Group Notes for Dead Poets Society Day 1

Mr. Keating very clearly wants his students to be free thinkers. He has a teaching method that is not conventional, especially in that time period. It's shown that the Latin teacher at the school simple said a word and had the class repeat it to teach them. Mr. Keating has the class moving and learning lessons by showing them rather then just telling them. Like when he took the boys outside to walk around and showed that Gerard, Richard, and Knox eventually started walking the same. Even the class conformed to clapping along. He then told them to not conform and walk however they wanted to. He teaches lessons that aren't just going to be needed for school then never thought about again. He makes each day interesting. He gets Todd to stop thinking, which may be the biggest problem for his poetry, and he was able to come up with a great poem in seconds. The students don't get much of a say in what they do. Neil for example was told by his dad he couldn't join an activity because he had too much to do. Later he decides to audition for a play without his father's permission, I think this is a choice influenced by Mr. Keating's lessons in free-thinking.