Group 1 – Scenes picked out from 10-22-13 class

As our group was discussing the different scenes from Stand and Deliver, there were several we liked but decided on the following two scenes.

 The Restaurant Scene:  This scene starts out in the restaurant, but was picked up from the previous classroom scene where Anna announces, “today’s my last day”.  This is not good.  Mr. Escalante sees in Anna, great potential and if she doesn’t come back, that would be a waste.  (That’s what it feels like he is thinking).  So he is sitting in the restaurant, which is Anna’s parent’s Mexican eatery, and meets Anna’s papa and asks him to sit down.  As they are sitting and getting acquainted Mr. Escalante asks if he would allow Anna to come back to school explaining, “she wants to go to school, to college and  has talked about medical school”, papa replys, “our family has run this business, it’s good enough for us, I do dishes, what’s wrong with that”, Mr. Escalante explains, “he started out washing dishes”.  Mr. Escalante was not putting down the fact that the family runs a business, but Anna had other visions and would like to further her education.  Papa seemed all offended with the idea that Anna wanted something “better”, but you could also tell he loved his daughter and had a special place in his heart.  The next day at school, Anna came in with a big happy smile.  Mr. Escalante was pleased.  

 

Teachers meeting:  The teachers were gathered discussing the accreditation for the school.  The principle and vice principle were very concerned about getting more funding for the school.  The teachers were discussing back and forth, one says “I’m not coming back, I’m going….” Another asks, “What do they pay”, (he is the one that didn’t seem to care about what he was teaching or what the students were learning – but how much “effort” he would have to put out).  Everyone is going back and forth.  Mr. Escalante makes it clear he is interested in the students, what they are learning, he states, “Students will arise to the level of expectation”.  They all look at him like “now that’s a new thought, maybe our students could learn more”.  It is apparent that this school is for the “ghetto kids”, poor backgrounds, rough family lives.  Not many would succeed or could succeed.  Mr. Escalante obviously thinks differently from the way he is thinking and the way he is teaching.