FREE ESSAY ON DEAD POETS SOCIETY: KEATING'S TEACHING METHODS

DEAD POETS SOCIETY: KEATING'S TEACHING METHODS

Dead Poets Society: Keating's Teaching Methods 
In the movie, Dead Poets Society, the basic idea of expression is being taught by
Keating. Keating is a very unique instructor which uses many different methods of
teaching to get the students involved, but he shows them ways to have fun with the class
also. That in itself is very unique. Keating is trying to release the emotions these
students have within themselves. He is teaching them to make their lives extraordinary,
think for themselves, and be an individual instead of a follower. In one lesson with
these students he expressed this to the fullest, by having them rip out the introduction
of their text books because of what J. Evans Pritchard, Ph.D. tells them to do with
poetry. By ripping that out they realize that they have a mind of their own and others
should not think for them or tell them what they should think. The most important lesson
Keating teaches is Carpe Diem, which means Seize the Day. Even though this method of
instruction is phenomenal and has many benefits, there are few critiques on Keating's
method of teaching. 
The benefits of Keating's instruction are of self-expression. Keating tries to relate
what he is teaching to something they already know, for example, reciting poetry to music
while kicking a soccer ball. This taught them that there are various ways you can recite
poetry, which are the tones or mood the poem is in. Another benefit is that you look at
the world differently, which Keating taught by one simple action, standing on a desk.
This showed the students, again, the importance of free thinking because when you stand
on a desk things look much different than when you do not stand on anything, which puts
their minds in a whole different perspective. That is the greatest benefit they were
taught is to look at the world the way you want to and Seize the Day and make it yours. 
One critique of Keating's teachings is the lack of multiculturalism. Keating basically
used examples from white males and all of them were deceased. Walt Whitmann, Andrew
Marwell, Robert Browning, and Robert Frost were all deceased white males. This taught the
students about basically one culture. If the use of different cultures ranging from all
over the world, old poets and new poets, it would have given the students an even broader
outlook on the world. That way they could see how other cultures lived, what beliefs they
had, and what the poets from that culture aimed their writing toward. Keating's teachings
were so remarkable that this would have impacted them even more. 
As a result of Keating's teachings the students did learn to think for themselves and
have a mind of their own. This is expressed when the new English teacher takes the class
over and Keating is walking out, one student stands on his desk and says Oh Captain, My
Captain. That right there indicated his expression; he did not listen to the teacher; he
stood up for what he believed in. This all is a result of Keating's guidance. He touched
all of their lives and definitely released the self-expression of these students and they
will always Seize the Day!