process of students growth. Furthermore, knowledge is not granted by others, but discover and invent by learner themselves. The learning materials were chose, understood and reformed by learners own experience, then constructed their own new knowledge system. So students should not be the passive receptacles to store knowledge but active con structors.(2) The role of teachers They change from knowledge porters to erudition enlighteners. Mr. Keating has vividly showed how to be a guide and enlighteners through his teaching methods and behavior. Teachers should create teaching situation, lead students to use prior knowledge and skills to delve into learning. In his class, Mr. Keating would start from the book learning or a shallow action into a deep life lesson. Seize the day, Talking about poetry is not laying pipe., See everything in a different way, seek for your own voice, Find your own pace, swim against stream. Teachers should be aware of the importance of letting students know how to acquire knowledge rather than directly give them knowledge.To encourage students to be good at thinking, be daring to innovate, be brave to explore. It is sure if without Mr. Keatings enforcement, Todd would not make his excellent verse and still be an obedient child keep his desire deep in mind perpetually. From this point we can se e, teacher and student are twain living individual. They have their own emotions, personality, values and ways of thinking.They also have their own views and experience towards teaching. The teacher cannot be a substitute for his students to perceive or understand knowledge. Therefore, teacher cannot be the one controlling teaching student should not comply with it. Teachers should walk down from the superior central authority eliminate cold, nervous, hostile atmosphere in the classroom return the classroom to students and regard students as individual life respect their personality and equally talk with them. 3.4 Advantages of Mr. Keatings Teaching3.4.1 Mr. Keating set a model for teacher about Happy Teaching. He takes ease and freedom as standard to create a routine learning environment. Mr. Keating broke the force-feeding teaching mode and built an interactive platform between teacher and students. He respected students and concerned about their real needs, made them happily gr ow up in a free, occasional teaching environment. He taught students to have a pair of eyes to discover beauty, to feel the wonderful in discipline with their heart. Be good at observing and discovering let all students to become the master of their own ideas.E.g. Mr. Keating encouraged them to look at things in different ways, to seek for own voice. This free divergent thinking form leaves students more space for positive thinking another example is telling students lifetime is short, if you want to make your life extraordinary you have to seize the day. 3.4.2 Mr. Keating taught students to Learn to Think.He let students to learn thinking freely and independently. Have your own voice not to follow indiscriminately. Learning in the classroom is always dead and mechanical the knowledge while we chat outside of the classroom is alive and vivid. The former is specialise knowledge the latter liberal education. E.g. Mr. Keating let students walk freely in the courtyard to experience th at it is easy to follow the pace of others while move behind them and it is difficult to adhere to their own pace and personality.3.4.3 Mr. Keating helped students to Establish self-reliance and Keep Faith. Mr. Keating introduced thoughtful poems to students, let them gradually comprehend the connotation of poem learn to focus on reality and love life and to cultivate students self-confident, optimistic and tough characters. Students can play their potential ability by reciting poetry. E.g. Todd is an introverted and sensitive student, Mr. Keating saw his cowardice but he did not condone it. He forced Todd to yawn to compose a verse thus to release his repressed emotions. Mr. Keating makes students know the meaning of life through his poems. 3.4.4 Mr. Keating encouraged students to develop freely and show their personality. In the whole teaching process, Mr. Keating always encouraged students to develop personality.He thought teaching is not purely imparting knowledge but also dee ply cultivating ones personality. It is a process to let students think freely and explore independently. He let me know success is not unary. Some students study in reputable schools like Welton are carrying too much pressure from family and society, most of times what surroundings force them to do are not they really dream of. Like Neil, Todd and others, they all under the pressure of outside, so they have to hide their inner desire and abide to requirements. In the end, Neil found his dream, Todd overcame his cowardice, and Overstreet was brave to pursue his girl.These are all successes, they all develop without limitation. 3.5 confidential Problems of Mr. Keatings Teaching and the Solutions The most touching picture was on the football field With the melody of Beethovens Ode to joy and under the hike of Mr. Keating, the students wearing red sweatshirt enjoy driftning, chasing and frolicking. They simply carry Mr. Keating on their shoulders and run hilariously around the playg round. In the golden sunset, the immortal melody that shines forever on the concept of human seems to have a new tone. However, the result of a movie is not always a happy ending. Neils death is really a tragedy.The hidden problems in Mr. Keatings teaching have emerged. 