Teaching: The Most Important Job For a moment, take yourself back to when you were eleven. Can you remember when your biggest worries were homework, chores, and the pressure of fitting in? Sandra Cisneros gives us a small glimpse into the social pressures that infiltrate modern schooling in her short story “Eleven”. In this story Rachel, the protagonist, is mortified when her teacher, Mrs. Price, forces her to put on a gross, smelly sweater that does not belong to her. Seemingly innocent, the sweater actually represents Rachel's fear of not fitting in. Mrs. Price uses her position of authority to rid her classroom of the sweater, at the expense of Rachel's embarrassment. Without even the teacher on her side and her confidence shattered,
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Price that destroys the trust and confidence between Rachel and her teacher. Mrs. Price refuses to listen to Rachel's explanation, she accuses Rachel of lying about her ownership of the sweater. “'Of course its yours,' Mrs. Price says, 'I remember you wearing it once.' Because she's older and shes the teacher, she's right and I'm not.” Cisneros use of hyperbole shows us that Rachel and Mrs. Price both know that shes never seen Rachel wearing that sweater. The protagonist has concluded that she is wrong because she is the subordinate rather than her actually being incorrect. Rachel now knows that Mrs. Price is a liar. A student that trusts their teacher is more likely to value their instruction and advise. The student would also generally enjoy the classroom making it easier to focus and absorb the lesson. How is Rachel to trust anything coming from Mrs. Price in the future, including her lesson? Rachel's confidence in Mrs. Price as well as herself, has been …show more content…
It is the responsibility of educators to build up their students so they feel confident in asking questions about the lesson. In “The Developement of Children Ages 6 to 14” Jacquelynne S. Eccles explains that enhanced fears of not fitting in and rejection are very common for children in middle childhood.“For instance, children who do not see themselves as competent in academic, social, or other domains (such as athletics, music, drama, or scouting) during their elementary school years report depression and social isolation more often than their peers,6 as well as anger and aggression.7” Mrs. Price destroys Rachel's self esteem by forcing Rachel to put on the dreadful sweater in front of all her peers. The protagonist relates the sweater with not fitting in. She feels as though the sweater will make her unpopular because it is ugly, old and
Price that destroys the trust and confidence between Rachel and her teacher. Mrs. Price refuses to listen to Rachel's explanation, she accuses Rachel of lying about her ownership of the sweater. “'Of course its yours,' Mrs. Price says, 'I remember you wearing it once.' Because she's older and shes the teacher, she's right and I'm not.” Cisneros use of hyperbole shows us that Rachel and Mrs. Price both know that shes never seen Rachel wearing that sweater. The protagonist has concluded that she is wrong because she is the subordinate rather than her actually being incorrect. Rachel now knows that Mrs. Price is a liar. A student that trusts their teacher is more likely to value their instruction and advise. The student would also generally enjoy the classroom making it easier to focus and absorb the lesson. How is Rachel to trust anything coming from Mrs. Price in the future, including her lesson? Rachel's confidence in Mrs. Price as well as herself, has been …show more content…
It is the responsibility of educators to build up their students so they feel confident in asking questions about the lesson. In “The Developement of Children Ages 6 to 14” Jacquelynne S. Eccles explains that enhanced fears of not fitting in and rejection are very common for children in middle childhood.“For instance, children who do not see themselves as competent in academic, social, or other domains (such as athletics, music, drama, or scouting) during their elementary school years report depression and social isolation more often than their peers,6 as well as anger and aggression.7” Mrs. Price destroys Rachel's self esteem by forcing Rachel to put on the dreadful sweater in front of all her peers. The protagonist relates the sweater with not fitting in. She feels as though the sweater will make her unpopular because it is ugly, old and