• Undergraduate
  • High School
  • Architecture
  • American History
  • Asian History
  • Antique Literature
  • American Literature
  • Asian Literature
  • Classic English Literature
  • World Literature
  • Creative Writing
  • Linguistics
  • Criminal Justice
  • Legal Issues
  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Political Science
  • World Affairs
  • African-American Studies
  • East European Studies
  • Latin-American Studies
  • Native-American Studies
  • West European Studies
  • Family and Consumer Science
  • Social Issues
  • Women and Gender Studies
  • Social Work
  • Natural Sciences
  • Pharmacology
  • Earth science
  • Agriculture
  • Agricultural Studies
  • Computer Science
  • IT Management
  • Mathematics
  • Investments
  • Engineering and Technology
  • Engineering
  • Aeronautics
  • Medicine and Health
  • Alternative Medicine
  • Communications and Media
  • Advertising
  • Communication Strategies
  • Public Relations
  • Educational Theories
  • Teacher's Career
  • Chicago/Turabian
  • Company Analysis
  • Education Theories
  • Shakespeare
  • Canadian Studies
  • Food Safety
  • Relation of Global Warming and Extreme Weather Condition

Movie Review

  • Admission Essay
  • Annotated Bibliography
  • Application Essay
  • Article Critique
  • Article Review
  • Article Writing
  • Book Review
  • Business Plan
  • Business Proposal
  • Capstone Project
  • Cover Letter
  • Creative Essay
  • Dissertation
  • Dissertation - Abstract
  • Dissertation - Conclusion
  • Dissertation - Discussion
  • Dissertation - Hypothesis
  • Dissertation - Introduction
  • Dissertation - Literature
  • Dissertation - Methodology
  • Dissertation - Results
  • GCSE Coursework
  • Grant Proposal
  • Marketing Plan
  • Multiple Choice Quiz
  • Personal Statement
  • Power Point Presentation
  • Power Point Presentation With Speaker Notes
  • Questionnaire
  • Reaction Paper
  • Research Paper
  • Research Proposal
  • SWOT analysis
  • Thesis Paper
  • Online Quiz
  • Literature Review
  • Movie Analysis
  • Statistics problem
  • Math Problem
  • All papers examples
  • How It Works
  • Money Back Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • We Are Hiring

“Educating Peter” by Thomas G. Goodwin, Movie Review Example

Pages: 2

Words: 534

Hire a Writer for Custom Movie Review

Use 10% Off Discount: "custom10" in 1 Click 👇

You are free to use it as an inspiration or a source for your own work.

This movie review is based on a Goodwin film of a Down’s syndrome child that faces many obstacles whilst attending a regular elementary school. Some of the obstacles the child faces are the inability to cope with regular standards of teaching levels initially, engaging with other children socially and the inability to control his anti-social behaviour patterns. As the movie progresses so does the child’s ability to progress in school at a level closer to a ‘normal’ level which eventually brings him acceptance from his teachers and peers.

Peter has strong abilities including the ability to sing the most of the Pledge of Allegiance, the ability to be interactive whilst learning his lessons, the ability to take criticism from peers and teachers, the ability to read and write with minimal assistance, the ability to work on school projects and the ability to run and catch balls. His social skills develop to a strong level towards the end of the movie. These are exemptions of his cognitive and social skills.

Peter has brought a new meaning of abnormal to the view of the community. The community has viewed Down’s syndrome children as being ‘less than and dumb’. Peter has changed their view by being able to learn and progress throughout the movie whilst being able to contribute to the classroom interaction. The social environment in which he has accomplished this is conducive to his disability.  The expectations for his disability were very low but he has shown everyone that he can do a lot in terms of learning and interacting with other children. He has lots to offer in terms of intelligence and caring and compassion. The teacher has actually changed her first opinion of him which was that he was slow to that of he can learn and mingle with the other children in a positive manner.

Peter has demonstrated self-advocacy skills by wanting to show off his school work to the class, understanding that he should take control of his behavior and not bother the other children and by putting away his own materials with no assistance from others. Further these were experiences of his innate ability to profess linguistic skills despite his disability. The other children in the classroom, especially one young girl has aided Peter with his work often. She learned to use her language skills to tap into his form of communicating though not always traditional. Some kids called him a bully at the beginning of the movie because of his rough attitude and his mannerisms of kicking and pushing, but towards the end of the movie his change of behavior has gained him respect and loyalty from other children. His behaviors were constant of what physical symptoms are shown with this type of diagnosis. Peter’s compassion from other children has gained him best friends by the end of the year. The children no long feel that they are scared of him, rather they are happy to have Peter in their classroom as a friend. Peter showed the children as well as the teacher he had the ability to use his social and cognitive skills in a positive manner conducive to a normal learning environment.

Goodwin, Thomas G. [Review of the movie Educating Peter ].

Stuck with your Movie Review?

Get in touch with one of our experts for instant help!

Overseas Medical Centers Report, Essay Example

My Trip to Napa Valley/San Francisco, Essay Example

Time is precious

don’t waste it!

Plagiarism-free guarantee

Privacy guarantee

Secure checkout

Money back guarantee

E-book

Related Movie Review Samples & Examples

The globalized world, quiz example.

