Jimmy Santiago Baca Impact On Education

Jimmy Santiago Baca, What is Broken Is What God Blesses, is in a piece sort of passages ballad. The sonnet happens in the sand, in the mud on a homestead, in jail, in human, dispossessed homes, destroyed relational unions, the ghettos, barrio sand, and trailer parks. In addition, the word picture he uses is mates' impressions, ten-year-old child's uncovered feet in the mud, picking peppers, and, ruined soil streets loaded with challenging people. One of the structures utilized by Baca is the line break. A key idea, in a mental state, I see the lyric smashed divider that declares opportunity, to the

Jimmy Santiago Baca’s poem “Oppression” discusses the importance of remaining emotionally and mentally strong when enduring oppression. For those suffering from the emotional trauma of being held captive illegally, singing is one solution a poet offers to those who are oppressed as he states, “Look deep to find the grains of hope and strength,/ and sing, my brothers and sisters” (Baca 6-7). Singing is an act that a person can generally freely participate in, which is why Baca suggests it since it is a small symbol of retaliation against the oppressors. Even though captors may rob a person of his physical freedom, the person can still show self-control by choosing to make the best of the situation by singing to uplift his emotional state. In

As a person who came from another country to the USA. learning how to read and write wasn’t easy. At the beginning, I found it so hard to read and write I would sit for a long time trying to read one page and most of the time I didn’t understand what was it about. writing one complete sentence was very difficult I had to learn read and write for that reason I feel that I have a lot of similarity with Jimmy Santiago who also had a hard time reading and writing and he had to teach himself how to read and write. I have a lot of similarity with Jimmy Santiago Baca. Jimmy Santiago was born in poor Mexican Family.His dad was addicted to alcohol and his Mom left him when he was a kid because of the financial problem they were facing and married a rich man. Regardless the struggles that Jimmy Santiago Baca faced he was able to cope with them by teaching himself how to write poems. Jimmy found a place for him in the community and he felt that by writing poems he was able to connect with people. He found a place to stand. A place that he was always searching for and he mentioned that in his book,“ A Place to Stand The Making of a poet.” by saying,“I was searching for something to make me feel more a part of the world, I couldn’t share with anyone the pain that still drove my exploration to find a place to stand comfortably in my skin.”, also, he was able to get rid of his anger that he was born with wrong skin color. reading, writing, and becoming a poet helped Jimmy Santiago get

In A Place to Stand, Jimmy Santiago Baca introduces the readers to his life, providing many details from his past that allow the readers to understand his present. Throughout the novel, Baca finds himself in the midst of violence where ultimately, these instances lead to a common theme of abuse. The physical and mental abuse that Baca endures throughout his childhood plays an important part in shaping Baca’s entire life. Furthermore, the abuse that Baca suffers inflicted by his father, his mother, and his ex-girlfriend, negatively affects his future life and point him towards crime and distrust in people around him.

In the war, it often thought that soldiers, go to a country to keep peace in that part of the world. Unfortunately that is not always the case;during these tours ,soldiers die everyday from cultural violence,and misguided information by their superiors and in this story that has occurred. Jimmy Cross is characterized as a man who is filled with emotion and the loss of one of his men. “Cross carried a compass, maps,...He carried a strobe light and the responsibility for the lives of his men.” (Tim O’Brien pg. 4) Cross felt directly responsible for his men. Death lead Cross to the realization of who Cross truly is, and who he will become. Jimmy Cross has to find himself one way or another, when he is ready to face the truth is completely up to

Martin Luther King once said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” The ability of an individual to express their ideas is vital to the passing of ideas and a world where individuals are encouraged to express their opinions. Expressing such ideas could be in an educational setting or in everyday life. Joy Castro is a writer, who’s writing is primarily non-fiction, short fiction and poetry. Much of her writing is distinguished by personal stories who address many of the topics that have directly impacted her. In her two selections, “Hungry” and “Becoming Educate”, she argues the urgency of allowing people to express their ideas regardless of their gender, socioeconomic status, and in the educational setting.

In Malcom X’s “Literacy Behind Bars”, Malcom shares his journey of self-educating himself while behind bars in the Charlestown Prison. Malcom attempted to read books, but never succeeded because he struggled to understand the meaning of the words on the page in front of him. He claims that prison allowed him to study more than he would have if he had attended college. Although Malcom struggled on an intellectual level, he serves as a prime example of an individual with self-belief and self-determination which lead to great success. Personally, I can relate to Malcom X in the sense that my personal experiences with education have allowed me not only to believe in myself but also have a mindset that allows me to come to certain realizations not only about myself but also about the world around me.

