Popular Culture and Real Teachers - Essay Example

Popular Culture and “Real” Teachers Author’s Name: Professor’s Name: Course Details: Institutional Affiliation: Date of Submission: Popular Culture and “Real” Teachers Introduction Over the years, the media have given different depictions of the professions of teachers; they have been intriguing to many audiences in recent years. These depictions mostly have been different from reality. There has been a sharp contrast between the normal classroom teacher and the teacher in the movies. However, the relationship between these two forms aims at bringing change into the teaching profession. Popular depictions of teachers in the media have been both constructive and destructive. Constructive depictions have represented positive change. They have shown teachers who have done what the extraordinary in their quest to better the lives of students. They have gone against the norms and changed the set school curriculums and traditions in seeking to bring positive, revolutionary changes in the teaching process. As we explore the relationship between the two, we shall see how this relationship affects the teaching practices of real teachers. The Complex Relationship between the Popular Teachers and the Real Teachers According to Mitchell and Weber (1999), the relationship between popular teachers and real teachers is not one to be taken lightly. Popular teachers have had a great influence on the professions of real teachers. However, it is factual that teachers regard representations of teachers in novels and movies as unrealistic and impractical. On the other hand, there are those teachers who identify and empathize with Popular teachers. Such are normally prospective or beginning teachers. The authors argue that images of teachers in the media are made up of many texts that contrast each other. These representations are both right wing and left wing. There are positive images of teachers and there are those images that portray teachers in a negative light, but the focus is put on the images that portray teachers in the right light. A great number of teachers draw inspiration from the likes of Miss Johnson of My Posse Don’t Do Homework, who was constantly looking for ways to assist her students. They empathize with her frustrations, and rejoice with her in her triumphs. The authors also argue that most portrayals or representations of teachers in the media repeatedly take on a face or life of their own, overshadowing the originals. One example is in To Sir With Love. In the character ‘Sir’, played by actor Sidney Poitier, we fail to be seeing the pain of racial discrimination that affected the author, E.R. Braithwaite. Apart from that, ‘Sir’ has been an inspirational character to many. At one time, according to the movie, he saw the insignificance of the study textbooks for students. He decided to throw them into the waste paper basket, telling students, “They are useless to you”. He then proceeded to use class time to talk to the class about issues that were affecting their lives. He perceived the official curriculum as lifeless and dull. Many people watched the movie and loved the notions it suggested. Students who watched it also started longing for the time when such perceptions would materialize. Another argument that the authors put forth is that the serialization images of teachers into multiple texts meant there must have been something commercially viable in the initial text. An example of such is the book My posse don’t do homework by LouAnne Johnson (Johnson, 1993). In her book, Johnson describes personal experiences when she worked in a certain American inner-city high school. Her station was a special program for under-achieving teenagers. According to the story, her main concern was the well-being of the students. She was willing to do anything to assist them. She bought items for students with her money. She did away with school rules when she saw them as inappropriate, and rescued them out of desperate situations like police harassment. The book was so well appreciated that it was remade into a film called Dangerous Minds that was extremely successful. It went on to be made into a television series. She spontaneously took the class on unusual field trips. Many teachers may disapprove of the ways employed by Johnson, citing the impracticality of her actions. However, there are those teachers or aspiring teachers who identify with Johnson heart that just wants to assist the students at all costs, and be their hero. She goes against the system just for the sake of the children, courageously tackling every challenge no matter how great it may be. Thus, the author of the books seeks to inspire teachers all over to start developing the resolve in seeking to assist students more. The book tries to show that nothing should limit teachers and that it is possible for better ways to exist in reality. It is possible for them to revolutionize the entire teaching industry, and remove the redundant systems. Sit Down, Shut Up As much as there have been positive representations of teachers doing radical things for the sake of their students, there have also been negative representations of these teachers who do the contrary of what the former do. Sit down, Shut up is an Australian TV series that was aired for a short period between February 2001 and June 2001. The series focuses on the lives of eight teachers in a dysfunctional school called Carpen Heights Secondary College (Australian Television Information Archive, 2000). The series is focused mostly in the staffroom. The students were seen but rarely heard. What the series was ostensibly saying to the viewers was that the Education system in Australia had collapsed. Integrity and honour had departed from the system’s teachers, and they were now just going through the motions; teaching just because they had to teach in order to get a paycheck. They were dissatisfied with the way their issues were being handled. It was