Film review The History Boys After watching this movie, I have something to say about different styles of teaching. From my point of view, Irwin and Hector are two teachers as if living in disparate periods. If I were asked to give my preference between them , I would say, Hector. Hector, an innovative man, has a sense of romance. In his class, he tends to break the students' intellectual shackles and give the students a feeling of actually being there. Moreover, he desires emotional resonance. This old man, owns something valuable that needs to be cherished, such as passion for life, charm of personality and deep and pure love for literature. Of course, there is no doubt that everyone has shortcomings. Maybe Hector goes extreme to some extent, as a result of which, his students encounter sexual harassment.It is obvious that Hector is subjective while Irwin is good at controlling his feelings and dealing with things in professional views. Hector is not afraid of crying or shouting under his students' noses. On the contrary, Irwin puts a mask upon himself, preventing himself from being part of others' life. In some way, his students are more like his clients. To be fair, we cannot deny Irwin's teaching style completely in contemporary society. Humans are supposed to examine history with objective eyes. Both teachers hold the original intention that they are responsible for leading the boys to a better future and a higher platform. 'Utilitarian' is seen as a derogatory term by the majority. However, we live in a society full of competition, not the Garden of Eden in our imagination .It is necessary for us to view things from different angles critically. The dark side of the world is inevitable and it calls for our attention and reflection. Socrates describes education as the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel. I know it is hard to combine these two styles, but we should keep trying, trying to live a life with less regrets and more meaning.
Joyce
8 Oct 2018
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