The Benevolent Dictator:

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The Benevolent Dictator

• A discussion of teaching ethics using, The
  Emperors Club.

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Emperors Club Director Michael Hoffman Year
2002 Starring Kevin Kline Based on StoryEthan
Canin's The PalaceThief Screenplay Neil Tolkin
Videotherapy Lesson Georgia Costalas SPED
620_51_051 Prof Dole
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The Emperors Club Plot

• A Classics teacher successful in molding the
  characters of students of a boarding school,
  faces the challenge of a youngster who questions
  and defies authority. There are students who
  make wrong decisions, but ultimately develop
  characters of integrity. However, the teacher
  goes as far as to tweak situations to create a
  learning environment for the defiant youngster,
  who grows into a corrupt adult who can feel
  remorse for his lack of values, but cannot and
  does not want to change.

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Justification and Overview

• The problem of semester exams having been stolen
  off the schools computer system have caused much
  reflection and consternation. The faculty has
  said it is disillusioned, questions what we do, .
  .
• Teaching ethics is an important topic in any
  school. However with the several challenges we
  have been faced with it is an an essential topic
  for the High School Faculty to look at as we
  questions so much of what we do this time.
• The Emperors Club would be a tertulia, a 2 ½
  hour informal viewing and discussion that has the
  benefits of both a social event and professional
  development.
• Though this event would be a one time discussion,
  the topic would continueas it hasin the
  lunchroom and in other informal and formal spaces
  during the year.

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Objectives

• Teachers will
• Reflect on the role of the teacher in the
  classroom, especially in the area of character
  development.
• Consider how the adults of the community are
  limited in their capacity to save and change and
  mold the youngsters in their care.
• Consider to what extent the adults of the
  community are to blame for misbehavior.
• Identify with the teacher who is trying to do the
  right thing by this student, but does not in the
  end have the impact on the one child he tries to
  save.

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Themes

• Teacher Roleto mold or to teach
• Teacher as God
• Striving for Excellence
• Human Nature
• Adolescence and Challenging Authority
• Integrity

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Motivation

• Discuss December exam stealingwhy did it happen?
• Do you feel particularly bad about a particular
  student who was involved? Why does this student
  especially catch your attention?
• What values do we try to teach at CB which were
  violated in the stealing of the exams?

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Discussion Questions

• Did you ever try to help a student by trying to
  distort a situation? Did it work, that is, was
  the student helped? Long term?
• Is it a teachers job to teach or to form?
• Hundert is told by the headmaster to ignore
  Sedgewicks cheating. Do you think the request
  was justified? Why or why not?
• Have you felt like you have been in a similar
  situation? What did you do? How did you feel?
  Sedgewicks errors seem to characterize him
  completely. What are Hunderts flaws in
  character? Do they define him? Is he and all of
  them equally wrong and bad?
• Which is the real world? Hunderts or
  Sedgewicks?

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Discussion Questions

• In a K-12 school, to what extent are we
  responsible for how our students turn out?
• What are the values Hundert is trying to teach?
  Does he manage?
• Does a teacher have a right, a responsibility, or
  should he/she teach values?
• Does Sedgewick act the way he does because of his
  values, or does he become who he does because of
  the way he acted?
• What role does the teaching of the classics have
  at Hunderts school? How would the teaching of
  classics affect, if at all, Colegio Bolivar?

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Quotations Discussions

• Quotation 1William Hundert Great ambition and
  conquest without contribution is without
  significance. What will your contribution be? How
  will history remember you?
• What role does this quote play in the movie?
• Quotation 2Older Deepak Mehta A great teacher
  has little external history to record. His life
  goes over into other lives. These men are pillars
  in the intimate structure of our schools. They
  are more essential than its stones or beams, and
  they will continue to be a kindling force and a
  revealing power in our lives.
• Really? Do you agree with this quotation? Do
  teachers have such an essential role, or are the
  forming forces other than the teachers?

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Quotations Discussions

• Quotation 3 William Hundert Sir, it's my job to
  mold your son's character, and I think if -
  Senator Bell Mold him? Jesus God in heaven,
  son. You're not gonna mold my boy. Your job is to
  teach my son. You teach him his times tables.
  Teach him why the world is round. Teach him who
  killed who and when and where. That is your job.
  You, sir, will not mold by son. I will mold him.
• Do you agree with Hundert or Bell?

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Quotation discussions

• Quotation 4 William Hundert Follow the path,
  Mr. Masoudi. Walk where the great men before you
  have walked.
• Is it possible through the teaching of the
  classical thought to really encourage students to
  walk where the great men have walked?
• Quotation 5 William Hundert It is not living
  that is important, but living rightly.
• Great words. How do we impart this lesson to
  students?

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Follow Up Activities

• Teachers plan to use the movie in their
  classrooms.
• Teachers discuss how we can increase ethics
  education at Colegio Bolivar.
• Revising of the 9th grade ethics program.
• Continued work on the buddies program.

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Bibliography

• The Emperors Club. Retrieved March 16, 2005,
  http//www.theemperorsclub.com/
• The Emperors Club, retrieved March 16, 2005.
  http//www.haro- online.com/movies/emperors_club.h
  tml
• Ethics and Educational Leadership (3) (F,S,S)
  retrieved March 16, 2005. http//asterix.ednet.l
  su.edu/maxcy/7001_syl.htm
• Hoffman, Michael, dir. The Emperors Club. With
  Kevin Kline.
• Universal Pictures, 2002.
• Intenet Movie Database. Retrieved March 16,2005,
  http//www.imdb.com/title/tt0283530/quotes
• Philosophical Films, The Emperors Club,
  retrieved March 16, 2005. http//www.philfilms.u
  tm.edu/1/emperors.htm
• Youthtools.com, retrieved March 16, 2005,
  http//youthtools.ibelieve.com/content.asp?CID 1
  6706 .