Today, Friday, July 6th the Jump Start program held a reflective workshop looking at the movie Stand and Deliver, a true story featuring Edward James Olmos as Jaime Escalante, a former teacher at Garfield High School in East Los Angeles. While viewing the film, students were asked to also read an article on Brainology and reflect on the two pieces.
Brainology – The different beliefs, or mindsets, to create different psychological worlds: one in which students are afraid of challenges and devastated by setbacks (fixed mindset), and one in which students relish challenges and are resilient in the face of setbacks (growth mindset).
Stand And Deliver – Real-life hero’s confront the National Advanced Placement Calculus Exam! Jaime is a math teacher at East Los Angeles’ Garfield High who refuses to write off his inner-city students as losers. Jaime is seen almost like a Rocky of the classroom.
Highlighted quotes include:
These aren’t the types to bounce back.
Talking about students losing their confidence and would not be able to do it again…a one shot deal.
“All you see is the turn, not the road ahead”
The segment of the movie where Jaime takes the student to a dead-end while driving the car. Growth mindset, is looking at the road ahead…not just the turn that’s immediately in front of you.
Assignment for Jump Start Students:
Choose ONE of the following points and write your response in the comments below:
- Write about your thoughts on Brainology and explain the difference between a fixed mindset and growth mindset. Please give an example for each.
- Write about a character or situation of the movie and how does it related back to A Hero’s Journey.
- Write about the Super Natural Aide in the movie Stand and Deliver. Why do you think they are the super natural aide? Give examples.
*This assignment is due Monday, July 9th at 4pm!*
Point 1 :
Fixed brainology is limiting yourself to the things you can learn. People with a fixed mindset believe they can only go so far and they can’t change it. For example, saying something like “This is as far as I can get so I won’t try to do anymore” might mean you have a fixed mindset.
Growth brainology is being able to keep learning. There is no limit to their intelligence. For example, saying “I am really good at this, so I am going to try something more difficult” could mean you have a growth mindset.
I think that brainology is important. It’s important to understand because if it isn’t helping you then you can try to change it. Someone might need the extra help and confidence if they have a fixed mindset. Someone with a growth mindset needs someone to keep giving them new things to learn.
Great job, Brenda! And you get a +1 for being the first to do this assignment 🙂
Point 3:
I think the supernatural aide was the character Jaime Escalante because of all the help he gave to his students. Jaime did everything in his power to help the students pass the Calculus exam. For example, he offered them summer classes and different opportunities to study. Another way in which Jaime played the role of a supernatural aide was when the class was getting accused of cheating; he got the class together to review their notes, and be more prepared to retake the exam and prove their innocence. Jaime was definitely the supernatural aide in the movie because he took students that didn’t care about school and didn’t even know algebra, and turned them into calculus students. I believe he showed many that as long as they try they can accomplish anything.
Thank you, Rocio. Great examples! He did show many that with “ganas” they can accomplish anything.
Point #1:
Fixed mindsets and growth mindsets, what are they ,and which one are you? Having a fixed mindset makes you completely different from those who have a growth mindset. A person with a fixed mindset plays everything the safe way. They won’t try to do anything out side of there comfort zone for many reasons; one reason being because success is not guaranteed to them. So rather then fail or negatively ruin there “self image” or “self reputation” , they’ll as often as they can avoid challenges and stick to there level of comfort, and things they know they can do. One example from my own life is my challenge with math. Math and I aren’t the best of friends, to a certain point I’m confident in my work, but when I reach the to the point of geometry I freeze and give up. Not because I don’t know how to do it, but because I’m not sure I’m doing it rite, so instead of trying to do it, and maybe failing at it the first time I’d rather avoid it and not do it at all. So basically, the fixed minded people have a ” I’m the way I am and I can’t do anything about it” attitude towards life. A person with a growth minded mindset is the total opposite. They believe that anything is possible. They can train there brain to learn instead of thinking that they can’t do anything about it as the fixed minded people do. To them the success of others is seen as motivation and inspiration, not only does it help them gain confidence, but it’s seen as a source of information. The success of others to a fixed minded person makes them feel threatened in a way. They’ll try to convince themselves that it was all part of “luck” and try tarnishing there success with unrelated things they’ve accomplished just to feel as successful. Criticism and feedback to a growth minded person is golden and is used to the full extent. To a fixed minded person, that criticism is only gonna affect them negativity and destroy there chances of ever going outside of there comfort zone. One example of how I’m a growth minded person, is I take criticism positively. When writing an essay for English class, the feed back given back to me I use to make me a better writer. Clearly a fixed minded person and growth minded person are very different! Question is which one are you? I know I can be a little of both! 🙂
Love the Math example, Kadigah. Good work.
