Baldwin's Despair In Education
DESPAIR IN EDUCATION
TASK 2—IWT1
Despair in Today’s Educational System
Despair is a major problem in today’s educational system. Sadly, this is not a new problem.
Students feel despair in having to deal with teachers that are unable or unwilling to teach as they should.
Their lives are fraught with personal issues that affect their ability to study and learn.
Parents feel despair because they want the best education for their children.
Sometimes they must fight against teachers, administrators, legislatures, etc. and are still unable to accomplish this.
Teachers feel despair because students do not apply themselves or they see bad teachers not removed from the system.
They experience …show more content…
My Thoughts on A Talk to Teachers
My first impression with this work was that the author was quite angry with the situation he is addressing. And understandably so. Baldwin (1985) draws heavily on the emotions of any sensible person to pull them into the circumstances. I believe it is a well written work that shows how difficult it can be for students to overcome the limitations placed upon them by society.
The author makes use of several racial terms as well as strong language and negative stereotypes to make his point.
Baldwin makes the valid argument that if we have a problem with another’s race or status in life; it is our problem instead of theirs.
While disturbing in tone at times, I found myself identifying with the message. Even though I am a white male.
My Thoughts on Song of Despair
Shadegrown uses the elements of music found in this song to exhibit his despair and hopelessness with the world. The lyrics paint a rather dismal portrait of how overwhelming life is for him. His use of slow, strong chords on the electric guitar set the stage. Then the fast, strong beats of the drum, performed by beautiful life) (Shadegrown, …show more content…
Baldwin’s essay is much like
Shadegrown’s song in this sense.
Song of Despair stands by itself in many ways in this trio of works. Examining the lyrics, we see no real sense of hope. We see that Shadegrown presents a picture of how we become overwhelmed with despair, even to the point that we become one of those who made us feel helpless in our situation, bringing despair to others. As he says, this is not a pleasant situation. The only solution offered is that we muddle through and make it in life before we die. Even his mention of praying is given almost in a passing, noneffective manner (Shadegrown, 2007).
How do These Works fit Together?
4
The lack of hope in Song of Despair and A Talk to
Teachers teaches us how deep those emotions of despair can affect our lives (Baldwin, 1985; Shadegrown, 2007). It also enforces the idea of how important hope really is in our lives. Without hope, we really do want to throw up our hands and quit trying to get out of our situation in life.
Yet, even the smallest glimmer of hope in Baldwin’s essay and the hope presented in Chilcott and
Guggenheim’s documentary show us that there is hope
TASK 2—IWT1
Despair in Today’s Educational System
Despair is a major problem in today’s educational system. Sadly, this is not a new problem.
Students feel despair in having to deal with teachers that are unable or unwilling to teach as they should.
Their lives are fraught with personal issues that affect their ability to study and learn.
Parents feel despair because they want the best education for their children.
Sometimes they must fight against teachers, administrators, legislatures, etc. and are still unable to accomplish this.
Teachers feel despair because students do not apply themselves or they see bad teachers not removed from the system.
They experience …show more content…
My Thoughts on A Talk to Teachers
My first impression with this work was that the author was quite angry with the situation he is addressing. And understandably so. Baldwin (1985) draws heavily on the emotions of any sensible person to pull them into the circumstances. I believe it is a well written work that shows how difficult it can be for students to overcome the limitations placed upon them by society.
The author makes use of several racial terms as well as strong language and negative stereotypes to make his point.
Baldwin makes the valid argument that if we have a problem with another’s race or status in life; it is our problem instead of theirs.
While disturbing in tone at times, I found myself identifying with the message. Even though I am a white male.
My Thoughts on Song of Despair
Shadegrown uses the elements of music found in this song to exhibit his despair and hopelessness with the world. The lyrics paint a rather dismal portrait of how overwhelming life is for him. His use of slow, strong chords on the electric guitar set the stage. Then the fast, strong beats of the drum, performed by beautiful life) (Shadegrown, …show more content…
Baldwin’s essay is much like
Shadegrown’s song in this sense.
Song of Despair stands by itself in many ways in this trio of works. Examining the lyrics, we see no real sense of hope. We see that Shadegrown presents a picture of how we become overwhelmed with despair, even to the point that we become one of those who made us feel helpless in our situation, bringing despair to others. As he says, this is not a pleasant situation. The only solution offered is that we muddle through and make it in life before we die. Even his mention of praying is given almost in a passing, noneffective manner (Shadegrown, 2007).
How do These Works fit Together?
4
The lack of hope in Song of Despair and A Talk to
Teachers teaches us how deep those emotions of despair can affect our lives (Baldwin, 1985; Shadegrown, 2007). It also enforces the idea of how important hope really is in our lives. Without hope, we really do want to throw up our hands and quit trying to get out of our situation in life.
Yet, even the smallest glimmer of hope in Baldwin’s essay and the hope presented in Chilcott and
Guggenheim’s documentary show us that there is hope