Beautiful Child
By: Torey Hayden
1. Why does Venus refuse to talk? Why does she turn into a whirling banshee
when accidentally bumped by other children on the playground? Why do the
school authorities sweep under the rug that Wanda is Venus’ mother.
Venus does not talk because unfortunately she comes from a very bad home life.
She was currently being abused at home and it was suspected that she has been
abused for most of her life. In the beginning, Torey wonders if Venus even
knows how to talk because no one has ever heard her but she comes to realize that
she can talk, she just doesn’t. I believe this is Venus’s way of controlling the one
thing in her life that she feels she has some control over. Also, it seems that
Venus has never had a close relationship with anyone and probably doesn’t feel
that communicating is very effective. Venus goes crazy when she is bumped on
the playground because someone invaded her personal space. As a victim of
abuse, this was probably pretty traumatic for her and she simply reacted. School
authorities keep the information about Wanda being Venus’ mother private
because Wanda was most likely raped by the mother’s boyfriend and she would
have been a very young age. Also, Wanda is mentally retarded and cannot take
care of Venus herself, so the mother claimed Venus as her own.
2. Why is Billy so cocky and aggressive? How does Torey respond to these
behaviors? Which behavioral problems of Zane and Shane are linked to
Fetal Alcohol syndrome? How does Torey respond to these behaviors?
Which behavioral problems of Jesse are linked to Tourette syndrome? How
does Torey respond to these behaviors? Why is Alice so dependent on her
hand as a companion? How does Torey respond to this behavior?
Billy is cocky and aggressive because he uses this as a defense mechanism to
prevent himself from getting teased and picked on by other students. Torey tries
to break some of this by structuring her classroom with rules and consequences to
discourage this type of behavior. Zane and Shane both had a borderline IQ,
hyperactivity, and attention deficit disorder as a result of Fetal Alchol Syndrome.
The structure of Torey’s classroom was a response to their behaviors as she tried
to make an environment that would allow Shane and Zane to focus without
unnecessary distractions. Jesse had several tics including rapid eye blinking, head
twitching, sniffling, and occasional outbursts of words that he couldn’t control.
One of the main thinks that Torey tried to do to help Jesse was not allow teasing
and name calling in the classroom as Jesse was frequently getting picked on by
Billy. Alice was dependent on her hand as a companion because she saw it as an
actual friend that she could talk to and confide in. Torey would often let it go
because it calmed Alice and helped her focus.
3. Given the unruliness and frequent fistfights of her students from day one,
why does Torey wait 12 weeks before instituting the traffic light system?
Why does Torey ease up on the traffic light system as the school year draws
to an end?
I think Torey waits until week 12 to institute the traffic light system because she
wanted to use a behavior modification technique as a last resort. She tried other
techniques, such as trying to unite them through the Chipmunk group, but they
were not effective. Unfortunately, it came down to this system where the students
had to be rewarded with candy and parties to get some kind of order in the
classroom. I think Torey eases up on the traffic light system as the school year
comes to an end because she realizes that much of the behavior issues that were
present in the beginning have stopped or at least gotten much better and it is no
longer as effective.
4. What is the basis for the conflict between Torey and Julie, her teacher
assistant? Whose side of the story do you support in the fish bowl incident?
The restraining Venus incident? The cat statute incident? The classroom
singing issue? Explain.
The main source of conflict between Torey and Julie is a differing teaching
philosophy. Julie takes on a much more nuturing role and always focusing on the
positive with students. She never raises her voice or reprimands them for
behavior, instead she encourages positive reinforcement. Tory on the other hand,
takes on a much more hands-on approach. She believes that the students need to
know when their behavior is unacceptable and deals out consequences as she sees
fit. While I understand Julie’s point of view, I did side with Torey on the fish
bowl incident, restraining Venus, and the cat statue incident. I think that in those
situations, Torey dealt with the students so that they would know that their
behavior cannot continue in the future. As for the singing, I think Julie
overreacted and made the situation worse by not including herself. Torey found a
way to get the class to feel united and Julie excluded herself making herself seem
not part of the team.
5. What does Torey accomplish by taking Venus aside and spending one to one
time with her while the boys are at afternoon recess?