Thanks Nohel!
Point 2:
Stand and Deliever relates alot to the Hero’s Journey. Since the teacher was originally suppose to be a computer teacher, but his call to adventure was to teach math. Not onky was his call to adventure just about teaching math, but he always taught teenagers how to be open minded and to never be afraid to succeed at something. The teacher is the supernatural aid. He’s their supernatural aid by believing in them, and giving them an opprotunity to take advantage of. None of the staff in the school believed in the students, they all doubted themseleves, except for one teacher. He made a difference in the students’ lives. For the students, learning can be a call to adventure. The students could also refuse the call to adventure. Just a few refused; but many others accepted because they wanted higher test scores and they wanted to further their education.
Good job connecting A Hero’s Journey and the use of a supernatural aid in the movie.
The Super Natural Aide in the movie Stand and Deliver is Jaime Escalante. His whole life goal from the beginning of the movie to the end is to help people. His first step toward Super Natural Aide was applying for the job as a teacher at Garfield High even though it was run-down, old, and full of gang related activity. He turned a classroom full of kids with no hopes, dreams, or even basic high school level skills into young, ambitious, college ready students. He made the students fell like they were understood and had so much potential. Jaime even helped Angel (Lou Diamond Philips) stay out of trouble and worry about his education. Jaime put in all that he had while the whole faculty seen it as pointless. He not only taught at regular school times but also after school, during the summer, during the holidays, and even taught adult language classes at night. Jaime was just an all around good person. He earns the title of Super Natural Aide because his actions caused others to change their life for the better.
Thanks, Bobby. And I agree, Jaime was an all around good person!
2.)Write about a character or situation of the movie and how does it related back to A Hero’s Journey
I would say all the characters were going through process of being swallowed by the belly of the whale. I think the students were going through the process of of being swallowed by the belly of the whale because they were going through transformation together with the assistance by their supernatural aid, Jaime the teacher. In the beginning of the movie all the students believed they weren’t worth anything and the teacher Jaime kept encouraging the students an making them work hard until they gained enough confidence to achieve an difficult task which was the calculus test.
Interesting connection with the belly of the whale. Thanks and good work.
Jaime Escalante is the supernatural aid because throughout the whole movie he plays a role in which he saves students futures by helping them out with math and own their problems. He helps Angel who makes a choice to stay in school and take the opportunity to do the Calculus test. Jaime also helps a student change his mind about dropping out. He takes him on a ride in his own car and he makes a turn which is a dead end. He wants the student to realize what is ahead of him if he stays and that if he makes the wrong choice it could be dead end. Also, he convinces a female students’ parent to let her stay in school for her future instead of working for a family business in a restaurant.
That was a significant part of the movie and not seeing beyond the immediate choice or event. Thanks, Rafael.
In the movie “Stand and Deliver” the teacher Jaime was the super natural aid to all the students in the classroom. As a Supernatural Aid he guided the students for 2 years in order for them to succeed in life. Through out the whole movie he had to prove and show the students he was buiness
and he heres to teach. The students didn’t care about school at all because they knew that in their minds that they were dumb, these sudents were going to a phase called Refusal to Call. This stage is when the students had to take on the challege of going to school everyday, having textbooks, and doing homework. In a year in the same classroom together these students entered the stage of the belly of the whale. Every single student went through this and started realizing its not bad going to school. Their were changes in everybodys attitude and Jaime reallly made a difference. This movie hit me and it got me thinking that you can be successfu land you can do anything if you put yoour mind into it. Jaime made 87 students pass the test in the past i believe 4-5 years very impressive and in east Los Angelas.
This movie inspired me thankyou for showing the movie to us jumpstart students much appreciated.:)
You’re right! The refusal to call was pretty big at the beginning. Thanks!
Point 3
The super natural aid I think is jaine because all of those kids felt that they didn’t have a chance to do anything with there life’s. He kept it 100 with them.. like in the movie when the cholo asked him if he can have 3 books. One for home one his locker the other for class. He wanted to successed. But didn’t want his friends to know. Also when they were late he had them sit in the little chair. To teach them a lean. He helped those kids by giving them chances. Not like the other teachers. Telling them that there’s more then just flipping burgers.