Up until the day I discovered his family’s life I was never able to understand why he always seemed to be pessimistic. Despite all of the obstacles in his way Alexis is in college with me pursuing a better life for himself and his family. His story is one of very few success stories in Barrio Logan. The majority of our friends from middle school either never finished high school, were not eligible to apply to college, or decided not to attend due to a lack of resources. In Barrio Logan the cycle of life and the cycle of poverty go hand in hand. I believe my community along with other disadvantaged communities deserve more, not more than everyone else, but enough to live a dignified life. Education is said to be the great equalizer and I believe in that wholeheartedly. Everyone should have access to a post-secondary education regardless of culture, background, or socioeconomic status. For this reason I am dedicating my life to this cause. There are only a handful of people from my neighborhood with access to the resources and knowledge that I have as a college student. It is my civic duty and moral responsibility to help those in need. Change is being made at the community level, but it must also be made at the systemic

Being born and raised in Puerto Rico has given me a different perspective on education. In my opinion, not many educators are familiar with multiple educational systems and have had the opportunity to experience two different educational systems. My values as an educator originate from the understanding gained as a student of a private, secular elementary school and a private, all-girls, Catholic high school. As a student at Escuela Josefita Monserrate de Sellés in San Juan, Puerto Rico, I was taught to care about others’ well being. “Perceived support from teachers is a significant predictor of young adolescents’ motivation and academic achievement” (Felner, Aber, Primavera & Cauce, 1985; Goodenow, 1993; Wentzel & Asher, 1995). This has led me to incorporate that value through my teaching and showing students I care helps create positive, supportive relationships and helps build an environment where learning can flourish.

“I won’t learn from you” is a classic and powerful group of essays written by Herbert Kohl. The first three chapters “I won’t learn from you”, “The tattooed man”, and “Excellence, Equality, and Equity” all explore ideas that students are more in charge of their learning than most individuals believe. With these theories, students and teachers can help improve each other in every way. Kohl writes a variety of humorous stories, lessons on teaching, and inspirations to be a teacher to any child, regardless of their race, gender, religion or abilities. He addresses serious issues in the public school system, such as reforming to the demands of the school district, adapting the curriculum, and the many pressures as an educator. Kohl helps the

I believe that with motivation and guidance, children of all backgrounds can harbor success in the educational world and receive the skills they need to have a successful and prosperous life. It is a teacher’s duty to encourage lifelong learning, consider individual learning styles and aptitudes, and self-reflect on how to improve. My experiences as an engineer, a person of color, a pre-service teacher, and a STEM advocate have culminated together to form my educational values and philosophy.

“COMING INTO LANGUAGE” by Jimmy Santiago Baca portrays how literacy can bring light into life and forever changed a person’s world. Baca, a ninth-grade dropout, before his 18th birthday Baca was arrested for refusing to explain the wound on his forearm. This unfortunate event exposed how powerless he was. In prison, the reading of the prisoners enlightens Baca. The words of different writers influenced his original thought toward reading. Two years later, as Baca was arrested again, he fell deeper into the art of language and the art of reading and writing. Throughout “Coming into Language”, Baca used many rhetorical strategies such as, metaphor, Imagery, description, asyndeton, and dictions that appeal to emotions to persuade readers of the effect of literacy toward a person’s life.

In the profile article “Jimmy Santiago Baca: Poetry as Lifesaver” author Rob Baker, who also is a creative writing and English teacher proves to not only the readers but also the National Council of Teachers of English the significance of poetry. The authors main point is that poetry saved Jimmy Santiago Baca’s life, he shows us how by explaining the emotions when Baca began to read poetry; he then went on to write poetry and even publish his own works while still in prison, after Baca’s release, he became a dedicated teacher who also works with gang members and teaches workshops.

The purpose of education is to prepare students for their futures with both knowledge as well as fundamental life skills. I believe students are highly capable beings who have a desire to be productively challenged. To empower students to meet and exceed high expectations set forth by the state, school, or teacher, it is imperative that educators “teach for enduring understanding through partnerships and by drawing on brain-based education, students ' multiple intelligences, and culturally appropriate curriculum innovations” (Laster and Johnson). Beyond guaranteeing students can read, write, and perform basic math functions, we should be producing graduates who are responsible individuals positively contributing to society, reliable workers, and devoted family members. Whether students receive a scholarship to attend college or go to work immediately following graduation, we must train them to conduct themselves with integrity, have an admirable work ethic, and solve challenging problems they may face throughout their lives.

As children, we absorb information and learn from experiences that mold us into who we are. Many individuals impact a child’s life, but the most powerful and influential role lies in a devoted teacher, a teacher provides growth to students as a gardener would to a garden of flowers. Each child can bloom into a thriving flower so long as you water their garden with optimism, love, patience, and guidance. Throughout my educational experiences I was lucky enough to have educators who poured their knowledge and optimism into me, and now I would like to reciprocate that back to students who are in the position I was once in. Balancing life and school is hard enough for a student, but a powerful and caring teacher can steer you in the right direction. In this autobiography you will read about my educational background, experiences that influenced my decision to become a teacher, and what I believe the role of a teacher should be in a student’s life.