Torey is able to build a relationship with Venus by spending one on one time with
her. She learns how to get a response from Venus and we see Venus open up to
her and begin to trust her by responding more and more. Venus clearly loves the
attention and the contact as she climbs into Torey’s lap and will wrap her arms
around her if Torey doesn’t do it fast enough. It seems that Venus lacked a
relationship with anyone if her life which is why it takes her so long to warm up
to Torey.
6. What do you think of the opposition Torey faces from Julie and Bob about
the political incorrectness of using She-Ra, a blond-haired, blue-eyed
heroine, as a role model for Venus, an African-American child? What
superpower qualities of She-Ra does Venus emulate?
I think that Julie and Bob completely over-reacted to Torey using She-Ra as a role
model for Venus. She-Ra, although not the most politically correct, was simply a
way to relate to Venus. Torey was trying anything to get a reaction out of Venus
as nothing else seemed to be working. Venus picked out the She-Ra comic
herself and seemed to come alive when they acted out her story or watched the
comics on the tv. It was the only way that Torey could get a response so she ran
with it because at least Venus was communicating in some way. It would have
been counterproductive to try to force something else on Venus if she wasn’t
really interested in it. Venus emulates She-Ra’s power of strength. I think it is
clear from the story that Venus was dealing with more than anyone of any age
should be and I would say that Venus was a pretty strong little girl.
7. Was Torey guilty of not doing more to prevent the abuse of Venus? Explain.
No, I don’t think there was anymore that Torey could have done to prevent the
abuse of Venus. She was concerned from the very beginning and constantly
reported to Bob and social services everytime she felt that something was not
right. She also made two home visits to Venus’s house to try to find out what was
going on and a way to make Venus responsive. Most teachers would not have
done this.
8. How does Torey use singing and physical activity to manage classroom
behavior?
Torey uses singing as a way to unite the group to try to get them to behave and get
along with each other better. So many fights were breaking out in the beginning
that she tried a few strategies to unite the group and give them a sense of group
unity so that they would get along. With this group, all of Torey’s strategies
seemed to be aimed at getting the student’s behavior under control.
9. Torey uses five main strategies to strengthen the group: (1) concrete
identification with the group, (2) de-emphasizing comparisons between
students, (3) group responsibility, (4) group problem solving, and (5) group
celebrations. Give an example of each strategy in the book.
Torey uses concrete identification with the group when she forms the Chipmunk
group and when she uses the singing technique. Both of these were done to unite
the group. She de-emphasizes comparisons between the students by discouraging
them from teasing and fighting with one another and disciplining them equally
when they misbehaved. Group responsibility was seen with the traffic light
system cause they were all held accountable for their actions and had to work
towards getting a party. Group problem solving was seen when the class would
have discussions about certain things so that they could make a decision together.
Group celebrations were seen through the parties the students were rewarded with
for good behavior.
10. If you could ask anybody in the world one question and get it answered, what
would it be? What was Billy’s question? Zane’s? Shane’s? Jesse’s? Alice’s
Venus’?
At this point in time I would want to know where I am going to end up living and
teaching in the next few years since all of that is up in the air for me right now.
Billy’s question was “what happens when you die,” Jesse wanted to know “what’s
in the future,” Shane would ask Mickey Mouse if he enjoyed living in
Disneyland, Zane wanted to know if Goofy like living in Disneyland, and Alice
said, “the stars shine all over the sky, the wind is gone, like sorrow.” Venus’s
question was for Alice and she wanted to know why she talks to her hand so
much.
11. Do you consider Torey’s school year to be a success? Explain.
I do feel that Torey’s school year was a success. The next year, Billy and Jesse
were able to be mainstreamed into classrooms and adapted to regular education.
While Venus and Alice remained for another year, they too were eventually
mainstreamed in general education classrooms. I think that Torey’s year was a
success in the fact that most of the students had made significant improvements
by the end of the year. It was definitely a rough year and difficult at times but I
think that Torey was able to help the students adapt better to how to behave in a
classroom which was a great achievement. While Venus did not make a complete
transformation within a year, Torey definitely made progress with her and was
able to reach her in a way that no one else seemed able to. I would say that this
makes Torey’s year a success.