Thanks, Melissa! I liked the little chair in front of the class for people that come in late…might not be a bad policy to have 🙂
lol 🙂
In the movie Stand And Deliver, The teacher Jaime is the supernatural Aid because he is giving the students a lot of opportunities. At first none of the “chicano” students were interested on going to class everyday and do their work. He also told the students about coming to school over the summer. Jaime did not have to do that if he did not want to because summer is supposed to be his vacation. Jaime’s class got accused of cheating but Jaime did not want to accept that fact so he went to go argue and said that his class did not do that. The students went from a negative attitude, then Jaime changed their state of mind. He was definately the Super natural aid in this movie. “Con Ganas” Meaning with effort. best teacher i’ve seen in a chicano movie.
The best thing is…it’s a true story. The real Jaime passed away 3 or 4 years ago, but he definitely left a legacy and an inspirational story. Thanks for your submission, Leo.
In the movie stand and Deliver, I think the supernatural aide was the character Jaime Escalante, The teacher who gave all his help to his students. He also believed he could change them for the better. Jaime did all he could in order for every student to pass the Calculus exam. He offered summer classes and different opportunities to study like giving one of the student’s three books. Another way Jaime was the supernatural aide was when the class was accused of cheating; and everyone thought they did cheat, he still believed they didn’t. He got the class together to look over their notes, and made sure they were prepared to retake the exam. Jaime was the supernatural aide in the movie because he took students that didn’t care about school and didn’t even know simple math, and turned them into A.P. calculus students. He showed many that anything is possible, they did things they had no idea they were even capable of, thanks to Jaime.
Jaime was definitely an inspirational person! From basic math to AP calculus…amazing! It goes to show what students are capable of with the right mindset…growth mindset 🙂
The Super Natural Aid in the movie Stand and Deliver was Jaime the teacher, towards all the students in his classroom. The first step he took was applying for a job at the high school, although there was all sorts of trouble especially gang related he still decided to go in there and help the teenagers. The students had no idea of what they were capable of achieving with all the knowledge they had in them. Thats when Jaime came in he guided them for about 2 years. Everyone, all the staff, and even the own students believed they were stupid, they didn’t know they were college material, they thought they didn’t even know high school basic skills. There was no control no teacher to motivate-them until Jaime came in knowing it would be hard it would take motivation and dedication to achieve learning math. Once they got into it they all had a change in different type of ways, but they realized they they are capably of doing what they set there minds too. Jaime really made a difference in every single one of them ! It was a great movie, and I think a lot of us jump start students can relate to it because we have so many motivators ! 🙂
Thanks, Jocelyn! Great submission and spot on with the super natural aid in the movie.
Point 3
In the movie Stand and Deliver i think that the supernatural aid was Jaime. For me he was the supernatural aid because even though he was suppose to be a computers teacher he still taught the students math. Not only that, but when teaching them he never gave up even if the students themselves believed that they were no good. For example when Jaime has a heart attack he was suppose to stay in bed, but he knew that if he wasn’t there with his students teaching them that they wouldn’t learn the material the same way. Not only that but he didn’t need the students to take calculus, but he did it because he cared for his students, and actually wanted them to have a good future unlike the other faculty members.
Call to adventure was when the srudents received the permission slip for their parents to sign so that they receive extra time to prepare for the calculas exam. The reason why it is a call to adventure is because these students are given a task to prove their ogres wrong and to take action to change their lives around with the help of their teacher, Jamie.
Point 2
Stand And Deliver is and was a great choice to see on Friday. It has the heros journey In a lot of the characters in the film. Angel is a cholo who before Mr. Escalante wasn’t going to school, was getting into fights and hanging out with his homies. When Mr. Escalante came to Garfield high school he wanted to learn but every time his friends saw him learning he would immediately stop. Angel is refusing the call to adventure by not learning in front of his friends. Angel crosses the first threshold by asking Mr. Escalate for extra books so he can have one in his house one in his locker and one at school. Angel is really smart but is in a way scared to show it. I think a lot of people can relate to Angel. I know I can!
