Wide Awakeness And The Moral Life Analysis
What exactly is the purpose of education? In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, education becomes a subtle theme throughout the story. From Atticus’s parenting style, the public-school system and the hierarchy of social classes, education plays a central role in the development of the characters much like education plays a central role in students today. The whole purpose of education is to broaden students’ perspectives. John Bushman in his article states that, “in order to help young adults through the difficult time of being adolescents, teachers must provide literature that speaks to the issues facing our students: problems in their physical, intellectual, moral, and reading development” (1). There must be student motivation which ties
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She presents the idea of teachers and students working together to imagine and create opportunities. In her article, Greene reflects on Alfred Schultz’s idea of wide-awakeness as a “sense of achievement, a type of awareness” (Greene, 1978). She goes on to explain that teachers and students must be aware of their surroundings. Teachers should have a general idea of what their students already know and should be able to adapt the curriculum to allow new learnings to happen. Students learn best by doing and exploring the world around them. By being awake and present, teachers can tap into that other world of learning. Part of the education taking place in To Kill a Mockingbird, takes on this “learning-by-doing” approach that Miss Caroline practices. Although, Scout and Jem are reprimanded for already knowing how to read and write, Miss Caroline wants them to learn the “right way.” Yet it is she, who needs to be taught about the social context of Maycomb. She is not what Greene would call a “wide-awake” teacher. She attempts to change the students to fit her own perception of what students should be. The Ewells, who only go to school on the first day, are the first ones to break her in and although she still attempts to mold the students to her liking, she doesn’t open the door to education to those who won’t conform to her standards. Scout comments, “Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing” (Lee 18). In her attempt to teach scout the “right way” Miss Caroline actually does more damage than
She presents the idea of teachers and students working together to imagine and create opportunities. In her article, Greene reflects on Alfred Schultz’s idea of wide-awakeness as a “sense of achievement, a type of awareness” (Greene, 1978). She goes on to explain that teachers and students must be aware of their surroundings. Teachers should have a general idea of what their students already know and should be able to adapt the curriculum to allow new learnings to happen. Students learn best by doing and exploring the world around them. By being awake and present, teachers can tap into that other world of learning. Part of the education taking place in To Kill a Mockingbird, takes on this “learning-by-doing” approach that Miss Caroline practices. Although, Scout and Jem are reprimanded for already knowing how to read and write, Miss Caroline wants them to learn the “right way.” Yet it is she, who needs to be taught about the social context of Maycomb. She is not what Greene would call a “wide-awake” teacher. She attempts to change the students to fit her own perception of what students should be. The Ewells, who only go to school on the first day, are the first ones to break her in and although she still attempts to mold the students to her liking, she doesn’t open the door to education to those who won’t conform to her standards. Scout comments, “Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing” (Lee 18). In her attempt to teach scout the “right way” Miss Caroline actually does more damage than