Dangerous Minds
By: LouAnne Johnson
1. Describe the Academy program. What is LouAnne really teaching?
The academy program is a program designed to teach students at-risk for
dropping out of high school. The program has a select group of students work
with the same teachers for two years. The program focuses on getting the
students ready to interview for and secure jobs after school. They stress computer
skills so that the students will have that skill when looking for a career. Aside
from teaching English, LouAnne is teaching her students how to be successful
and to believe in themselves. She provides opportunities where they develop selfconfidence and self-esteem. She is a strong role model that is dedicated to
making sure her students graduate and complete the program.
2. Do you approve of LouAnne loaning Raul $100 to pay for suspected stolen
goods? Would you have loaned him the money if you were in LouAnne’s
shoes? Do you think Raul paid her back?
I do think that LouAnne did the right thing by loaning Raul the $100. He was
obviously desperate for the money and his attempts to earn the money were
getting in the way of his schoolwork. By loaning him the money she made him
promise that he couldn’t pay her back until after he graduated and made him give
his word. Due to Raul’s culture, she knew that giving his word was very
important and that he would do all he could to keep it. In doing so, LouAnne did
what she could to guarantee that he stay in school and graduate instead of
dropping out like many of his classmates. I do think that eventually Raul paid her
back the money. He seemed very sincere in his promise to graduate and pay her
back the money. If I were in her shoes I would hope that I would have loaned
him the money. She obviously broke school rules in doing so but ultimately I
think it was the right thing for the situation.
3. How did LouAnne use student input to develop classroom rules in Chapter
2?
She used student input to develop the classroom rules by asking them what they
expect of her as a teacher and also what they think makes a good student. She had
them come up with these characteristics and then showed them how all of these
rules could be encompassed in just one rule of respecting yourself and others.
While most of the students didn’t believe that she could have only one class rule,
she explained that if they respected themselves and others there was no need for
any other rule.
4. Why did Hal Grey tell LouAnne the “okie dokie artichoke” story? Was Hal
an effective mentor for LouAnne in Chapters 2 and 3? Explain.
Hal told LouAnne the “okie dokie artichoke” story to give her an example of what
not to do with the students based on his own experience. He warned her that
gaining the respect of the students is important but abusing power will make the
students lose respect for her and it is hard to get that back. I think that Hal had
good intentions and was trying to give LouAnne what he thought was good advice
about how to teach a class. However, Hal was extremely burnt out from teaching
and no longer had a passion to teach. I think his negative attitude was
discouraging to LouAnne and ultimately he wasn’t a great mentor for her.
5. Why did LouAnne’s P class perform differently than the ACL class on the Of
Mice and Men end-of-book test in Chapter 4? Do you think the practice of
tracking contributed to these outcomes.
I think that the P class performed differently than the ACL class on the Of Mice
and Men test because throughout their schooling they have been held to a
different standard than the ACL students. They have had less expected of them
and have basically had it engrained in them that they cannot be successful. When
given the test, the P class as a whole struggled with the question that required
their opinion and did not have a right or wrong answer. For some reason, these
students were basically unable to or too afraid to give their own opinion as a
response for fear that it was not an acceptable answer and that they would get the
question wrong. I think that tracking definitely contributed to the differences
between the two classes. The ACL class was treated as though there was a
purpose to teaching them because most of them would go on to college and be
successful. The P class on the other hand was treated as though there were very
little expectations of them as most of them would drop out and never go to
college. I think that tracking can have some very negative consequences.
6. What was the invisible red raisin lipstick technique? The drop a card
technique? Betcha can’t eat all those carrots technique?
The invisible red lipstick technique was used on students who fell asleep in class.
She would kiss them on the cheek and told the students that her red lipstick mark
was permanent and that all the other teachers would be able to see it and know
that they fell asleep in class. She used this on a student and then had another
teacher who knew of the trick come in and comment on the mark. This ensured
that no other students would fall asleep due to potential embarrassment. The drop
a card technique was that she would place a card on a misbehaving student’s desk
that said that they needed to see her after class. This allowed for her to let the
student know she noticed and was not happy with the behavior but did not draw
attention to the rest of the class which would have made the situation worse. The
betcha can’t eat all those carrots technique was basically reverse psychology
where she said told them she knew they couldn’t do something so that they would
prove they could.
