Posted April 8, 2010
The true story of Jaime Escalante was made famous by the film Stand and Deliver. Escalante died last week, but he still has much to teach us.
I was saddened to hear that teacher extraordinaire Jaime Escalante succumbed to cancer March 30 at age 79. The Bolivian immigrant challenged kids from the tough neighborhoods of East Los Angeles to Stand and Deliver (which became the title of the 1988 movie about him). He believed in them and gave his all for them, and they came through with unprecedented results on the AP Calculus test.
Edward James Olmos, who received an Oscar nomination for propelling this amazing teacher to fame, said, "Jaime didn't just teach math. Like all great teachers, he changed lives" ( Los Angeles Times, March 31).
In real life
Although it's been 20 years since I've seen Stand and Deliver, the power of Olmos' performance still reverberates in my mind. But Olmos credited Escalante with even greater theatrics.
"He's the most stylized man I've ever come across," Olmos told The New York Times in 1988. "He had three basic personalities—teacher, father-friend and street-gang equal—and he would juggle them, shift in an instant… He's one of the greatest calculated entertainers."
I never got to see Escalante at work in the classroom, but I did see him give a public lecture nearly 20 years ago. In that venue he seemed more subdued, but still his passion for motivating students to greatness came through.
His program
Jaime Escalante gave details of his program in an educational journal in 1990, and his ideas are still relevant and motivational today. These and other timeless teaching principles flowed out of his love for his students and his desire to see them succeed. Here, in his own words, are a few of his keys:
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If motivated properly, any student can learn mathematics. Kids are not born as bad students; however, the school and the student's home and community environment can combine to produce a bad student. The teacher is the crucial point in this equation.
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By exposing the students to the success stories of Escalante Math Program graduates and showing that there is an upward route to well-paid, fulfilling careers through higher education, I immerse the students in the concept that they, too, can succeed—not only in high school, but in college as well. This encouragement is extremely vital for some who, before they came to my program, may have never even considered the idea of higher education.
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From the beginning, I cast the teacher in the role of the "coach" and the students in the role of the "team." I made sure they knew that we were all working together.
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I also have a sign underneath the classroom clock (because my students have a tendency to look at the clock). That sign reads: "DETERMINATION + HARD WORK + DISCIPLINE = THE WAY TO SUCCESS."
God's program
The dedication and wholeheartedness of Jaime Escalante always reminds me of the total commitment and unfathomable love of our Creator and greatest Teacher (John 13:13)! Consider a few of God's principles of motivation that I believe confirm the validity of some of Escalante's points above:
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God fervently desires for "all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:4). He doesn't have prejudice or show favoritism. Jesus Christ knows the challenges His students face, and He truly "gave Himself" for us, walked in our shoes and went the extra mile for us!
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God also wants us to see His success stories to encourage us onward in difficult times. Hebrews 11, for example, lists the heroes of faith.
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The Bible also compares the Christian life with sports, but Christians are even closer than team members. We are to be family—and even part of the same Body! (1 Corinthians 9:24-27; 12:1, 12-27).
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God provides many motivational scriptures, such as, "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and do for His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:12-13). And what could be more encouraging than this promise of success: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13)!
I, and many others, learned a lot from Jaime Escalante, who made it a goal to help his students realize their dreams. And there is still much more to learn so we can help people of all ages realize their dreams—now and forever!
Jesus Christ, the great Teacher, is teaching His students to become teachers. Learn more about this in the new online Bible Study Guide lesson "Train Now to Help Christ Rule ."
