The Capeless Hero: A Reflection

Sometimes, the thing that your students need the most has nothing to do with your lesson plan.

1) Describe Mrs. Gruwell as a teacher. How did she handle her class? What are her qualities that made her a teacher of yesteryear? 21^st century teacher?

Mrs. Gruwell is a great teacher that future educators should follow because she has those unique qualities that a good teacher should have. Like for example; she just didn’t teach her students about subject matters but also inspires the students, change their way of thinking  in life and in school, aspires them to become not just as a better student but also as a better person, and lastly, for serving as a hope to her students. On the other hand, the qualities that she have as a teacher  of yesteryear are that she is quite strict and her authority as a teacher dominates in  the  class  and also she sometimes uses the lecture teaching approach at the same time as as a 21^st century  teacher,  the qualities that she have are that she is technologically literate because she uses technology as a medium in her teaching method, and as you can see, she lets her student discover ideas and uses more activities to demonstrate the lessons and even field trips  to let  the student learn by means of doing. Therefore she also uses learner’s centered approach and the way her classroom looks like was of a 21^st century design.

2) Describe the composition of Mrs. Gruwell’s class? How is racism manifested in the movie?

Mrs. Gruwell’s class is not the ideal type of class. A variety type of students whose personalities, principles, cultures and race differs. Her class is really different from the white men’s class which is said to be the honor’s class in their school. In the movie, Racism is highly manifested in the story just by seeing in the first day of Mrs. Gruwell teaching where each student group themselves by their race and color not  just within the school but also outside. They even fight with each other to keep their said territories to keep their pride to themselves for that is how they grew up, “If one kills the enemy, then honor and respect is what they get.”

3)    Describe the principal and Mrs. Gruwell’s coordinator.  How would you relate their     characters and views in real life?

If I will relate the principal and Mrs. Gruwell’s coordinator in real life then I could say honestly that many of them exist. Where Rules and laws are more important to them even if it’s not always the wants and needs of the students and sometimes limits the students to learn in a way they want. These kind of people in authority at times abuse their power to control the minority and the rules which hinders the minority to get what they really want and need even if it is for a good cause. It’s sad to know that many of them exists that  instead of helping  the  students and encourage them, they do the opposite that  results for the student’s to lose their trust to them.

4)   What are the strategies and activities she used to her class? How did it help in making her class successful?

She used many strategies and activities in her class for example; she used field trips, game-based activities, writings, watching videos, giving them books like Diary of Anne Frank for them to read and discover, interview, debate, impromptu and etc. These help the class to be successful because in this way they experience, communicate, think, self-reflect, and learn together. Most importantly, they were able to build harmonious relationship and strong camaraderie between each other. Lastly, they became friends not just classmates and genuinely they unite and understand each other.

5)   Is there uses of technology in the class? Elaborate.

Yes. When Mrs. Gruwell had the field trip with the class, many type of access of machinery were shown to the students like they watch some videos and photos shown to them by the use of technology. And also during the class, through the use of projectors, they watch some movies about wars and suffering of some brave people. These ways, the students learn more in an accessible and easier manner.

      6) If you’ll be assigned with a class or students in conflict, how will you handle it?

Ideally, I would like it to be how Mrs. Gruwell handled conflicts. Yet not easy though because there are many factors that sometimes will push you to your limit and will make you down like family, friends, society, and even your loved ones. That’s why if possible, I need to have a long lasting patience, have strength to endure the pain and problems, be calm and confident in actions and words, be good and transparent at making decisions, and of course, a good heart with strong personality that believes in success. This way, I might be able to solve and handle conflicts with trust in myself and in God.

7)   What are your insights and learning’s after watching the movie?

                  In this movie, I had many insights and learnings from Mrs. Gruwell and from her class. Like it’s not easy to be a teacher, it takes time, sweat, effort, and sometimes sacrifice. For me, before teacher is just a job, you just need to teach the students about what you know about the subject but because of Mrs. Gruwell, it changed my perception of being a teacher, I think I’ll be happier if I just don’t take teacher as a job but also as a profession and a lifetime commitment to my students. That it is better if you just don’t teach the students but also change them in a better person where they can create their own dreams and hope because of you. Like what Mrs. Gruwell said, “I found the sense on my life when my students found their own.”  This means she creates a deeper relationship with her students and it’s not just her who helps her students but also vice versa.  Not all people are the same, not all share the same ideas and experiences, not all go through the same amount of pain but all have reasons why they act and think like that. You should never judge base on what you see because all have their own stories to write, and the best thing to do is understand and appreciate them so that you can gain their trust, that’s what I realized from her students.

8)   What is the symbolic representation of room 203? How did it help her  students?

                        Room  203  is not just a class where you learn;  it is where you find peace and hope,  it is where like you live with your own family, it is where you share and voice out your ideas that you can’t tell  to others, it is where you can cry and laugh at any moment, it is where build relationships and experiences  with others, it is where you create the best version of yourself, it is where like you forget about your own problems  and sorrows,  it is where like you can find your 2^nd mother,  your inspiration and your hero in some way. This all describes a home, that’s my symbolic representation of room 203, it helps her students in many ways.