Pages: 11

Words: 2954

Economic Sanctions, Research Paper Example

Pages: 10

Words: 2872

The Descendants, Movie Review Example

Words: 416

Catheter- Associated Urinary Tract Infection Prevention, Term Paper Example

Pages: 7

Words: 1819

Children of Men, Movie Review Example

Words: 558

Deviance and Social Control in Stand and Deliver, Movie Review Example

Pages: 5

Words: 1351

  • Skip to main content
  • Keyboard shortcuts for audio player

From 'Educating Peter' to 'Graduating Peter'

Documentary filmmaker charts disabled young man's course.

educating peter essay

Peter in the third grade State of the Art, Inc. hide caption

Clips from Gerardine Wurzburg's films:

educating peter essay

Peter gets his attendance certificate at his class graduation ceremony. HBO Studio Productions hide caption

In 1992, the Academy Award for best documentary short subject went to a film by producer/director Gerardine Wurzburg that followed a young boy with Down syndrome through third grade in a regular class in his Blacksburg, Va., elementary school.

That documentary, Educating Peter , showed Peter, his classmates and his teacher struggling with the challenges posed by his disability. But it ended with both students and teacher testifying to their own growth as a result of Peter's inclusion in their class.

Now there is a new documentary, airing tonight on HBO. Graduating Peter takes up the story in middle school, where students on the brink of adolescence are less tolerant.

But as with his earlier experience in elementary school, Peter again finds acceptance and even enjoys moments that other teen-agers have -- dates, dances and a job.

Eventually, Peter does "graduate" high school with a certificate of attendance. But the latest film presents a stark portrait of the complexities of growing up with Down syndrome.

Related NPR Stories

Web resources.

Share this content

From “Educating Peter” to Serving More Students with Special Needs

In 1993, “ Educating Peter ,” a 30-minute film, won the Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject. The film is about Peter, a young boy with Down syndrome, who attended a regular classroom in a public elementary school in Blacksburg, Virginia. Thousands of children with special needs like Peter have been educated in public K-12 schools since the 1990s, an endeavor that still challenges schools, teachers and classmates.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a U.S. law that ensures students with disabilities are provided with Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). FAPE requires that the education of students with disabilities be tailored to the individual needs of each student.

IDEA consists of four parts:

  • Part A covers the general provisions of the law
  • Part B covers assistance for education of all children with disabilities
  • Part C covers infants and toddlers with disabilities, including children from birth to age three
  • Part D consists of the national support programs administered at the federal level

How Many Students Participate in Special Education in K-12 Public Schools?

During the 1990-91 school year, approximately 4.7 million students participated in special education programs in K-12 public schools. In 2017-18, approximately 6.9 million students (13.6%) attended special education in K-12 public schools. From 2000 to 2018, the participation rate in special education increased almost 10% (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Students who participated in special education in K-12 public schools

A graph showing the number of 3 to 21 year old students served by IDEA from 1990 to 2018, with the number increasing rapidly in early 2000s and then increasing but at a slower pace

Data source: U.S. Department of Education

How Many Children Participate in Early Special Education in Public Schools?

In 1990-91, only about 390,000 three- to five-year-old children participated in early special education programs. In 2017-18, approximately 774,000 children aged three to five years old attended special education in public schools. This number doubled from 1990 to 2018. In other words, the number of students who participated in early special education increased about 100% (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Children who participated in early special education in public schools

A graph showing number of 3 to 5 year old children served under IDEA from 1990 to 2018, with the numbers increasing rapidly in the late 2000s and then increasing but at a slower pace

How Many Students Participate in Special Education in Private Schools?

Not every child with disabilities attends public school. In 2016, 1.4% of students with disabilities were enrolled by their parents or guardians in regular parochial or other private schools. According to the U.S. Department of Education, these students are classified as parentally placed in private schools. The basic education of these students is paid through private resources and the students receive special education and related services from a local education agency or intermediate educational unit under a service plan at public expense.

In “Educating Peter,” the boy was able to start his first day of school just like other children because of IDEA. It was a very special day for Peter. Despite his disability, he was able to receive education in the “Least Restrictive Environment” with his classmates. At the same time, as Peter’s teacher remarked, “this year [the whole class] has learned to accept a child not exactly like them, [a classmate] who has a disability.”

A fully-funded IDEA is important so that more students can benefit from public education. As the National School Boards Association advocates, “ investing in IDEA, a federal flagship formula program designed to help level the education playing field for students with disabilities, is an investment in our nation’s students and their future .”

Jinghong Cai Senior Research Analyst

Around NSBA

A group of high school students paint on canvases during an art class.

2023 Magna Awards Grand Prize Winners

School districts rethink and reinvent education for their students, staff, and communities.

clock This article was published more than  30 years ago

EDUCATING PETER, AND OTHERS AS WELL

"This is a film that families should watch together," said Gerardine Wurzburg of her Oscar-winner, "Educating Peter," airing Wednesday at 9:30 on HBO. "You so rarely go inside a classroom on television in quite this way."

"There are so many messages about acceptance, about change. And there's a truth to it. My experience, with children from second grade to high school, is that they quit moving when that show goes on. They're so entranced by it and by its honesty that they feel as though it's communicating very directly to them."

Enough members of the Academy shared her enthusiasm for "Educating Peter" that on March 29, Wurzburg found herself onstage accepting the coveted statuette. Her husband, Grady Watts, who edited the film, was in the audience, and their two daughters, 8 and 11, were watching across town with pals.

Last week, Wurzburg was due back in Blacksburg, Va., for another tribute, a special dinner for the children she filmed, their parents and other local dignitaries.

"Educating Peter" is a documentary short subject, one of those small films that win awards, but that hardly anyone gets to see. It was made by Wurzburg's company, State of the Art Inc., in Adams-Morgan.

"Educating Peter" is the story of a Down's syndrome child, Peter Gwazdauskas, from his first days in the third grade in Blacksburg to the end of the school year. But Wurzburg is quick to say that the story is not so much about Peter as it is about "inclusion," the process of putting a disabled child directly into a classroom in his own neighborhood with children his own age. It is a move beyond "mainstreaming," where such children are educated in separate classrooms, sometimes in nearby schools, sometimes in schools where they must be bused.

