Similarities Between Dead Poets Society And Mr Keating

802 Words4 Pages
In Peter Weir's film, Dead Poets Society, we are presented with two very different methods of education: Mr Keating's unorthodox and freer approach, and Mr. Nolan's stricter and more disciplined style which follows Welton Academy's curriculum. While Mr. Nolan's stricter method of teaching obviously follows Welton's preferred teaching style, it is too repetitive, strict, and lacks the creativity needed for students to enjoy school. Mr. Keating's freer and non-conforming method of teaching goes against the school's wishes as he gives them a sense of too much freedom and overestimates the boys' maturity. Both versions of teaching, however, provide the boys with positive and negative side effects that could end up being dangerous for the students…show more content…
Nolan's stricter style of teaching takes away from the boys' creativity. Unlike teaching non-conformity like Mr. Keating, it takes away from the boys' freedoms and limits the amount of leisure time the boys are given. Doing so, makes it likely that the boys will want to act out and about rebel against the hardcore discipline of the school. It puts to much pressure on the boys and pushes the boys to mature quickly which causes them to lose their innocence faster than necessary. It is too time consuming and doesn't give the boys enough time to just be themselves and grow up on their own. Due to the fact that there is no teacher-student relationship like that of Mr. Keating and his students, there is no trust between Mr. Nolan and his students. Although Mr. Nolan's stricter teaching style follows the tradition of Welton Academy, it puts a lot of unnecessary pressure on the boys which, in the end, could be…show more content…
Keating's laid back approach to teaching allows the boys too much freedom which causes them to act out at inappropriate times. For example, Charlie pretends to get a phone call during a very serious school meeting, resulting in punishment. His teaching style goes against that of both the other teachers and Welton Academy. For instance, he has his students rip out the introduction to their books, and when Mr. McAllister sees this, he is highly offended and disturbed. Mr. Keating overestimates his students' maturity which causes them to go against their parents. Neil, for example, tried out and participated in the play when he knew his father would forbids him him from acting. In the end, Mr. Keating didn't have a good impression on this students during the school day. Mr. Nolan's stricter and more disciplined method of teaching fits the serious atmosphere at Welton. While keeping up with tradition, it keeps the boys in line by limiting the amount of time they have to act freely. The more disciplined method of teaching gets the boys ready for making big commitments to their future college and careers. Mr. Nolan's style of teaching pushes the students to work to their full potential, while teaching them both time management and a strong work ethic. Overall, Mr. Nolan's style of teaching is seen to be crucial when looking at the future of the boys at Welton
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