Chio, Christine Joy Estrada BEED EDA SPED 23: PRELIM EXAM

June 22, 2013

Wont Back Down

Daniel Barnz

[x] What are the collaborations of the parents and teachers? In the movie Wont Back Down directed by Daniel Barnz, it is a story about a mother trying to keep up and going through all circumstances and costs just to get her daughter into a proper education that suits her special needs in cultivating her reading skills. In their school, parents are collaborating with instructors, administrators, and other community leaders to progress public education and find sustainable keys that put children at the center of the reform. For this aspiration to be met, the mother named Jamie Fitzpatrick (Maggie Gyllenhaal) tried to collaborate with the teachers making sure that she will be heard. The very first thing that she ever had to fix was to attempt really hard to get the consideration of the actor Viola Davis, playing the role of Nona Alberts. When she finally convinced the teacher who was named Nona, Nona on the other hand, had the honour to persuade or hearten other teachers about Jamies point of view about changing their school strategy. Unluckily, they were being excluded many times. The teacher got fired which somehow drove her to speak up more about the benefits and the whys and wherefores why they had to do such things. A day came when they finally decided to overlook the refusals and made their own conducts to convince other parents, with the help of making fliers, and to voice out their intents together to those other parents who also have the same concern. The teacher and the parent tried to encourage the board and only few were able to understand their side and joined them.

[x] What triggered the action? In the film being showed, a parent was struggling deep inside for her daughter, but notwithstanding this struggle, she managed to stay loving and patient on her daughter, she never showed any let-down of what she was doing in front of her; the system may fail but a parent never does. As far as I can recall, there were five reasons why the action occurred. First, the parents priority was always her daughter who doesnt know how to read, she got affected by it purely because it was her daughter whos always being bullied by the class. Second, the teacher settled to the said action for the sake of her son whos also being bullied in class and whos considered as dumb, sick or a slow learner. Third, the parent recognized that her daughter was being put to risk because the teachers who educate regular children dont know how to handle her daughters deficit in reading; the parent just wants a suitable education for her child. And finally, with all sincerity, she doesnt want her child to be just like her when she grows up. The mother, confessed that back before when she was young, she went through all that her child is going through at the moment, the only reason why she was able to finish school was because of the schools type of system, to let the child graduate even though there are some learning areas that needed to be improved more, just for the sake of the child to graduate. She didnt want that kind of success for her child, she wanted more than what she had, she wanted something that her child really deserves in school; she wanted a suitable education for her child that allows her child to grow up and learn.

[x] What did she do to be heard? The mother has gone through a lot for her childs right of education in their area. She did everything to be heard, she has encountered a lot of individuals, parents, teachers and even the higher officials that run the school. She made a small step first by talking to only one person, and the next is by adding up another one until they have made a parent-teacher kind of connection that wants one thing for their child. She has spoken out everything she wants to in a school scheme, she has encouraged everybody by running a rally, giving fliers, going on at night from door to door; she may also say strict words but that only shows that she wont let anybody get on her childs way. [x] What are the struggles of the teacher and mother? They have challenged and fought every struggle that they went into for the love of their child but physical struggles are nothing equalled to the way they struggle emotionally towards their child. Emotionally that they tried to fight the hopeless feeling that sinks into their system, struggling emotionally that they see in their own eyes how their children are being bullied and looked down in school. Struggling emotionally also in a way that they realized it takes time for miracles to happen. They have been rejected a lot of times by other parents and teachers who opposed to them and never actually paid much attention to them, or even try to look at things in their own standpoints; they have been disregarded effortlessly and they were never even valued by some. The mother and the teacher share the same struggle that they hold together, but despite all these cruel and tiring moments that they have gone through, they managed to keep and hold on to their dreams for their children. [x] What is your stand in the Union? I believe that all the teachers and parents under Union are blessed with so much purity of goodness towards children with special needs. Two thumbs up for these people who actually dont just listen to each other, but also listen to what the children need. If I were asked, I would be one of the people backing-up this group, because these people here give the real meaning to what the rights of the special child really points out. Union dont just support the needs of special children but also exchange hopes and goals to one another. They may have gone through different kinds of difficulties in life but the Union never lets anything pull them down nor take their dreams away. [x] As a special education teacher, how will you ensure that you will have a harmonious relationship with the parents? The movie gave lots of ideas to me to think about, it taught me how to handle stress by the parents, and it also taught me that parents also need help from a teacher, as a second parent to their child. As a soon to be special educator, I believe that the strongest relationship with parents comes from the hard work and the sincerity by the teacher towards their children. If I would be on my field when the time comes, helping the teacher not physically but also emotionally will result to a positive relationship. Not all teachers give time for that because they only teach just for the sake of teaching, but in my own thoughts and feelings, I would know how these parents ache and how much they needed fixing. Making sure that I will have a harmonious relationship with parents someday, lending my ears would be a good deed to do so. Parents need a listener, someone who doesnt need to understand everything, but who listens absorbedly. I will show patience to them and I will give any help for as much as I possibly could. I will be with them not to every step of the way because its not also good if I get over-involved by their family, but I will be with them in times of fixing what is needed to fixed already. I will inspire them with glad words and prayers to feel nothing but hopeful for their chid because thats all they needed to be when time keeps pulling them close to feeling hopeless.

REFLECTION:

The movie Wont Back Down was a very reflective movie in a way that gives sense to teachers who dont give more time and effort to children who need them. It was a very nice movie about a mother who is willing to do everything and anything at all time and costs for her daughter. It proves a lot that any mother strikes back to whatever her child needs, so as the teacher who is also a mother to his one son. I realized that being involved with a special child takes a lot of time to keep up things together. It takes a lot of effort and money too that one person needs to undergo any hard trials just to meet her dreams and expectations for the society towards her child. The mother didnt just do one good thing for her family but also did the right thing of influencing other parents who need help. This movie gives hope and also encourages people who have the problem as the mothers. It shows that anything may seem impossible at first but with people lending hands to each other, and exchanging of words for influential, anything could turn out the way it should be. For the benefit of two families, they gave chances too for other families and gave hope for children who need the kind of education they are suitable in.