7. Was it unethical for LouAnne to give Hakim a “C” instead of a “NC” in
Chapter 7.
While it technically wasn’t right for LouAnne to give Hakim a “C” instead of a
“NC,” I think she ultimately did the right thing. Hakim came to class everyday
and worked really hard to try to pass the course. He knew that he had a lot riding
on getting his credits from summer school and he worked hard to make sure that
happened. If LouAnne had given him a “NC” I think that Hakim would have lost
all his motivation and dropped out of school because it would mean he couldn’t
play football. Since giving him the “C” was what it took to keep him in school
and since he did work hard for the grade, I think she did the right thing.
8. How does LouAnne build a relationship with Danny Morton, a punk rocker,
in Chapter 8?
She built a relationship with Danny Morton simply by believing in him as no
other teacher had done. She told him that she thought he was bright and could
handle the work of the ACL class and had him come to that class instead of his
regular P class. He adapted very well and became successful. He comes back
later and tells her that he has changed his life around and is going to graduate and
go to college when before it looked like he had no hope of graduating as he hardly
ever went to class.
9. Is LouAnne ever punished by other teachers/administrators when she tries to
help kids? Explain.
LouAnne gets in trouble when the two girls in summer school get into a fight and
she doesn’t report them immediately but instead gives them a second chance. It
turns out that the girls get their friends together and plan to fight later on and
LouAnne finds out about it. She gets in trouble because those students should
have been kicked out and then the issue would not have arised at school. She also
gets in reprimanded by some of the other teachers because they feel she is too lax
with the students and that she gives them grades they do not earn.
10. What function do journals play in LouAnne’s classroom? How would you
respond to Leroy Wyman’s journal entry in Chapter 11 if he were in your
class?
The journals are a safe place for the students to write. They do not contain their
names so if they are ever lost no one will know who it belongs to. The journals
are supposed to be a place where the students can write openly and honestly and
not have to worry about grammar, spelling, or punctuation. I honestly don’t know
how I would respond to Leroy’s journal entry if he were in my class. He is
clearly a student who has very low expectations of school and his teachers
because throughout his school career he has repeatedly been let down. I guess I
would try to assure him that my class was different and that I would do all I could
to make sure he was successful.
11. List five instances of LouAnne breaking school rules. Did the outcomes
justify LouAnne’s rule breaking?
LouAnne breaks many school rules throughout the book. One instance is when
she loans Raul $100 to pay for a jacket that he owed money for. Obviously it is
against the rules to loan students money. She also breaks the rules when she
kisses the student who fell asleep to make a point about not falling asleep during
class. Although she was making a point, it is against the rules to kiss a student.
Also, she does not turn in the girls after the fight when they should have been
expelled and thus an even bigger fight almost happens as a result. She broke the
rules by giving Hakim a second chance in her class because since she sent him to
the office he should have been expelled. Another time she broke the rules was
when she took the student to the pool hall when she told his parents they were
going to the library. All of the instance had good outcomes that justified
LouAnne breaking the rules, other than the fight between the girls instance.
12. Why did LouAnne fade out the use of rewards for completing homework
assignments in Chapter 14. What role did the use of rewards have in
teaching her children to appreciate Shakespeare in Chapter 15? Do you
agree with her use of rewards in these instances?
LouAnne’s use of rewards was her way of getting the students to be involved and
to participate. First she used the technique to get the students to do their
homework. She started by giving stickers to everyone who did the work. Then,
since most of the students were turning in homework she gave stickers to only the
ones that were neat and done correctly. Then since most of the students were
doing that too, she eventually just gave stickers to exceptional papers. She fades
out the reward system because eventually she did not need to use it anymore. The
students were doing their homework just because they realized the benefit of
doing it and liked seeing the good grades they were getting. She again uses the
reward technique with Shakespeare in order to get the students to analyze the text
and answer questions about it. Again, she eventually fades out the rewards
because the students became hooked on the challenge of figuring out the story and
were intrigued to find out what happened.