Mr. Jamie Escalante is a teacher who was supposed to teach computers at Garfield high school. But how poor the school is he had to teach math. I think when Mr. Escalante walked into that class room he thought they weren’t going to even to try. That’s probably why he pushed them so hard! I like his teaching strategy; he repeats himself over and over again until all the students in his class get what he is teaching. He has he own little chant like ritual with his students witch looks like fun. He goes through a lot with these kids just by doing math at school. He gets all of his students to learn calculus so they can take the AP calculus test. The government thinks that all Mr. Escalante’s students cheated because they all got the same wrong answers. Mr. Escalante fought for them when they were accused of cheating. His students had to take the test again to prove to the system that they didn’t cheat. All of his students passed the test. Mr.Escalnte is all of the students Supernatural aid he was there for them when they didn’t feel smart or had personally problems. Mr. Escalante was a great man and was very inspirational.
Stand and Deliver was a great choice to watch. It has a great comparison to the heros journey. If I can make a suggestion, we should watch Mi Familia/My Family because it also has a great comparison to the heros journey in three generation of family. I think it’s perfect for us to see. It even star Edward James Olmos!
I think that the character that symbolizes “the hero’s journey” the most in stand and deliver was angel. I chose him because he was called to the adventure by jaime in beginning of the movie, but declined. Once he accepted the call, Jaime became his supernatural aid by giving him books and agreeing to help him. He crosses the first threshold when he agrees to go into the summerschool program becaus ehe didn’t know if he could do it or not, and it was a gamble for him. He is in the belly of the whale as he is being tought by jaime because he was being molded into a completely different person than he was used to being. His road of trilas was when he was being habitually late or truant to school, when his grandma wasn’t being seen by the doctor, and when he got beat up by his friend because of provoking the police officer. I think his “woman as a temptress” was his grandma because he had to take care of her and was often not conentrated in his studies doing so. Apotheosis came when he knew he passed the AP exam because he worked hard. The ultimate boon was when they were all at the beach celebrating because they all passed the Ap exam.
In the movie Stand and Deliver, the super natural aid for the students is Jaime Escalate. Through out the whole movie, he helped and guided them to success. He never gave up on the students. When he called out a student, it wasn’t to embarrass them; it was to better them and learn from their mistakes. He did everything he could to help them understand math. Jaime even took the three students to his house to study for the calculus test. Jaime believed in each student; he had faith. At the end of the movie, the students went from basic math to AP calculus, all because of one great teacher. Jaime Escalate is a role model for teachers and for students.
Brainology
Having a fixed mindset is the belief that there is a limit to one’s learning capability. They feel limited and think they have a peak of potential that once is reached, can not be exceeded.
Growth mindset is having the belief that through learning and constantly working at learning you can increase your learning capacity. They think that learning is virtually limitless and dependent on yourself.
The hairnet kid at the beginning refuses the call to be good at math. With supernatural aid by his teacher he charters into unknown territory of embracing his talents.
In Stand and Deliver the teacher was the supernatural aid. Through times of struggle he was always there helping and giving advice to those in need. He is constantly being the motivating factor the students need to succeed.
A growth mindset is when the mind can take any knowledge in & go beyond the person intelligence. A growing mindset can keep on learning, can take the limits, and challenge its self to go far. But a growing mindset can only go so far if a person is willing to work hard and having the confidence to believe in his/herself that they can take on a challenge & succeed in life. Basically wanting to learn something new every day, finding a way to improve a persons studies and looking for better techniques or, ideas to get a good understanding of anything rather its based on school, work, advice, and maybe even life. There’s always going to be a problem to solve regardless if its a math equation on a piece of paper or, taking a change in yourself. Only our selves can choose weather to have a growing mindset if we are willing to take on the harder obstacles, to see what our minds can show us to and achieve on.
ex: a person that takes a test on checking how much their knowledge is advanced to graduate from high school early and going off to college in their senior year of high school.
(I couldn’t really come up with a good example sorry.)
A fixed mindset is when a person thinks that their mind can only go so far. If a person is not willing to work hard on finding their own potential then the persons mind can not take in so much, not willing to put as much effort and just giving up when a hard obstacles comes in the persons way. I also think that trying to avoid any challenges and not willing to learn anything that’s hard for the mind to take in is a fixed mindset too because the person just wants to learn the easy steps and just get what needs to be done. Not having the motivation to learn something new or, having an interest in, taking something different to help the mind grow can stop yourself into figuring out with what you want to do with yourself in life and you could easily end up doing something you weren’t so passion about. Falling into a job you didn’t want and realizing that you could’ve done better, so that maybe at some point you might have found something that you do love doing.