During the year that Wurzburg filmed, Peter learned a great deal about getting along with people. He moved from kicking his classmates at the beginning of the year to honoring his favorites with bear hugs on the last day of school. His classmates in turn went from wariness to helping restrain him on occasion and eventually cheering him on as he progressed.

"A lot of the behaviors you saw in the show really are on the back burner now," said Wurzburg. This year, he is in fourth grade with some of the same youngsters.

The parents of the third graders also saw a change in their children.

"Families talked to me about how the conversations at the dinner table were different this year," said Wurzburg, "talking about really substantial issues, about having someone who's different, about accepting someone who's different. That's the thing that I find so appealing."

Peter's teacher, Martha Ann Stallings, also learned a lot, including when to ask for help. So that Peter did not dominate her classroom, she asked for a full-time assistant to be with Peter, said Wurzburg, and a specialist who worked both with him and his teachers. "The show," she said, "is a tribute to good teaching."

educating peter essay

Example Essays

Improving writing skills since 2002

(855) 4-ESSAYS

Type a new keyword(s) and press Enter to search

Educating peter.

  • Word Count: 443
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • View my Saved Essays
  • Downloads: 22
  • Grade level: Undergraduate
  • Problems? Flag this paper!

            I have seen Educating Peter several times throughout my education and my feelings about it change as my experiences in teaching become more diverse. By now, Peter's actions are a little less shocking. However, the reality of trying to find the best way to integrate a special needs child into a normal classroom is still slightly intimidating. Since schools are more willing to integrate all types of children into classrooms, it is a teacher's responsibility to create a teaching style, which provides a fair education to each and every student. .              Peter's story is quite inspiring. Seeing the children respond to Peter in a caring and enthusiastic way encourages me to believe that such a situation can be manageable and successful with the proper patience and assistance from others. Peter's enthusiasm is quite distinct and I believe that it is a result of the willingness of his classmates to include him in every aspect of their learning experience, therefore, furthering his opportunities to develop both mentally and emotionally. .              My continuing concern, after seeing Educating Peter from several different contexts, remains to be the role that Peter's mother plays in his life. It is only natural for a parent to be concerned for the welfare of his or her child. Nonetheless Peter's mother seems a bit overbearing and eager to see Peter succeed. Though I have never worked with a special needs child, I believe that it is important to maintain the understanding that such a child has inherent disabilities, and therefore will ultimately need to be treated differently.              At times, Peter becomes frustrated when things do not go his way. However, this behavior is reflective of nearly every growing child. The only difference is in the way Peter reacts to an existing problem. At times, his actions are violent and disruptive to other students in his class and although many students understand that it is important to acknowledge Peter's misbehavior and tell him "no", it is unsettling to see children having to manage a violent peer.

  • Page 1 of 2

Essays Related to Educating Peter

1. peter jennings.

educating peter essay

Peter Charles Jennings was born on July 29th in Toronto Canada and was the son of an already highly successful radio news personality for the CBC (Canadian News Corp)2. ... Jennings first position was for a Canadian radio station in which he anchored a Saturday morning radio show entitled Peter's Program2. ... The upcoming years brought even greater success to Jennings, as he moved through positions such as World News Tonight anchor and ABC World News Tonight with Peter Jennings1. ... The impact that a single man can have in a world were information is so easily attained is evident in th...

  • Word Count: 1072
  • Approx Pages: 4

2. Controlling security Threat Groups

educating peter essay

(Carlson, Peter M., Jan. 2001). ... (Carlson, Peter M., Jan 2001). ... (Carlson, Peter M., Jan 2001). ... Intervention programs offer a way out for gang affiliates by educating the violator. ... (Carlson, Peter M., Jan 2001). ...

  • Word Count: 757
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Has Bibliography

3. To what extent did Peter the Great "cut through a window int

educating peter essay

Peter The Great as he became known, came to the throne in 1682 at the age of ten. ... Very early on in his reign Peter's great vision for Russia was becoming very apparent. ... Peter aimed to educate himself and his advisors in industrial, scientific, military and cultural ideas and advances in Europe at that time. ... In terms of education, Peter found the trip invaluable. ... Peter the G...

  • Word Count: 1918
  • Approx Pages: 8
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

4. Modern Female Imagery in Western Media

educating peter essay

The key to decoding this sly and destructive phenomenon lies in understanding the theoretical concept known as Ambivalent Sexism and educating the masses on the consequences of ignoring it. ... Peter Glick. ... Secondly, educating others on its importance will supply the pressure needed to change the way industry and media advertise. ...

  • Word Count: 592

5. Didactic Fiction in Alcott's Little Women

I will argue why, and discuss how, Little Women and Peter Pan fall into this category of educating their respective readers. ... Nevertheless, Little Women is a story about teaching and educating young women about maturation, and Alcott effectively uses her characters to relay her messages across to her readers. Peter Pan focuses primarily on children growing into adults. ... But it's worth examining whether Peter actually possessed such a confederate at his side to aide his flight. ... For example, Peter betrays Wendy when his memory fails and he forgets to fetch her, as he promise...

  • Word Count: 1473
  • Approx Pages: 6

6. Comparing Vygotsky And Elbow's Theories On Academics

educating peter essay

Peter Elbow believes that academic discourse should be accompanied by nonacademic discourse; Vygotsky uses the "zone of proximal development" to show why nonacademic discourse is necessary; Martin discusses why writing should be taught with both Elbow and Vygotsky's theories together. ... Another theory discusses how teachers should educate their students in writing for different types of audiences, not just transactional writing, in order for students to receive a complete education. ... Peter Elbow defines academic discourse as "the discourse that academics use when they publish for o...

