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Analyzing the Narrative EssayI. The Short WritingThe Winter EssayIt was the winter of 2006, in the calendar month of January, and my junior year of high school. By this time in high school Id had some quirky t for from each one oneers and to be honest Mr. DeBruyn didnt seem so uniquely special alone appargonntly he had his moments. English class began on a day when it seemed like school should entertain been cancelled due to the blizzardous weather earlier that morning. Mr. DeBruyn had an auspicious look on his face then says, Were doing an in class writing assignment today that its not going to be in class. The whole class pa lend oneselfd and waited for his next sentence. He told eachone to go to our lockers and puff prepared to go outside. Everyone protested and all he could say is you befool three minutes, dress warm, as if we wouldnt dressing in the classroom we grabbed our notebooks as best we could with our gloves, scarves, hats, and puffy winter coats to hold us rear end.The assignment was to keep capable much or less nature, as usual, but this time from a first hand experience. We were to pick a certain(prenominal) aspect of what we say outside and discuss how the snow and winter weather affected it, whether it be a plant, bush, tree, or whatever. Once outside everyone was shivering and freezing trying to slap down notes as prompt as possible. Mr. DeBruyn then pulled out a digital camera and took a picture of the distinguish each student examined. Back inside everyone rushed to finish an essay of their choppy notes. Id hoped it wasnt worth much of our grade.A few months went by and he hadnt mentioned anything about the assignment, nor gave it back to us. It was April now. He returned the assignment and no one scored higher than a B, which was expected. He then gave us each a copy of the area we studied, from the pictures he had taken, and sent us back outside to re-examine the very(prenominal) spot. We were told to re-write the as signment and now descriptively compare the two images and had the weather conditions made the images vary.Mr. DeBruyn turned out not to be so bad, in fact he was kind of cool. I liked that he had challenged us in unique ways, and apparently so did everyone else. Turns out, his creative inform style touched the hearts of a lot of students, not just me. As proof, he was voted as the instructor to speak at our graduation. And that is no small honor. The privilege of addressing the graduating class at their commencement exercises is a direct testament to to how much the teachers is love and appreciated by the class. The teacher chosen, therefore, is the one who has the close to positive impact on the entire class. And I most certainly agree that Mr. DeBruyn has been an inspiration, and I leave behind never look at winter the alike way again.II. Analyzing the NarrativeThe story of Mr. DeBruyn is a compelling piece of narrative, very simple in its use of words, but highly poignant an d raw with emotions. The use of simple words and straightforward imagery makes the temporal accessible to everyone. However, darn simple and highly accessible, the piece is equally provocative, engaging the reader in philosophical m employs, while reading the piece and afterwards. Teachers and students alike will find lessons in the simple story of Mr. DeBruyn and the lessons about lifetime that he imparts to his students.The most striking theme in the essay is the concept of education universe practice by the teacher, Mr. DeBruyn. John Dewey, the great educational philosopher, once state that there is no better(p) context for knowledge than the context of real life. Sadly, most classes offer pure theories without any exposure on how such theories find practical form in the real life. In particular, Deweys ideas on using real-life tasks and challenges find great significance in my class with Mr. DeBruyn. The opportunities he provided the class to experience real life is truly o ne lesson that everyone in that class will never forget.Teaching is perhaps one of the most meaningful of all professions because every day you are given the chance to make meaningful and long-lasting contribution to an individuals life. In fact the No Child Left Behind round recognizes the singular power of teachers in the learning process so much so that the bar has been raised for teachers in the hopes of improving the educational system. I believe that a big part of the decline in education is that most teachers dumbfound lost pride in their vocation. Teachers must have a sand of dignity of work. Unfortunately, when the work is hard and the money is tight, that is easily forgotten. As such, there is an urgent need for reforms, and the residential area should take an diligent role in making teachers feel more valued through active support and acknowledgement.By the single act of capturing winter and seeing the image compared with another season, the class became more aware of their surroundings and became more appreciative of the world around them. In one singular lash of genius, Mr. DeBruyn was competent to rekindle our sense of wonder and discovery, things which are at the very heart of learning, and is essential for every student and teacher to have, regardless of whatever subject is being taught or learned.Of course, of utmost importance is what I have learned from this class. If there is one thing that I will carry from my experience with Mr. DeBruyn, it is that you have to let your students take the lead. As a teacher you have to be very sensitive to the signals that your