For instance: in the movie when the teacher/super natural aid talks to the girls dad who owns the restaurant, the teacher tells the dad that his daughter wants to go to college & study to be a nurse but, the girls dad disproves that she’ll go far & that his daughter won’t be able to take on the challenge to go to college and will stay running the the restaurant.
Another ex: is when the students teacher tells the kids that their going to be learning calculus math and the students try to avoid it by telling their teacher that they can’t do it & that it’s hard for them to understand the concept or, material of it.
Fixed mind set is the thought of your brain not being able to do something just because it requires effort. Like in the movie, Ana’s father did not want her attending college because all they had ever known was washing dishes and they never thought she would get the chance.
How does a fixed mindset differ from a growth mindset? Explain that a bit.
Growth mind set is the idea of your brain literally growing synapses in the brain when ever something it’s used. An example of this would be when in the paper we read,the students that had been exposed to the concept of growth in the brain did better in school,as opposed to the kids who never heard of it.
How is this different from a fixed mindset…can you give an example of it?
point #3.
A super natural aid in the movie Stand & Deliver is the teacher Jamie. He’s a really big part in all of the students lives. He was the one that helped them do better in life, he changed there lives. If Jamie never pushed the students to do better and make them belive they’re good, they wouldn’t have taken the test or maybe even go to school. He helped the students better their lives and helped them better them selves so they can go to college.
Point 3: I Think the teacher, Jaime Escalante, plays the role of the aide. He does all he can to help his students pass the test. He is striving for thier success.
Please explain or list examples of why you think Jaime plays a role of the aide.
Thanks!
the teacher had to be the super natural aid to all the highschool students. he’s the one who gave them the encouragement they need to pass the test. he’s the one who defended the when the district thought they cheated, he’s the one who was the only one defending them against the rest.
Q’s 3
In the movie I think the supernatural aide is Jaime, because he wanted the students to succeed. None of the other teachers cared about the students like how Jaime cared for them, that to me shows him that his the supernatural aide in the movie. Jaime made the class interesting; he made it fun for the students instead of boring them.
In the movie, Stand and Deliver, the supernautral aid is Jaime, the math teacher, because he showed his students that he cared for them and most of them have never had that or anybody believe in them before. Also, when the students started to mess up and think they weren’t good enough anymore, he showed them the bigger picture, that if they just kept trying they can make it farther.
I believe that the the supernatural aid of the story was mr.Escalante, because of his belief in his students and never backed down on them. He believed in his pupils so much that he risked his own health, and even helped them from the hospital bed. He pushed his students beyond their limits just to show them that they aren’t losers and are able to pass the ap calc examination. His students looked up to him so much respect they agreed to study on weekends & during summer break. In the end, his aid helped his students reach there’re true potential to succeed.
The Supernatural Aide in “Stand And Deliver”, without a doubt, was Jaime Escalante. At the beginning of the movie, all his students did not have a care about school; but this did not stop Mr. Escalante to give up on his students. Mr. Escalante taught the students everything they needed to know step to step until everyone, and i mean everyone, understood it. He encouraged his students to take a step further and into Calculus. Aside from encouragement, he helped his students achieve the knowledge needed to take and pass the Calculus Exam. When the students where thought to have cheated on the test, Mr. Escalante did every thing necessary to tell the investigators they did not cheat. When they were able to retest, Mr. Escalante helped the students review all the material in one day, he even invited people over to his house to continue studying. Without Mr. Escalante being there for the students, no one else would have.
its also good that he risked his life by helping them. he also seemed to be in the belly of the whale on his hospital bed.
Point 3 in the movie, i think the super natural aid was jaime aka the Teacher beacuse he wanted his high school students to make something out of their life’s instead of destroying it. The other teachers in the highschool doubted their students and didnt think they would make it far in life. The teachers thought their students were going to live up to nothing. instead of agreeing with the teachers, Jaime had faith and believed his students could become anything they wanted if they out their mind into it. When the students took the calculus test and ended up having the exact same answers, they where all acused of cheating. The teacher was the only one who believed that they didnt cheat because he knew how much far the kids had came. the teacher was the only person who believed in the highschool students and was always wishing the best for them. Point 3 in the movie, the super natural aid was the teacher because he made sure the high school students worked to their capabilities .