Jaime Escalante, The Best Teacher Ever

The movie Stand and Deliver would be a perfect example of how anything can happen if you put your mind to it. Mr. Escalante's class started from the bottom and worked their way to the top. I was really impressed with how Mr. Escalante inspired and encouraged his students to move forward and to challenge themselves. His students never dreamed big and thought that life didn't have much to offer them. By giving them the opportunity to take AP Calculus, he was also giving them the chance to prove to themselves that they can do anything they set their mind to, and that they had the tenacity to exceed expectations.

As a future teacher, I also hope to give my students the confidence and determination they need to succeed in life. One of my favorite quotes was when Mr. Escalante said, "You only see the turn, you don't see the road ahead." He said this quote after turning into a dead end street with one of his students, Pancho. Pancho had decided not to take his calculus class because he was offered a job. He was confident that this job would help him make a good living. Mr. Escalanta however, knew that he was basically taking the easy way out of life and going straight for a low end job. Without a proper education, the dead end turn symbolized where his life was heading if he took the job. I really like how he was constantly looking out for his students and only wanting what was best for them, especially when even their own parents didn't have much faith in them.

I found a short clip on YouTube with Jaime Escalante talking about what it takes to be a teacher, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFMz8JRg8Y8. My biggest takeaway for this clip is to learn from your mistakes and to find new ways to innovate your teaching style, and most importantly, to never give up.