For thou shalt find it after many days.

Topic 1.2

CARER, KEEPER…

CLASS 2

2. Watch an episode form Freedom Writers. Do you understand now where the title of the film comes from? Why does the title really work?

3. Teachers should care about their students’ growth, that’s true. But to what lengths should they go? Talk about it in pairs.

4. Read the following verse from the Holy Bible (Ecclesiastes XI:I). In small groups, interpret its meaning from different perspectives.

Cast thy bread upon the waters:

For thou shalt find it after many days.

5.Theexcerpt you are going to read today is taken from an American novel the title of which was borrowed from the Bible. The protagonist of the novel is a history teacher. What do you think the conflict of the novel might be like?

6.Read through the following passages (A – C) taken from the excerpt and make an educated guess about the characters’ personalities.

Passage A

‘I said you were promising,' Strand said. 'I'm not making any promises,' Romero said sullenly.

Passage B

'What I meant was that of all the students in my classes who might not otherwise go on to a college, on their own, that is, you showed the most original intelligence.'

'You're kidding, ain't you, professor?' Romero said, smirking. 'What'd you really say - that you got a kid in your class who proves that Puerto Ricans're all some kind of nuts? What's the game?'

Passage C

'I still don't get it, professor,' Romero said stubbornly.

'Don't call me professor. I'm not a professor.'

'Okay – Mr Strand – I mean, like what's in it for him? Some guy I don't even know.'

'There's nothing in it for him,' Strand said, 'except perhaps some personal satisfaction if you do well and embark on a successful career later on.'

7.Read the excerpt now and make sure you expectations of the characters prove correct.

Text ___

FromBREAD UPON THE WATERS by Irwin Shaw

“I don’t get it”, the boy was saying in Strand’s little office. Strand had told Romero that he would like to see him for a moment after classes were over and had been a little surprised when the boy actually appeared.

'I explained to you,' Strand said, 'that I mentioned you to a ... a friend of mine, a new friend, who happens to be an influential man, and he said that if you were interested in continuing your education he would try to get you a scholarship . . . '

'Yeah, yeah,' Romero said impatiently. 'I heard all that. I mean, man, why's he picking on me?'

‘I said you were promising,' Strand said.

'I'm not making any promises,' Romero said sullenly.

'I wasn't using the word in that sense,' said Strand. He found it difficult, after the long day, to keep his patience with the short, ragged boy, his face hard and suspicious under his tangled hair. Dressed in shapeless blue jeans, dirty sneakers, and a faded football jersey that was much too large for him and had probably been stolen from some locker room seasons ago, Romero lounged carelessly against the desk, impudently fingering an unlit cigarette. The number on the jersey was '17'. The boy wore it to school every day and sometimes in Strand's dreams, the number 17 crossed against a confused cloudy background. 'What I meant was that of all the students in my classes who might not otherwise go on to a college, on their own, that is, you showed the most original intelligence.'

'You're kidding, ain't you, professor?' Romero said, smirking. 'What'd you really say - that you got a kid in your class who proves that Puerto Ricans're all some kind of nuts? What's the game?'

'It isn't any game,' Strand said shortly, regretting that he had ever said anything to Hazen about the boy. 'And leave the Puerto Ricans out of it, please. My friend is interested in education, he has useful connections, he feels that out-of-the-ordinary students should be given a chance. . . . '

'I still don't get it, professor,' Romero said stubbornly.

'Don't call me professor. I'm not a professor.'

'Okay - Mr Strand - I mean, like what's in it for him? Some guy I don't even know.'

'There's nothing in it for him,' Strand said, 'except perhaps some personal satisfaction if you do well and embark on a successful career later on.'

'What do I have to do - sign a contract or something giving him half of what I make for ten years?' Romero took a battered zippo lighter out of his pocket, then thought better of it and put it back.

Strand shook his head sorrowfully. The boy obviously did not confine his reading to books on history and science. The gossip columns about Hollywood and show business and agents clearly had not been neglected in his choice of reading matter. 'Romero,' he said, 'did you ever hear of charity?'

'Charity.' The boy laughed, meanly. 'I sure have heard of charity. My old lady's on Welfare.'

'This has nothing to do with Welfare. I'm not going to sit here and argue with you all day. If you want to devote a year or two of your life to really studying - hard -there's a good possibility you can get a scholarship for a college. I think you can make it, if that means anything to you. I suggest you go home and talk it over with your mother and father.'

'My father.' The boy laughed again, his teeth gleaming white in the dark, smudged face. 'That man's long gone. I ain't seen him since I was nine years old.'

'Your mother, then.'

'She won't believe me. She'll beat the shit out of me for making up stories.'

'Then consult with yourself, Romero,' Strand said angrily. He stood up. 'If you decide you want to make something of yourself, come and tell me. If you want to be a bum all your life, forget it.' He collected some papers and stuffed them into his brief case. 'I've got a lot of work to do at home. I have to leave. I'm sure you have many important things to do yourself this afternoon,' he said sardonically, 'and I won't keep you any longer.'

Romero looked at him, smiling, as though making the teacher angry gave him some points in a secret competition with his classmates.

'Get out of here, get out of here,' Strand said and then was ashamed because he had spoken so loudly.

'Whatever you say, professor,' Romero said and went to the door. He stopped there and turned. I can take care of myself, understand?' he said harshly. 'Nobody has to lose any sleep about Jesus Romero.'

Strand went over to the door and closed it, hard. Then he went to his desk and sat down and put his head in his hands.

7.In pairs, talk about the impression the final paragraph produced on you. What does the author mean to say here?

A. The teacher is helpless.

B. The teacher experiences a complete failure.

C. The teacher is furious.

D. ___________________ (anything else?)

8.In small groups, talk about problem kids and fill in the table. Compare your tables – and ideas – with other groups.

9.Work in small groups. Recollect the moment when you had a face-to-face talk with a problem kid / school student. Describe how it went. Did the student…

· confide in you?

· reject you?

· patronize you?

· mock at your effort?

· appreciate your attempts to help?

· complain about life and how it treats him / her?

10.Work in small groups. Talk about Mr Strand’s attitude to the boy. Will the teacher lose a night’s sleep over his unruly but promising student?

11.Work individually. Write a continuation to the excerpt (100 words). Start with the following phrase.

When Strand approached the school building the next morning, ne saw Romero leaning against the wall. The boy was obviously waiting for someone. _________________________________________________

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