13. What was the purpose of the “I Have To and I Can’t” activity in Chapter 18?
The purpose of the “I Have To and I Can’t” activity is to teach the students that
they do have control over their actions. She uses the activity to show them that
they make choices about their lives every day without even realizing it. She
teaches them that the things they think they have to do, they really don’t have to
do but instead they do it because they like that option better than the alternative.
For example, many insist that they have to go to school. She points out that no
one physically carries them into the school or holds a gun to their head. Instead
they choose to come because the alternative would be getting grounded or yelled
at or expelled. I think this activity was important because it taught the students
that they have some control over their lives when most of them thought they
didn’t.
14. Which of LouAnne’s teacher-student relationships was your favorite.
Explain.
My favorite teacher-student relationship was between LouAnne and Danny
Morton. He was a student that was falling between the cracks and no one really
cared about or paid attention to and she was able to turn him around. By
believing in him and letting him know that she thought he could be successful, he
gained confidence and actually started to care about school. I liked that he was a
success story when all she did was believe in him.
The Gus Chronicles I
By: Charles D. Appelstein
1. Why do we need to steer clear of negative labeling in Chapter 1?
Gus talks about how labeling can be negative because often once someone gets a
label, they cannot get rid of it. Other people hear that label of the child and then
their own perception of the child is tainted. The child also suffers because often
they internalize their label and start to believe that about themselves and thus,
start acting out the behaviors.
2. What are some common misuses of power and control by staff in Chapter 2?
One common misuse of power is when the staff yell at the kids and bark orders.
Often the kids are given that the reasoning behind it is “because I told you so.”
As victims of abuse, the children often do not respond well to this type of abuse
of power and act out in order to gain some kind of control. Gus says that he
wishes more workers would understand this and just talk to the kids and give
reasons for their demands. Another abuse of power comes in the form of
restraining kids. Gus says that when kids act out they are often physically
restrained by the staff in order for them to gain control over the child and the
situation.
3. List several of Gus’s criticisms of foster care for troubled youth in Chapter
3?
Gus’s main criticism of foster care is the lack of training and support given to
foster parents. He says that most are not equipped to deal with the abuse that
foster kids have been through and therefore often do not know how to react to
their behavior. He says many overreact to a child’s bad behavior without
knowing that the child is simply testing the waters and trying to see how far they
can push boundaries. He also says that foster parents don’t get the support
necessary for when problems do arise. Lack of funding prevents these things and
as a result the children suffer and the foster parents are left without vital
resources.
4. What some tips on controlling one’s emotions in working with troubled
youth in Chapter 4?
One major requirement when working with troubled youth is to not let your
emotions be affected by personal issues. Bringing in the emotions from a fight
with a loved one or stress can and will effect the way that the staff treat the kids.
Also, it is important for the staff to understand what each child has been through
and where they have come from in order to understand why they may be
behaving a certain way. One worker would read the case files of a child he was
particularly upset with in order to gain some perspective and compassion.
5. Do you feel empathy for Gus’s side of the situation in the Chapter 5?
I do feel empathy for Gus. As victims of abuse, nighttime is often very difficult
because they are left alone with no distractions from the memories of what
happened to them in the past. Many of the kids act out and attempt to avoid or
delay bedtime simply so that they don’t have to be alone and relive what
happened to them. I understand why Gus was adamant about having more staff
on the night shift so that there would be more support for the boys at night when
they need comfort and understanding the most. The dream that Gus has about
finally defeating his abuser is his way of expressing his need for control and
power over what happened to him.
6. What are some developmental considerations in working with abused and
neglected children in Chapter 6?
When working with abused and neglected children it is important to understand
that most have underdeveloped social skills. They do not interact and/or relate to
others the way their peers that have not been abused do. These children are used
to looking out for themselves and taking care of themselves is their number one
priority. This was crucial to their survival when living in an abusive
environment. Due to this, the children often do not know how to interact with
others at the residential home and fights and arguments break out. When
working with abused children it is important to help them learn to develop social
skills and build friendships without pushing too hard and causing them to act out.
Developing programs that help them build relationships in a natural way seems to
be the most effective approach.
7.