  • Word Count: 1277
  • Approx Pages: 5

In the HBO special Educating Peter, filmed in Plattsburgh, VA, Peter is in the third grade and has never been in school with non-disabled peers until now. ... Peter made them nervous and scared. In the beginning Peter often kicks and pushes the other children even when they tell him they don't like that and to stop. ... She went from telling Peter he shouldn't be doing that to you should be doing this because I know you can. ... Peter is part of the classroom by the last day; just what the teacher's goal been. ...

  • Word Count: 1150
  • Grade Level: High School

8. Down Syndrome

educating peter essay

  • Word Count: 1123

9. Argument Essay - Cyber Children

Regulating the Internet takes away a child's curiosity and ability to educate them when they feel best. ... Providing resources that educate children and their parents, society can help prevent bullying and uneducated decisions. ... In Peter Bower's "Growing up in an online world: The impact of the Internet on children and young people: the Internet is helping to shape young people's lives and influence how they develop. ... (Peter Bower, par. 4) In an attempt to help children with the consequences of online danger, parents should educate them on the privacy setting of ...

  • Word Count: 1618

Letterboxd — Your life in film

Forgotten username or password ?

  • Start a new list…
  • Add all films to a list…
  • Add all films to watchlist

Add to your films…

Press Tab to complete, Enter to create

A moderator has locked this field.

Add to lists

Educating Peter

Where to watch

Educating peter.

1992 Directed by Gerardine Wurzburg , Thomas C. Goodwin

A young boy with down syndrome attends his first year in a "regular" classroom. This documentary traces that year and the changes that take place for Peter, his teacher, and the other students. Oscar-winning documentary short from 1992.

Peter Gwazdauskas Judy Gwazdauskas Frank Gwazdauskas

Directors Directors

Gerardine Wurzburg Thomas C. Goodwin

Producers Producers

Gerardine Wurzburg Sheila Nevins Thomas C. Goodwin

Editors Editors

Grady Watts Ilana Bittner

Cinematography Cinematography

Gary Keith Griffin

Composer Composer

Richard Einhorn

Documentary

Releases by Date

01 jan 1992, releases by country.

30 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Eliza

Review by Eliza ★★★★

I really liked its focus on the other kids in the school. Its not just about Peter, it's about the culture and stigma around down syndrome. There is a general unsurity about how to treat Peter, how to make him comfortable. None of the kids hate him or anything, they just don't know what to do and it's heartbreaking, both for Peter and them. But they try! And they do find something that works! And it's not trying to "other" Peter, like similar docs do. It's all about trying to make Peter included. It's one of the better docs like this. And honestly it's nice to have something that is somewhat uplifting in these doc shorts.

Kim

Review by Kim ★★★★½

I came so close to crying like three times in front of my entire class because this is genuinely so sweet and inspiring

Jarne Meurs

Review by Jarne Meurs ★★★

3 stars for the headbud!

pwatersnh

Review by pwatersnh ★★★★

Teacher Appreciation Week - Day 4 In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, each day I'll be watching and reviewing a film with a teacher featured prominently in the story.

I got home later than usual after a trivia night event (ironically with other teachers), so I cheated and watched a short film for tonight's teacher appreciation week screening.

"Educating Peter" won the Oscar for Documentary Short film in 1993, and it follows the integration of a third grader with Down Syndrome into the regular classroom. Peter exhibits some startling, sometimes even violent behaviors at the start of the school year - everything from rolling around on the floor, licking people, hitting them - and it's heartbreaking to watch the teacher…

Julie Pulinx

Review by Julie Pulinx ★★★

Great action scenes and character development!

Julian

Review by Julian ½

Peter is such a sigma

elizabethush

Review by elizabethush ★★★★

fuck yeah, Peter!

Maxine

Review by Maxine ★★½

Karate kid should learn from Peter. Kid got some mad combat skills!

JessieScrimo

Review by JessieScrimo ★★½

For class Made me nervous

De_beutz

Review by De_beutz ★★★★½

"You think that you're teaching Peter things, but really Peter's teaching you things. We might be teaching him stuff like how to do things, but he's teaching us more how to think and how to react to other problems." - Peter's Classmate

The short video is really masterful at showing the authenticity of the children s and teacher s actions and relations towards Peter. The nature of education was in both ways extraordinary and tolerable. Regarding to that all the boys and girls are more capable of understanding his diverse character and that is why Peter can thrive in such class.

Joseph

Review by Joseph ★★★★

the whole class is like a family

Ethan Inglis

Review by Ethan Inglis

Have an online class while I’m in my student teaching semester. Required watching for this week’s assignment. 

Haven’t been able to watch a ton recently with a lot of 14 hour days between student teaching and rehearsals every night. 

Some dated bits, but not as exploitative as I thought it would be. Weird to have this as a required watch for a school assignment when it is reaching 30 years old.

