Catherine A.

Macatangay
ProfEd

REACTION PAPER IN
“STAND AND DELIVER”
Stand and Deliver is a 1988 American drama film based on the true story of high school math
teacher Jaime Escalante. It was distributer by Warner Bros. and directed by Ramon Menendez. The
main cast of characters were Edward James Olmos who played the role of Jaime Escalante, Lou
Diamond Philips as Angel Guzman, Rosanna DeSoto as Fabiola Escalante and Andy Garcia as Ramirez.

Jaime Escalante becomes a math teacher at in James A. Garfield High School. The school is
full of students from working-class families who has poor academic skills and also have a lot of social
problems. Escalante seeks to change the school culture to help the students excel in academics. He
then realized the potential of his class and sets a goal of having the students take Calculus by their
senior year. Escalante instructs his class with great support and motivation. The students begin taking
summer classes in advanced mathematics with the help of their professor Escalante despite being
underestimated by other faculty members. As they struggle with the lower expectations that they face
in their lives, Escalante taught them to the best of his abilities and encourage them to the fullest and
then later on the students were able to pass the AP Calculus exam. But since this progress was
unrealistic to some due to their misconception to the knowledge and abilities of those students, they
questioned the success of the students, insisting there is too much overlap in their errors and
suggesting the students cheated. Escalante defended his students and felt that the allegations are
based more on misperceptions. He then suggested to have the students retake the test but the
students all succeed in passing the test again eventhough the preparations was too short in retaking
the said examination. With that, the allegations of cheating had finally ended.

➡ In planning for an effective instruction, Jaime Escalante considered student’s diversity in

many ways. For me, the best way is to value, respect and treat everyone with equality despite of their
abilities, backgrounds, cultures and experience differences. By this means, the achievement of teacher
and students’ goal can be enhanced. There should never have space for inequality, maltreatment and
exclusion for the learner’s to be united in one goal that leads to a quality education. I admire how he
managed the said students to gain their trust and carefully observe their actions for me to be able to
know the appropriate method of teaching that will benefit each and every learner. I also look up upon
him when he was able to set up learning settings that allow for his students’ learning outcome be
meaningful, and that respect for diversity had been employed to encourage flexible thinking and social
competence. He then provided some sort of detailed instruction and collaborative instructional
context that enhanced the student’s reflective thinking that led to higher levels of cognitive, social and
moral development as well as self-esteem. Quality personal relationships that provide stability trust,
and caring can increase learners’ sense of belonging, self-respect and self- acceptance, and provide a
positive climate for learning. Since he gained positive learning outlook, he had been able to establish
the context for healthier levels of thinking, feeling and behaving.

➡ In conclusion, I would strongly recommend Stand and Deliver film to both teachers and soon
to be teachers who care for the learners’ cognitive skills and development despite of their differences.
The film will make everyone realized that no student should be deprived of education whatever
background he or she has and whether he or she looks like a gangster and a certified trouble maker.
Because that is mainly the challenge of every teacher, and if you are really good in handling those kind
of students like what Jaime Escalante did, well I am pretty sure that you are on the right track.