Do you feel empathy for Gus’s mother’s side of the situation in Chapter 7?
When it comes to Gus’s mother I am torn about how I feel about her. After
reading her side of the story in the letter she wrote to Gus I did feel empathy for
her. She herself had been abused as a child and felt unwanted and unloved by her
own mother. She lived a hard life and was struggling just to take care of herself,
much less a child. I did feel sympathy for her as she herself was a victim of
abuse and also felt that there was nothing she could do about it. However, I feel
that as a victim, she would be even more aware of how abuse can destroy a
person and would try to do everything in her power to make sure that did not
happen to her own child. I understand that abuse was a cycle in her family but I
still can’t understand why someone who has been so hurt by abuse can then turn
around and do that to their child.
8. List several of Gus’s criticism of the behavior management tool: the level
system in Chapter 8. Do you agree or disagree with Gus? Explain.
I understand why the level system is used in my homes. It provides structure and
stability so that the kids know what they can and cannot do. It also prevents the
staff from having to make decisions about their privileges and punishments
because the children earn what they get based on behavior. However, I agree that
this approach may not be the most effective way of dealing with behavior. First
of all, you have the kids that are permanently stuck on lower levels and never get
to experience rewards. These children may start to believe that they are bad and
simply reinforces their negative self image. Also, staff members may abuse the
level systems by using it as a means to control the kids. They can threaten with
lowering levels or too frequently lower a child’s level over behavior that really
shouldn’t warrant a level change simply because they are fed up with the child.
Lastly, the level system does not exist in these children’s real homes. They
should be using a management tool that most closely resembles what they will
experience when they are returned to their homes to keep consistency.
9. What are some methods for promoting a child’s self-esteem in Chapter 9?
The main goal is to provide opportunities for the children to have a sense of
accomplishment and therefore build self-esteem. In this case, basketball was the
key to the kids feeling a sense of belonging and success. No child was turned
away, the rules were modified to ensure success, and the kids were not
embarrassed to try a sport that they had no idea how to play because the coach
encouraged them. Making the children feel successful is crucial to building selfesteem.
Boys of Baraka
1. What is the Baltimore neighborhood like where the boys live? How is it similar or
different than the neighborhood you grew up in?
The neighborhood where the boys grew up is a very poor neighborhood with high crime
rates. Drug dealers are on the corners, vandalism is everywhere, gangs are present and
there are frequent robberies. It is a very tough neighborhood to grow up in as their as
more negative influences then positive. It is normal for students to dropout of school and
the amount that actually graduate is frighteningly low. The neighborhood is very
different from the one in which I grew up in. Crime is low and a majority of students do
graduate from high school.
2. What three prospects does the Baraka school recruiter tell the boys they will
likely face in the future? Why do you think the recruiter reminds the boys of those
prospects? What do you think your future prospects are? What/who has influenced
your idea of your future prospects?
The Baraka school recruiter tells the boys that their three future prospects are either going
to jail, death, or going to the Baraka school and possibly graduating from high school. I
think the recruiter reminds the boys that these are their prospects to drive home the fact
that only one of those options is appealing and that they should consider it seriously and
carefully. While I understand why she reminded the boys of their options I don’t think
that it was necessary. These boys are faced with those options everyday and they have
known since a young age that jail or death are very real possibilities for them. My future
prospects are hopefully graduating from my masters program and finding a job. My
friends and my family as well as teachers have influenced my future prospects. Just as
the boys knew from a pretty young age their likely prospects, I always knew that college
was in my future.
3. What are the differing ways in which the families supported/did not support the
boys? How does your family support or not support you in your goals?
The majority of the families were very happy that their sons would get the opportunity to
get out of their neighborhood and go to Africa in order to further their education. They
were glad that they would be getting away from all of the negative temptations back
home that threaten the boy’s futures. Although they wanted that opportunity for them,
most were sad to see the boys go as they would be gone a long time until they would get
to see them again. My family has always supported me and wanted what is best for me.
I studied abroad in college and although my parents were worried about me, they knew
that it was a great opportunity for me.
4. How do the boys view themselves before they go to Africa? Did their perceptions
of themselves change after they returned? If so, how? Has anything ever made you
feel differently about yourself?