Select your preferred poster

  • Paper Writer Free >
  • Essays Examples >
  • Essay Topics >

Example Of Essay On Educating Peter

Type of paper: Essay

Topic: Behavior , Skills , Students , Learning , Sociology , Operant Conditioning , Model , Attention

Published: 2020/11/24

A. This type of learning is called operant conditioning In operant conditioning, the individual/organism is forced to operate in the environment depending on the conditions that are availed (Gormezano et al. 1987). To achieve the relevant and required outcome, the behavior in which this organism engages in is essential and instrumental. Initially, Peter was being treated with a lot of caution. His behavior was further influenced by the attention he got from behaving badly. However, upon changing the approach, Peter’s behavior improved to the extent that he was awarded at the end of the year. This was mainly due to the fact that operant conditioning was being employed to tame his actions. B. The teacher’s tactic of giving Peter a lot of attention when he does good things is classified under positive reinforcement. Positive reinforcement is a method in sociology and psychology in which the trainer uses praise or even rewards his subject for doing something correctly. This method has been argued to be the best as far as trying to shape an individual’s behavior is concerned. When positive behavior is rewarded, the subject is likely to be encouraged to try their best so as to be rewarded again. In Peter’s scenario, the teacher and students give him a lot of attention when he does something correctly. Because o this, Peter tries his best to ensure that he does things correctly. With time, he wins the school award for positive behavior. C. Observational/Social learning Observational (social) learning occurs when one learns through observing other people’s behaviors. Unlike many types of conditioning, observational learning does not entail using reinforcement (Harper et al. 1978). However, there is need for a model to be present. Such models may include siblings, parents, teachers or even friends. Models play the role of facilitating cognitive process behavior. Learners learn through observing what the model does and how the model behaves. With time, the learner gets to appreciate why the model does things in a particular way, internalizing them and behaving in such a way. It is a proven way of learning. In the video, there are a number of instances on how observational learning occurs when the other types of conditioning are being demonstrated in the video. The teacher instructs the students not to give Peter attention when he portrays bad behavior, and only to give him attention hen behaving correctly. This way, the students start treating Peter differently. With time, Peter learnt to behave n a manner that was acceptable from other students. Of importance to note is the fact that he was able to observe how the teachers and other students behaved, eventually behaving the same. This was tough observational (social) learning.

A. The study by Rosenthal and Jacobsen affirmed the fact that the expectations that teachers had about their students would determine their behavior. This was more so in younger children as opposed to older children. The main reason behind this is that young children are easily transformable or malleable. According to the experiment the two carried out, the younger children proved to fulfill the prophecies of the teachers. B According o the movie, Mrs. Stallings had a number of academic expectations for Peter. Better academic performance and good behavior in school and among peers were some of these behaviors. At the end of the year, Peter’s performance and behavior had improved greatly, meeting the expectations that Mrs. Stalling had about him. Peter’s behavior in response to Mrs. Stallings’ expectations relates directly to Rosenthal and Jacobson’s findings. In both scenarios, the aim was to transform the learners and ensure they behave in a way that was expected of them. At the end of the year, Peter had tremendously improved every aspect that he was being tested on. This is consistent with the findings of Rosenthal and Jacobson. C. Conceptual skills refer to the ability of a person to think about something creatively, to analyze it properly and understand various abstract ideas that are complicated (Mullen et al. 1978). Peter demonstrated this in a number of ways. His ability to embrace social learning is a good example of this. In a nutshell, social skills refer to any facilitating communication and interaction with others (Fuchs, 2002). Social skills are learned through a process known socialization, and they can be internalized to be interpersonal skills. According o the movie, Peter has a number of social skills. Despite being challenged, he was able to socialize with other students and form friends. The program the teacher invented to help him improve his behavior and performance also worked effectively, much to the delight of many people. Practical skills enable one to use whatever they have learnt in the class in situations that are real life (Staveley-Taylor et al. 1996). In a nutshell, a person is able to transfer the classroom knowledge and use it in the outside would in a practical manner. Through the teachings that Peter received, he was able to cope with the expectations of his teachers and other students. D. By being in Mrs. Stallings’ class, Peter’s abilities were changed significantly. The mechanisms Mrs. Stallings employed proved to be effective and Peter’s behavior drastically changed to the positive.

Fuchs, B. (2002). Social skills. Bicester: Speechmark. Gormezano, I., Prokasy, W. F., & Thompson, R. F. (1987). Classical conditioning. Hillsdale, NJ: L. Erlbaum Associates. Harper & Row, P. (1978). Observational learning. New York: Harper & Row. Mullen, D. (1985). A conceptual framework for the life skills program. Toronto, Ont.: Guidance Centre, University of Toronto, in co-operation with Employment Support Services Branch, Canada Employment and Immigration Commission, and the Canadian Govt. Pub. Centre, Supply and Services Canada. Nelson-Jones, R. (2005). Practical counselling and helping skills: Text and activities for the lifeskills counselling model. London: SAGE Publications. Staveley-Taylor, H., Mash, M., Newman, K., Uniview Productions., & Films for the Humanities (Firm). (1996). Classical and operant conditioning. Princeton, NJ: Films for the Humanities.

Share with friends using:

  • The Role Of Student Activismthesis Thesis Statement Sample
  • Gearing Essays
  • Observatory Essays
  • Muscat Essays
  • Examination Essays
  • Pathology Essays
  • Subset Essays
  • Morphology Essays
  • Widget Essays
  • Disadvantage Essays
  • Income Statement Essays
  • Stance Essays
  • Financial Crisis Essays
  • Linkage Essays
  • Tensile Strength Essays
  • Basalt Essays
  • Variability Essays
  • Ultimate Essays
  • Rocket Essays
  • Missile Essays
  • Chamber Essays
  • Weapon Essays
  • Exhaust Essays
  • Hydrogen Essays
  • Axis Essays
  • Steam Essays
  • Sodium Essays
  • Permanganate Essays
  • Ballistic Missile Essays
  • Burn Essays
  • Tank Essays
  • Capture Essays
  • Beech Essays
  • Codon Essays
  • Walmart Essays
  • Grocery Essays
  • Supermarket Essays
  • Centre Essays
  • Cope Essays
  • Neighbourhood Essays
  • Necessity Essays
  • Troy Essays
  • The Odyssey Essays
  • Implication Essays
  • Body Weight Essays
  • Expectancy Essays

We use cookies to improve your experience with our site. Please accept before continuing or read our cookie policy here .