students are sending you individually and collectively as a class. Learners will eer give you signs whether you are doing the decently thing or not. You have to be ready for contingencies and be prepared to make on the spot adjustments. Let them tell you how they want to learn, because they know what they need from their teacher. I have learned to look at things from all p ossible levels and adopt my thinking from those perspectives.If I become a teacher, I should never chew the fat myself on them instead let them teach me how they want to be taught. This is an important realization that I will always keep in mind should I decide to enter the teaching vocation. then while it is true that students need to feel that mortal is in control and responsible for their environment and sets classroom limits but maintains them (Wong, 2001), it is more important for teachers to let the minds of the students soar in wonder and discovery. Of course it deserves to be mentioned that the things I have learned from Mr. DeBruyn goes beyond the classroom more than teaching a lesson, Mr. DeBruyn taught us about life.III. InteractingMuch has been said about the nobility of the teaching profession, and indeed, the high sense of duty and the self-sacrifices required from a teacher on a daily basis is nothing less than heroic. I see this first hand in the story of DeBruyns class. From this very simple essay I have agnize that educational reforms do not necessarily need to cost anything. Indeed, Mr. DeBruyn has shown that it does not take too much time or money to effect a change inside the classroom.As what Mr. DeBruyn has shown, all that is needed is the passion for teaching and genuine desire to share in the learning experience. It is not difficult, and all that is needed to go back to the basics. In the educational process, all teachers must be reminded that the learning process starts with what the child knows. Prior learning is the framework where new concepts are built upon. As such, every teacher should begin with the previous lesson and concern it to the new material. Let the child see the relationship and build their own concepts. This way the child earns will power of what he has learned because it was a result of what he already knows.These are the things I have been able to reflect upon, and it has had a profound effect in me as an ind ividual looking her place in the sun. From firsthand experience, I have witnessed the power of the teacher to make meaningful and lasting contribution to the lives of students. Indeed the teacher is the single biggest factor that determines the success or failure of the students to learn what they should. I have realized that it is the teacher who creates the atmosphere that focuses the class on their tasks and keeps them engaged in the lessons. Indeed, every moment is an opportunity to learn, and the teacher must create that opportunity for the students. (Mujis, 2005, 75)Reading Mr. DeBruyn I have realized that Mr. Paul Trout of The Chronicle follow-up would be very pleased by his story. Mr. Trout, in her article entitled Shame on You, takes a critical look at education and forwards the idea that the more the classrooms are threats to the students morale and well-being. dapple Mr. Trouts arguments may be valid, Mr. DeBruyn flies in the face of Mr. Trouts thesis. There can be rede mption and life-changing inspiration within the four halls of the classroom. The negative view of the teachers and the school, while not unfounded, is not always true. Across the country, teachers are making a difference in the lives of students, one kind word and cost increase at a time.According to Paul Freires Pedagogy of the Oppressed (1993), A careful digest of the teacher-student relationship at any level, inside or outside the school, reveals its fundamentally narrative character. This relationship involves a narrating Subject (the teacher) and patient listening objects (the students). This description of Friere depicts a one-way relationship between students and teachers, and as such, the manoeuver of knowledge occurs when the teacher narrates or uses words to teach. unless words, while extremely powerful and effective at initiating change is not the only tool at a teachers disposal. Actual experiences go beyond any words to properly describe. Mr. DeBruyn proved this by immersing his class in authentic experiences, which did not need much explaining. It was an exchange of knowledge that took place in the heart.I think that the philosophy that comes immediate to Mr. DeBruyns teaching style is the one espoused by Ms. Rachel Toor. In her article, Its Mr. Orwell to You, she promoted a teacher-student relationship that was informal. non informal in the sense that the students treat teachers without any respect. Rather, students approach the learning system with intimacy. They view a piece of literature as someone written by a real person, and as such, is someone they can very well relate to. By humanizing lessons, the students become less intimidated, are able to tease their mind and be open to more learning.Indeed, education is a complex issue that is fraught with difficulties. But no other profession is more fulfilling. To the individual who has the calling to teach. Pursue it with a heart open to all kinds of possibilities. It will not be easy, no t by a long shot. But entertain that a meaningful life is always fraught with sacrifices. But at the end of the day, the fulfillment is something that you cannot get anywhere else. And that alone is the reason that keeps true teachers inside the classroom each and every day.