created by Brendan Reed and Tim McLoughlan, and produced by Peter Herbert. When it was created, it was meant to be a sitcom that would amuse people of all ages, but mostly those who were 16 years of age and above. This is because it contains many adult jokes. Although it was meant to amuse, it was quietly and cynically sounding a warning that something had to be done by those in charge to save the situation. This text was only aired between February and June 2001. It did not manage to graduate into being cumulative cultural text because it did not have content that was valued enough by the public. From the depiction of this series, the featured teachers are seen to be self-servicing, undisciplined, and irresponsible. They set their needs and wants before those of the students, and it echoed of the condition that the education system at that time. The principal was always out, never available; thus, the vice principal had to hold the school together alone- a daunting task. She is faced with the task of managing and controlling her staff, which comprises of predominantly under qualified and disinterested individuals. The staffs are seen as being preoccupied with other things apart from the progress of the students. Throughout the series, there is a lot of sexual suggestion among the teachers, and students are also exposed to this. We see the school introducing a condom vending machine. They put teachers Stefan and Julia in charge of it. We see the Dean having his sights on Julia, and Stefan and Stuart encourage him. Stefan also expresses interest in Julia in the way he takes off his shirt to show off his physique any time he is around Julia. At once instance, Stuart, the new teacher, was caught reading pornographic magazines by students. The students spread the word, and every time they would see him, they would chant “porno, porno”; and it did not seem to be a bit deal. At parent/teacher meetings and interviews, the parents began to realise that the teachers did not know their children and were not interested in the wellbeing of children. In another instance, Sue-the vice principal, organised a compulsory late afternoon session whereby the staff were to have social intercourse. In another episode, Sue realised that half the female students in the school had moved to other schools; she immediately concluded that it was because there were not enough attractive male teachers in the school. Because of this, she threatened Stefan that she would fire him if he did not start trying to look sexy. Opinions concerning this popular text are hard to come by; this is probably because not many took much notice of it. It contained crude and sarcastic suggestions, and they rubbed people the wrong way. Hence, the reason it did not air for long. Ways these representations help us understand the work of a classroom teacher In seeking to understand the work of classroom teachers, positive or constructive representations of teachers in the media are used, even though there are those of dysfunctional teachers. An example of where such an understanding can be retrieved is from “My posse don’t do homework” and “To Sir, with Love.” In consideration of the roles of a teacher, it is known, firstly, that teachers are the people who impart knowledge; they bear the responsibility of passing on all information and data that come with the subjects they teach to the students effectively. They are supposed to try as much as they can to make sure that their students have understood what they are teaching. Their other task is creating good learning conditions. Other additional responsibilities are to learn about the different students so that they can know how to handle them best, to be a disciplinarian, and to counsel the student when necessary. The representations have shown that more needs to be done if lives of students are to change. From what they show, it all starts with the teacher first cultivating a genuine interest in their students, not just in their academics but also in their lives. They should be concerned about their well-being. It is seen that if the students see that the teachers are genuinely concerned about them, they respond in a much better way. It is also noted that sometimes it is necessary to go against the set systems; some of these systems are old and dysfunctional; therefore, a teacher is required to be courageous and fearless. The general principle that the representations give us is that we should ‘do what is necessary’ to assist the students that are put under care, both on an academic level and a personal level. Conclusion Choosing to disregard the representations from the series Sit Down, Shut Up, the arguments put forth by the other representations are compelling. Teachers have been used to the conventional methods of teaching that only involve the imparting of knowledge and discipline. Conversely, these representations have revealed the significant effect of teachers who are willing to think out of the box. It takes courage and resilience to go against set systems for the sake of an improved learning process, but the benefits are worthwhile. It demands sacrifice and commitment on the part of the teacher. We need teachers that find joy in the bettering the lives of the children they teach. We need more Johnsons in our society; people like them will be capable of rescuing and giving academic hope to many lost students. I believe that these individuals are out there; they just need to be true to themselves and go out and be a blessing to the lives of our nation’s youth. References Australian Television Information Archive (2000). Sit Down, Shut Up. Red Heart Productions. Retrieved on May 3 2011 from . Braithwaite, E. R. (1990). To Sir, with Love. Logan, IA: Perfection Learning. Johnson, L. (1993). My posse don't do homework. New York: St. Martin's. Mitchell, C. & Weber, S. (1999). Reel to real: Popular culture and teacher identity, Reinventing ourselves as teachers: Beyond nostalgia. London: Falmer Press. Read More