Educating Peter

Experts in this subject field are ready to write an original essay following your instructions to the dot!

The instructor and students, in my view, used proper approaches to include Peter in class activities. In most cases, children with Down's syndrome do not communicate with others in an acceptable manner (DES International 1). The teacher's strategies for dealing with Peter, on the other hand, were successful in ensuring that the other students successfully socialized with him. For example, during classroom activities, the teacher encouraged students to openly mingle with Peter. As a result, the students' views of Peter's unusual actions changed. Notably, the students were acquainted with Peter, ensuring that he engaged in classroom events in the same way as the other students. Precisely, during the early periods of Peter's enrolment in the class, the teacher restrained the learners from retaliating against Peter's violent actions. The teacher's decision to restrain the learners on how to handle Peter's actions efficiently aided in creating a proper relationship between the learners and Peter thereby offering the peter the opportunity to learn.

The teacher also showed proper parental care to Peter thereby making him fit in the classroom norms and learn. In most cases, Peter engaged in some inappropriate activities such as throwing learning materials at others, climbing stands and refusing to follow the teacher's instructions. The teacher did not punish Peter for his unbecoming behaviors and instead ignored him and encouraged other learners to ensure that Peter is safe from any form of injuries. The motherly strategy that the teacher used played a crucial role in motivating Peter to come to school and desist from the activities that were inappropriate. In my opinion, I perceive the teacher's motherly care for Peter played a critical role in ensuring that he was in class and undertook the activities that other learners were executing.

Useful info: Place your " write my essay " order and receive your papers from top writers.

I am also of the opinion that the teacher used appropriate methods to help Peter fit in the classroom environment because she used proper communication strategies while interacting with him. Notably, the teacher, after discovering that Peter was suffering from Down’s syndrome used low tone while communicating with Peter thereby ensuring that the latter felt welcomed in the classroom. Besides, the teacher consistently repeated words while talking to Peter. Research shows that learners with Down's syndrome learn properly when a teacher as them to repeat or rephrase instructions (DSAHRC 1). Indeed, the close attention that one provides to a child with unique behaviors is necessary for ensuring that the person understands the directions that others are giving to them.

As previously described, I acknowledge that the teacher's strategy significantly helped in making Peter become part of the class. However, I feel that the teacher did not efficiently use demonstration techniques to help Peter learn new concepts. The children that are suffering from Down syndrome have a low intellectual capacity and do not promptly synthesize the information that they receive from other sources (DES International 1). Therefore, it is necessary to use various observational methods to help the learners suffering from the defect above acquire new concepts. In my opinion, the teacher ought to have increased the sessions in which she demonstrated the new ideas to efficiently increase Peter's ability to adequately learn the new concepts in his class and interact with the other learners in his classroom without experiencing various social challenges.

The behavior of the students also played a crucial role in ensuring that Peter became part of the class. Indeed, the children had discovered that Peter had improper actions and it was necessary to engage in activities that could help him learn. Notably, the children tolerated Peter's distractive behaviors thereby ensuring that he did not continue the adverse practices such as kicking and strangling the other learners. The pupils' ability to tolerate Peter's distractive behaviors significantly contributed to latter's adjustment into the classroom life. For instance, through the other learner's tolerance, Peter learned that it was inappropriate to engage in violent activities. Besides, the learners' attempts to restrain Peter from continuing his violent actions against his colleagues significantly influenced him and made him positively change his behaviors and positively interact with others in the classroom. Consequently, by the mid of the learning period, Peter had turned his violent acts and was adequately interacting with his peers, both in the class and in the fields.

In my opinion, the positive reinforcements that the learners used while handling Peter were also useful in ensuring that he adequately engaged in the classroom activities. An analysis of the behaviors that Peter exhibited indicates that initially, he had minimal interest in participating in classroom activities. However, the learner's use of positive reinforcements in the cases where Peter engaged in proper activities significantly helped in changing his attitudes towards the classroom activities. Precisely, the learners' decisions to clap whenever Peter followed the instructions that his teacher gave aided in making him adjust to the requirements in the classroom. Furthermore, the learners helped Peter fit into the class by showing that they had high interest in the activities that he undertook thereby motivating him to only engage in activities that pleased his peers.

Finally, the learners in Peter's class significantly helped him to improve his attention span while in class. The people living with Down's syndrome usually suffer from short attention span that adversely affects their abilities to cope with others while in the learning processes (DES International 1). For example, in the initial stages, Peter would tell his teacher that he was feeling sleepy, which is an indication that he was suffering from short attention span. However, the learners helped him fit in the class environment by making him active whenever his concentration levels in the classroom activities declined. For instance, the learners called Peter's name whenever he became inactive in class.

In conclusion, the strategies that Peter's teacher used helped in ensuring that he actively engaged in the classroom activities. As discussed in this essay, Peter's teacher showed parental care thereby ascertaining that Peter did not undertake activities that were perilous to his health. Also, the teacher used appropriate methods of communication while addressing Peter. Finally, Peter's teacher helped him cope with other learners by creating an environment that allowed other learners to socialize with Peter. Similar to the teacher, Peter's classmates also played a critical role in ensuring that he adequately engaged in the classroom activities. As evident in this essay, the pupils' tolerance of Peter's distractive behaviors was essential in his adjustments into the social life. Also, the learners immensely helped Peter to increase his attention span. Therefore, both the teacher and the pupils were integral to the improvement in Peter's life.

