What did I learn today?
I’ll be honest. Grad school is tough and can be a little discouraging. Sometimes it feels like our life is consumed by: projects, readings, thesis, work, cooking dinner, laundry, relationships, finances, life, and etc. Most of the days are consumed with stress. Sleep becomes a foreign concept to most of us. Some of us lose weight, because we don’t have time to eat. Some of us gain weight, because we rely on take out and frozen pizzas to keep us alive. For me, I know that I must continue to find things that continue my momentum going. Going straight from undergrad to graduate, one can feel a little burnt out.
One of my favorite movies is Stand and Deliver. Despite the 80’s style, Stand and Deliver is listed as a classic in my list. The movie is about a high school math teacher, Jamie Escalante (played by Edward James Olmos), who is passionate about teaching his students calculus. To provide a little background, the setting is in East Los Angeles. The majority of the students are Latino/a’s and come from hard backgrounds. School is the last thing in their minds. Resources for the school are not a priority as well. The best part is that throughout the movie, Mr. Escalante uses the word “ganas” when he is motivating his students to learn.
What does the word “ganas” mean? Is it Spanish?
Why, yes it is. The word “ganas” comes from the infinitive word “ganar” which means “to win”. Mr. Escalante told his students , “You have to have ‘ganas’ to learn this stuff”. In this context “ganas” means “to feel like” or “in the mood”. Mr. Escalante says it with this deep tone in his voice while holding a fist to show strength. He is challenging his students to feel it deep within themselves to learn calculus. They have to go into a deeper level and get the motivation from the inside to keep moving forward.
What does the word “ganas” mean? Is it Spanish?
Why, yes it is. The word “ganas” comes from the infinitive word “ganar” which means “to win”. Mr. Escalante told his students , “You have to have ‘ganas’ to learn this stuff”. In this context “ganas” means “to feel like” or “in the mood”. Mr. Escalante says it with this deep tone in his voice while holding a fist to show strength. He is challenging his students to feel it deep within themselves to learn calculus. They have to go into a deeper level and get the motivation from the inside to keep moving forward.
In this clip, the setting is a teacher meeting. They are discussing the future of the school and the lack of resources. You can clearly see what the expectations of the teachers are of their students in this short clip. You can also sense what they were feeling about the situation. The best part of the clip is Mr. Escalante’s response to the situation that is being discussed:
(Youtube offers more clips from the movie. I would encourage you to watch a couple to gain a deeper understanding of Mr. Escalante's teaching style)
I loved Stand and Deliver ever since I was a little girl. Papa Lima introduced this movie to me and has been quoting lines all my life. Throughout my undergrad, he would always tell me to have “ganas” to the times that I just wanted to quit. Now in grad school, he still repeats, “You gotta have ‘ganas’, Melissa. Just like the movie.”
Not only is the movie an encouragement and an advocacy for urban background students, but also for educators. Since I’m choosing higher education as a career, I strive for being an educator just like Mr. Escalante. He studied his students and saw what worked for them. He did not give up on them when they gave him attitude or trashed his house. He worked with them extra hours in the morning and after school for them to learn calculus.
I loved Stand and Deliver ever since I was a little girl. Papa Lima introduced this movie to me and has been quoting lines all my life. Throughout my undergrad, he would always tell me to have “ganas” to the times that I just wanted to quit. Now in grad school, he still repeats, “You gotta have ‘ganas’, Melissa. Just like the movie.”
Not only is the movie an encouragement and an advocacy for urban background students, but also for educators. Since I’m choosing higher education as a career, I strive for being an educator just like Mr. Escalante. He studied his students and saw what worked for them. He did not give up on them when they gave him attitude or trashed his house. He worked with them extra hours in the morning and after school for them to learn calculus.
“Ganas” is what I need to continue on. “Ganas” is what I need to finish what is set out before me. “Ganas” is what I need to encourage and motivate my students. “Ganas” is how I need to learn.
I can't wait for the day when I hold me fist up and tell my students, "You gotta have 'ganas'".
That’s what I learned today.
Do you have "ganas"?
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