In the beginning the boys all seemed very strong willed and had high hopes for their
futures. Richard talked about how he wanted to get him and his family out of the projects
and into a better life. He also talked about how he didn’t let the negative pressures in the
neighborhood get to him and how he was better than all of that. Montrey talked about
how he was going to graduate from high school and then go to college for six years to be
a chemologist. Devon aspired to be a preacher and seemed very intent on completing his
goal. At the end of the experience, Richard was very changed. He seemed let down by
the program and seemed to have given up hope about his future. It seemed that he was
on track to be one of the students who dropped out of high school. Devon on the other
hand did very well and became president of his 9th grade class and successful at school.
Montrey scored the highest score on the math test in his state and as a result is now going
to the most competitive public high school in the state. The experience was positive for
most of the boys. I would definitely feel differently about myself if I had success in the
program and would feel like there was hope for my future.
5. How were the boys’ lives in Africa different or similar to their lives in Baltimore?
Do you think one life was better than the other? Why?
Their lives in Africa were very different than their lives in Baltimore. First of all they
were separated from their families and most of their schoolmates. They also have no tv
or video games and are secluded out in the middle of nowhere. Their schedule is very
strict and discipline is taken very seriously. I think that their lives in Africa are definitely
better than their lives in Baltimore because they are away from all the negative influences
that tempt them to dropout of school and get into trouble. They are learning discipline
and are learning a lot at the Baraka school without the distractions that are found at home.
6. How do the Baraka School staff respond to the fight between the two boys?
The boys were immediately separated and given time to cool down. They talked to them
about their behavior and why it is not acceptable. Then they took the boys out in the
middle of nowhere and told them that they had to work together in order to build a tent.
The boys were not allowed to leave unless they worked together and completed the task.
This approach made the boys interact and work out a problem together in a civil manner.
I think that this helped the boys deal with their anger in a more responsible approach then
they are used to.
7. We look at TV and see stories of drugs and gang bangers and despair, and we
assume the victims bring it on themselves. If you had been born and raised as the
boys of Baraka were, in areas abandoned by hope and opportunity, what are the
odds you would be dead or watching TV in prison?
After seeing this I became much more aware of how people are often a product of the
upbringing. Where these boys grew up offered very little other opportunities than a life
of criminal activity. Where they grew up this was considered normal and not much was
done to prevent it from happening. I don’t think that most of these boys would have
chosen this life style if other opportunities had been available to them. I think that if this
was where I had been brought up there would be a much higher chance that my life
would not have turned out as it did.
8. Although there are two sides to the question, should we consider legalizing drugs?
Illegal drugs are destroying countless lives, and legalizing them would destroy the
profit motive for promoting and selling them.
I do agree that by legalizing drugs the profit motive for selling them would disappear and
therefore less people would be put in prison for dealing them. However, drugs also ruin
the lives of those using them and their families. I don’t think that legalizing drugs is an
appropriate solution to preventing crime. Drugs affect people’s decision making and
their state of awareness causing them to make harmful decisions that often put other’s
lives in danger. I would not support legalizing drugs in order to lower crime rates for
those who deal them.
9. Did you learn anything from the film? If so, what? How did the film make you
feel?
I learned a great deal from the film about what it is like to grow up in a neighborhood like
Baltimore. Although we have all seen this type of neighborhood depicted on tv and in
the movies, I had never seen it from the point of view of real people who live and grew
up there. I definitely have a lot more sympathy for people in these neighborhoods as it is
definitely a struggle and getting out is not always easy. I was definitely saddened to learn
how few students actually graduate high school and how many instead join gangs and end
up in prison or dead. I think that there should be more programs like the Baraka school
that offer an alternative to this lifestyle so that more children have a chance of completing
their education and getting away from all the negative pressures that come with living in
those neighborhoods.
10. What do you think the greatest influences in your life are right now? How much
do you think those influences determine who you will become?
I think that the greatest influences in my life are my family, friends, boyfriend, and my
expectations and goals for myself. These influences have definitely contributed to where
I am today and the choices I will make in the future.