3.5.1 Children Centered Theory should work in its moderate otherwise it will gradually become an indulgent behavior. It is really a good thing that Mr. Keating changes the monotonous atmosphere for his students, to help them to find their inner desire and tell them many life philosophies. It is obvious that everyone hopes to meet a teacher like Mr. Keating. But it still needs supervision. At their meeting in cave, except a few good poems the students occasionally recited, practically attended by smoking and drinking. When Charlie did wrong, Mr. Keating just told him not to be blatant. But there is no need to excessively against nature like Welton. In my view, both teachers guidance and students interest should take i nto consideration in teaching.By combining both of them, students, teachers and school will be in a sympathetic relationship. 3.5.2 The education concept of Mr. Keating seems to be too ideal. He said, Medicine, law, business, engineering these are noble pursuit and necessary to sustain life but poetry, beauty, romance, love these are what we stay alive for. He tried to let students be aware of the importance of individual growth and the meaning of life. His words shake students. They want to seek for dream at the same time they are trammeled by reality. But Neil is too concerned with his ideal to make necessary compromise with reality. He puts himself into an impasse and he kills himself in order to make his body free. This is the character of Progressivism it focuses on personal development.However, it would be better if we repose personal needs and social needs ideal and reality. Education should be the integration of these four parts. Blind pursuit of ideal is extremely solem n because it would make us defeated by the cruel reality. Thus we must look for the most appropriate method to seek for dreams and try our best to keep the balance between ideal and reality. 3.5.3 Progressivism education ignores imparting system knowledge. In this film, Mr. Keating also emphasizes more on telling students about life philosophies rather than imparting system knowledge. He skips around the chapter in textbook which is not beneficial for students. To realize inner desire needs to put into action, systematic knowledge is the basis of practice. Understanding life philosophies is important for mental development while systematic knowledge is also indispensable for intellectual development. ConclusionAfter analyzing Mr. Keatings teaching concept, educators can apply some useful points in Chinese education. There are some inordinate status quos in Chinese education, like it highly required pettiness of subject knowledge but ambiguously required for all-round aptitude of m astering and applying knowledge most of disciplines which are self-contained do not communicate with each other and the learning content is away from reality and its practicality is poor. By combining useful points in the analysis, solutions could be put forward to improve status quoAs for Teaching Purpose, except focusing on high scores, there are many other things they should learn and experience like moral values. Personal growth and social purpose of education should in a balanced state. This is complete and correct purpose. As for Teaching Content, practical skills like fostering creativity, teamwork and logical reasoning could be increased, at the same time we should not neglect students learning about basic knowledge. Another important thing is that we should led students know how to apply them to practice, especially by using the examples in real life. After all, education is to help us to be able to deal with problems in many fields.As for Teaching Method, funds and advance d technology has been applying to teaching facilities nowadays, teaching methods become diverse and we should make full use of existing facilities. Teachers can approve their teaching content with appropriate method and facility, by doing so students will be more engaged in teaching process. By analyzing Mr. Keatings teaching purpose, teaching principles and teacher-student relationship in Dead Poets Society from perspectives of Progressivism. Readers can firstly have a general understanding about this western educational philosophy, and then they can comprehend the theoretical foundation of Mr. Keatings teaching behaviors, which is really commendable in Chinese education.Progressivism breaks through the restrain of traditional education, advocates the importance of childrens interests and free space to develop. But everything should be in a moderate, so that can avoid the issues because of extreme. The analysis of counterintuitive status quo of Chinese high school education will tear peoples attention to problems of educational practice and education itself. That is we have to eliminate exam-oriented education which only focuses on students grades and neglects the development of other respects. As for the solutions of these problems are writers desired methods to solve them. The reform and healthy growth of Chinese education system will keep waiver through trial and error.Works Cited1.. J 201103 2.. J 201002 3.. J, 201007 4.. J 201008 5., J,,201012 6.. J 200731 7.. J199602