Read also: Where to find a reliable plagiarism fixer  for college students?

Works Cited

Down syndrome Aim High Resource Center-DSAHRC. “Tips for teaching students with Down’s syndrome.” 2011 Dec. 20th. Web. 2017, Dec. 14th

Down’s syndrome Education International (DSE International). “Development and Learning.” n.d. 2017 Dec. 14th

Health Education

Mental Health Learning

Down Syndrome Classroom Student

Writer #

Clive2020 is an excellent writer who is an expert in Nursing and Healthcare. He has helped me earn the best grades with a theorists paper and the shadowing journal. Great job that always stands out!

This sample could have been used by your fellow student... Get your own unique essay on any topic and submit it by the deadline.

Hire one of our experts to create a completely original paper even in 3 hours !

Related Essays

The role of stress in women in management.

The paper presents findings of the various stresses that women in managerial positions face, the sources, coping mechani...

The Value of Life in Physician Assisted Suicide

I agree with Lisa that assisted suicide has been on the rise in the united states. While most people debate its morality...

Improving the Eating Disorder Care Approach by Schon

Eating disorder refers to a range of psychological shortcomings that trigger abnormal feeding habits in people usually a...

The Case of Paul

Romanelli, M. & Hudson, K. D. (2017). Individual and systemic barriers to health care: Perspectives of lesbian, gay, bis...

The Causes of Anxiety Among the Youth Population in the United States

The aim of this literature is to discuss causes of anxiety among the youth population in the United States and the diffe...

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

According to Banducci et al. (2017), Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychological health condition that is s...

Similar Categories

Don't plagiarize, order a custom essay instead!

  • Terms and Conditions
  • Money Back Guarantee
  • Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Policy

Customer support

  • Buy Argumentative Essay
  • Buy Coursework
  • Buy Dissertation
  • Buy Reaction Paper
  • Buy Research Paper
  • Buy College Essays
  • Buy Narrative Essay
  • Buy Thesis Paper
  • Expository Essay Writing
  • Law Essay Writing
  • Dissertation Writing
  • APA Paper Writing
  • MBA Essay Writing
  • Nursing Paper Writing
  • Graduate Essay
  • Plagiarism Free Essays
  • Research Paper for Sale
  • Write My Assignment
  • Write My Research Paper
  • Write My Thesis
  • Write My College Essay
  • Coursework Writing Service
  • History Essay Writing Service
  • Business Essay Writing Service
  • Psychology Essay Writing Service
  • Book Review Writing Service
  • Literature Review Writing Service
  • Finance Essay Writing Service
  • Persuasive Essay Writing Service
  • Economics Essay Writing Service
  • Descriptive Essay Writing Service
  • Analytical Essay Writing Service

DMCA.com Protection Status

  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews

Educating Peter

Educating Peter (1992)

Peter Gwazdauskas, a child with Down Syndrome, attends a normal school with regular students. The documentary follows Peter and how much he has improved throughout the school year. Peter Gwazdauskas, a child with Down Syndrome, attends a normal school with regular students. The documentary follows Peter and how much he has improved throughout the school year. Peter Gwazdauskas, a child with Down Syndrome, attends a normal school with regular students. The documentary follows Peter and how much he has improved throughout the school year.

  • Gerardine Wurzburg
  • Judy Gwazdauskas
  • Peter Gwazdauskas
  • 8 User reviews
  • 3 wins & 1 nomination total
  • Self (Peter's Mother)
  • (uncredited)
  • All cast & crew
  • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

More like this

Did you know.

  • Trivia Producer Thomas C. Goodwin 's Oscar win for this was posthumous, as he died a few months prior to the award show.
  • Connections Followed by Graduating Peter (2001)

User reviews 8

  • Feb 7, 1999
  • United States
  • Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
  • See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

  • Runtime 30 minutes

Related news

Contribute to this page.

  • IMDb Answers: Help fill gaps in our data
  • Learn more about contributing

More to explore

Production art

Recently viewed

COMMENTS

  1. Educating Peter Reflection

    1318 Words. 6 Pages. Open Document. Peter, a boy diagnosed with Down Syndrome, was first seen filmed as a third-grader entering his first year in a general classroom rather than one with only students with disabilities. "Educating Peter," was a film made in 1992 following Peter's journey being the first child with a severe mental ...

  2. "Educating Peter" by Thomas G. Goodwin, Movie Review Example

    Peter has brought a new meaning of abnormal to the view of the community. The community has viewed Down's syndrome children as being 'less than and dumb'. Peter has changed their view by being able to learn and progress throughout the movie whilst being able to contribute to the classroom interaction. The social environment in which he ...

  3. Educating Peter Summary

    Jessica Goldberg. SPE 222: Orient to Ed Exceptional Child (2018 Spring - B) Arizona State University. The video, "Educating Peter", was very eye opening and educating to watch. The video talks about a student Peter Gwasdauskis, who has down syndrome and the trials and tribulations that he went through in his first year of public school.

  4. Educating Peter

    Educating Peter is a 1992 American short documentary film directed by Gerardine Wurzburg about Peter Gwazdauskas, a special needs student with Down syndrome, and his inclusion in a standard third grade classroom in Blacksburg, Virginia. It won an Oscar at the 65th Academy Awards in 1993 for Documentary Short Subject.

  5. From 'Educating Peter' to 'Graduating Peter'

    In 1992, the Academy Award for best documentary short subject went to Educating Peter, a film by producer/director Gerardine Wurzburg that followed a young boy with Down Syndrome through third ...