Bang Bang You’re Dead
1. How does the typical high school pecking order fit into this story? Can or
should anything be done to change this?
There is a typical pecking order at this school that is consistent with most stereotypes.
There are the jocks and cheerleaders, nerds, band geeks, rednecks, skaters,
troublemakers, outcasts, etc. In the lunchroom everyone sits with their group and
there is no mixing of the groups. I don’t think that stereotypes or pecking orders are
ever a good idea; however, in schools I think it is very hard to prevent this from
happening. Students naturally divide in groups of friends based on interests and I
think that it would be very difficult to change this even though it would be
beneficially to all.
2. How can bullying inspire violence in students?
Unfortunately, I think that some students get pushed too far for too long and don’t
know of any other way to deal with their emotions. They feel so much anger and
animosity towards the kids that are bullying them and that want them to experience
pain like they have had to endure from the bullying. Violence also puts the student
being bullied in control of the situation when otherwise the student doing the bullying
has all the power and control. Violence is a way to get justice for the victim.
3. What are the strengths and weaknesses of zero tolerance as school policy?
What would work as an alternative?
Makes it so that there are no second chances for students. The first time a student has
an offense they are automatically reprimanded in some way. In this case, Trevor
made a video in which he used a gun to kill a “fictitious” character. The school
deemed this as a death threat and therefore convened a meeting with him, the school
officials, the police and his parents. Although they reviewed tapes that showed how
Trevor had been bullied relentlessly and basically pushed into a corner, they decided
that since he did make the video he had to be expelled. In this case, the school felt
that they were getting rid of a student who could possibly be a danger to the school
without taking into consideration the other students that led him to that behavior.
As an alternative, student’s cases should be looked at on an individual basis and a
decision should be made about consequences based on what is best for the situation.
Not all situations should be dealt with the same way or have the same consequences.
4. During the play, Josh (in his mind) is confronted by the students that he
killed. What do the students want from him?
The students all want answers about why they were killed. They want to know
what they did wrong or what they did to deserve being killed. Murder is a serious
act that can have awful repercussions for the murderer. In this case, I think this is
the characters conscience trying to make sense of what he did.
5. If the actions of the play are taking place in Josh’s own head, who is he really
confronting?
The person he is really confronting is himself. The voices are his own
representing his thoughts and the decisions he has to make.
6. What hope, if any, does this play offer?
I think this play offers hope that viewers will see the seriousness of high school
bullying and the possible repercussions. I think there is a hope that more will be done to
prevent acts like this from happening and that people will realize that this unfortunately
does happen and needs to stop.
7. At one point in the play, the deceased students list a series of things they miss
and a list of things they never will be able to do because of their untimely
death. What do these things say about life?
The things they list that they miss signify small moments in life and simple things
that people treasure. Fitting into a pair of jeans, opening a new book, having a dog
greet them when they get home from school, hanging out at home alone with a bag of
popcorn, etc. All of these things are small things that make up our everyday lives and
things that often get taken for granted. None of these things seem to matter much
until they are gone. The things that they say they will never be able to do reveal what
they wanted to do in life such as get married, have kids, travel the world, and be just
be happy. These things show how precious life is and how it is easy to take them for
granted until they are gone.
8.. What do you think can be done to prevent such violent acts from happening
in our schools? Is it even possible to prevent such violence?
While I don’t know that it is possible to completely prevent all violent acts from
happening, I think more should be done to prevent students from getting to the point
where they feel that there is no other option. Zero tolerance for students needs to be
amended so that students’ whole lives aren’t destroyed by one wrong act. More needs to
be done in terms of raising awareness of school violence and schools need to invest in
measures to prevent it from happening. Whether that is better counseling options for
students, more security put into effect, etc. school violence should be given a high
priority.
9. What do you think the playwright’s purpose was in writing this play?
I think the playwright’s purpose was to raise awareness for real teen issues and
what can possible come from someone who is pushed too far. I think this play does a
good job of showing how stereotypes do exist and how those students often treat each
other. I also think that it shows how some people do resort to violence as a final option
when they feel that there is nothing else to do and how so many people are put at risk
when this happens. I think the main purpose was to let people know that school
shootings are real and people need to do all they can to prevent them from happening.