Stand and Deliver
Movie Review by: Ryan Floyd, American University

John Keating employs multiple effective teaching models in the film in a non-conventional manner that must be considered in the context of Keating’s overall goal: “to create freethinkers,” as he tells the school President. First, in terms of direct teaching, there is Keating’s frequently reiterated creed of “seize the day,” or live boldly. This creed is presented to the students in various forms, and is usually tied to the student’s developing a non-conformist attitude and finding their own voices. Poetry mixed with highly physical activities are used to engage the students enabling them to both effectively learn the curriculum, and in doing so draw nearer to Keating’s goal of creating freethinkers.

In a loose way, the Dead Poet’s Society which the student’s create could be considered both independent practice in the Direct Teaching context, and Cooperative learning. The member’s work on their own to write poetry for the meetings (independent practice), and then put into real-life practice the ideals they learn from Mr. Keating in a cooperative environment.

Mr. Keating’s desire to make freethinker’s is also an example of mastery learning, where a specific ability is identified as a behavioral objective. The “test” of this mastery learning is then scene in the climactic ending of the film when the members of the Dead Poet’s Society show their respect and solidarity for Mr. Keating by standing on their desks.

Finally, Keating’s teaching probably fits most easily into the category Problem-Based learning, where “real-life problems” are singled out and emphasized.

Keating also employs many types of teaching that are simply too subtle to fit into a broad category of teaching style. It can easily be argued that for Keating, teaching is truly an art, a passion that holds precedence over everything in his life. From the very first day of class, when Keating calmly whistles his way through the class and out the door, he is showing the student’s that this is not going to be a conventional class aiming only to prepare the student’s for college. By showing the student’s the pictures of former student’s and drawing everything into the perspective of life’s transience and the need to “seize the day” he has demonstrated to the student’s that his teaching will not be abstract and academic (as in Pritchard’s Introduction) but rather one that is engaged in the very lifeblood of existence. When Keating calls them to “make your lives extraordinary” he is working to intensify the desire to succeed not just in a limited, say monetary way, but in an all-encompassing living of life. A similar method of motivating student’s can be seen in the work of Jaime Escalante and his inculcation of ganas, the desire to succeed, in his students (pg. 28, textbook).

Mr. Keating has a variety of other subtle methods that distinguish him as a great teacher. He develops a rapport with his students by focusing on their individual traits and talents (with Todd, Keating seems to sense the potential behind the shyness, and with Neil he sees the acting talent and the drive and passion behind it). He challenges them to consider the crucial questions of existence, and often times strikes a chord with the students because they are dealing with those very issues themselves (for ex. Knox Overstreet dealing with love). By engaging in these life issues, Keating’s teaching extends far beyond the classroom, into the daily lives of his students.

Keating taught his students to ask questions by emphasizing the importance of their individuality and their lives outside of the classroom. His giving of the old Dead Poet’s Society poetry book to Neil is one way that Keating, in an indirect way, encouraged his student’s to think outside of the class and outside of the conventional and conforming atmosphere of Wellton.

In an all-girl’s school or a black school, the kind of situation seen in the movie would be slightly different, however, the concept of conformity and non-conformity, and the herd vs. the individual can extend to all environments. For an all-girl’s school set in this time period, it would take a true individual (a teacher in the style of Keating) to see outside of the traditional view of women as homemaker’s to embrace a more fulfilling and liberated view of women, and to thus pass that view on to the students. In a black school, even today, a strong sense of self-empowerment and self-importance is necessary to see above, and to climb above the inequalities inherent in the modern public education system.

Follow-up activity: Application of Bloom's Taxonomy

You’ve read about effective questioning and seen “on-screen” effective questioning in action. Now take a turn at practicing these techniques. Compose a classroom discussion of Dead Poets Society. Write out a sequence of questions, one each from the six levels of Bloom’s taxonomy.

Knowledge: What poem does Keating have Pitts read on the first day of class? Comprehension: What is the meaning and importance of this poem to the students? Application: With the idea of being a freethinker in mind, consider how this idea manifests itself in the lives of the main characters. Analysis: Why would the administration take such offense to Nwanda’s demand for girl’s admittance to Wellton? What conclusions can be made about Wellton and the state of American society during this time (1959)? Synthesis: How can you integrate the teaching of John Keating into your life? Evaluation: Is Dead Poet’s Society a solid, life-improving, and realistic critique of certain elements of education or is it just an entertaining, romantic, yet unrealistic product of Hollywood ideals? Explain your reasoning.