FINAL DRAFT
Education:
A theme found in To Kill a Mockingbird

Chris Collins

September 23, 2009
Mr. Salsich
English

(Opening) As Allan Bloom once said, "Education is the movement from darkness to light," education is the transition between knowing little, to becoming very knowledgeable. (CM) Education is like a blank canvas, you start empty, white, but as you move your way up the ranks of learning, you begin to become a beautiful painting. (CM) Education is very important to us all; it is a way of life. (Thesis) Education is written about in books as well as experienced in life. In fact, to even write a book you must have an education.

(TS) “Don’t talk back to me, sit up in your chair and be quiet!” Imagine if your teacher started yelling at you like this, and made you go stand in the corner. In chapter two of To Kill a Mockingbird, I noticed that the theme of education was very prevalent, and I also noticed that it was different than the education I am used to. (SD) For example, when Scout began to read at an advanced level, instead of being rewarded, she was scolded. (CM) This shows that the teacher was very strict, and the education system was different. (CM) Now, students are praised instead of being yelled at for good work. (SD) Also, when Scout explained the Cunningham’s situation to Miss Caroline, instead of Miss Caroline thanking her, she hit the back of Scouts hand with a ruler. (CM) This is very different from what we see today. (CM) Now the student would be thanked, not punished. (SD) Lastly, in chapter two Miss Caroline used the Dewey Decimal System to teach her class. (CM) This system was a series of flash cards with words, letters on phrases written on them. (CM) What was different was that if the students got one wrong they would be scolded. (CS) From reading chapter two of To Kill a Mockingbird I have concluded that during the time this book was written, education was very different than it is now.

(TS) Education is a major theme in chapter two, but I also experience education in my own life, and the type of education is really different than in To Kill a Mockingbird. (SD) Pine Point has been a major part of my education since kindergarten. (CM) Unlike Miss Caroline, the teachers at Pine Point are very kind. (CM) If you are more advanced at something, like math or reading, than other students, you are not yelled at, you are congratulated. (SD) Also, At Pine Point, unlike in the book, you have the freedom to say what you want. (CM) In the book when Scout tried to tell Miss Caroline about the Cunningham’s situation, she was smacked on the hand with a ruler. (CM) If I did this at Pine Point, I would be thanked for the information, instead of punished. (SD) Lastly, the way school is taught is also different at Pine Point. (CM) In the book Miss Caroline used flash cards with letter, words and phrases written on them to teach the class. If they got one wrong they would be scolded. (CM) I remember back to first grade, and I remember using flash cards to help us learn new words. However, if we got one wrong we were definitely not scolded. (CS) I am honored to be a student at Pine Point, it is certainly better than going to the school written about in the book.

(Closing) Education is about gaining knowledge. (CM) It is about going from knowing very little, to knowing a lot. (CM) The way they learn in the book is very different than the way I learn. (Thesis) Education is always different, and it is found in books as well as in real life.