  6. From "Educating Peter" to Serving More Students with Special Needs

    May 08, 2019. In 1993, " Educating Peter ," a 30-minute film, won the Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject. The film is about Peter, a young boy with Down syndrome, who attended a regular classroom in a public elementary school in Blacksburg, Virginia. Thousands of children with special needs like Peter have been educated in public K ...

  7. Educating Peter Movie Analysis

    Decent Essays. 890 Words. 4 Pages. Open Document. This documentary, Educating Peter, followed a special needs boy with Down Syndrome, named Peter into a third-grade classroom at a public school. Peter has been enrolled in a traditional school. The federal law stated that children with special needs must be educated with regularly developing ...

  8. EDUCATING PETER, AND OTHERS AS WELL

    EDUCATING PETER, AND OTHERS AS WELL. By Patricia Brennan. May 8, 1993 at 8:00 p.m. EDT. "This is a film that families should watch together," said Gerardine Wurzburg of her Oscar-winner ...

  9. FREE Educating Peter Essay

    Access to over 100,000 complete essays and term papers; Fully built bibliographies and works cited; One-on-one writing assistance from a professional writer; ... I have seen Educating Peter several times throughout my education and my feelings about it change as my experiences in teaching become more diverse. By now, Peter's actions are a ...

  10. Educating Peter Notes

    Educating Peter Notes. Notes on the film . Course. Intro to Psychology (PSYCH 111) 382 Documents. Students shared 382 documents in this course. University ... Essays. 100% (7) Comments. Please sign in or register to post comments. Students also viewed. Buvinger Psych 111 FA23 Syllabus 8;

  11. Educating Peter Movie Analysis

    This documentary, Educating Peter, followed a special needs boy with Down Syndrome named Peter into a third-grade classroom at a public school. Peter was enrolled in a traditional school because federal law stated that children with special needs must be educated with regularly developing students in traditional schools.

  12. Educating Peter

    "Educating Peter" won the Oscar for Documentary Short film in 1993, and it follows the integration of a third grader with Down Syndrome into the regular classroom. Peter exhibits some startling, sometimes even violent behaviors at the start of the school year - everything from rolling around on the floor, licking people, hitting them - and it's ...

  13. Educating Peter Essay Examples

    According to the experiment the two carried out, the younger children proved to fulfill the prophecies of the teachers. B According o the movie, Mrs. Stallings had a number of academic expectations for Peter. Better academic performance and good behavior in school and among peers were some of these behaviors.

  14. Educating Peter

    Peter's mum and dad are worried. Over the last twelve months they've noticed ferocious changes taking place in their son. It's not just the mumbling and the cloud of melancholy that seems to hover permanently over his ever-more-militant mop of curly hair. It's not even the oversized trousers or the numerous metal chains that hang off them. The problem is that Peter, who is fourteen, wants to ...

  15. Educating Peter Documentary Analysis

    Educating Peter Documentary Analysis. 477 Words1 Page. Educating Peter was an extremely heart felt documentary, as well as very inspiring. The documentary followed a third grader named Peter who has Down syndrome. Throughout this documentary it shows the challenges he faces along with his classmates, as well the growth they all endure during ...

  16. Educating Peter

    Educating Peter. 113 views 5 pages ~ 1186 words. Get a Custom Essay Writer Just For You! Experts in this subject field are ready to write an original essay following your instructions to the dot! Hire a Writer. The instructor and students, in my view, used proper approaches to include Peter in class activities.

  17. Educating Peter (Short 1992)

    Educating Peter: Directed by Gerardine Wurzburg. With Judy Gwazdauskas, Peter Gwazdauskas. Peter Gwazdauskas, a child with Down Syndrome, attends a normal school with regular students. The documentary follows Peter and how much he has improved throughout the school year.

  18. My Virtual Observation Essay : Educating Peter Essay

    This documentary made in Blacksburg, Virginia. Graduating Peter has a setting based on the 1980's educational system. Peter has down syndrome. In addition, Peter was diagnosed with depression. Also, I observed his daily life task and challenges. In 1992 "Educating Peter" was released. "Educating Peter" was recorded while Peter was in ...

  19. Graduating Peter Reflection

    Graduating Peter Reflection. 1061 Words5 Pages. The film Graduating Peter, showed the journey of a boy growing up and experiencing school. Peter is special compared to the average student. When Peter was born, he was diagnosed with down syndrome. His parents wanted Peter to live a normal life just like his other siblings.

  20. Peter's Wholistic Educational Development: EssayZoo Sample

    Graduating Peter focuses on Peter's wholistic development. However, Educating Peter takes an in depth look at his struggle and success in the classroom. In the classroom, Peter has to participate and learn like his fellow classmates. This is the main goal of educating Peter. Besides this, he has to learn to live and socialize with his ...

  21. Psych Paper 2

    Essay on the Educating Peter movie educating peter analysis educating peter analysis sabeen khan 71830099 psych winter 2018 university of michigan, ann arbor. Skip to document. University; High School. ... Essay on the Educating Peter movie . Course. Intro to Psychology (PSYCH 111) 381 Documents. Students shared 381 documents in this course.

  22. Peters' Concept of 'Education as Initiation': Communitarian or

    Thirdly, I will consider Charles Taylor's 'social imaginary' as a contextual framework for processes surrounding 'education as initiation'. This article does not argue that Peters' concept of initiation cannot be contested at some points but rather that it can inform, and be informed by, the conversation with those who contend that ...

  23. Graduating Peter Documentary Analysis

    Decent Essays. 522 Words. 3 Pages. Open Document. Graduating Peter was a documentary based around a child with down syndrome. He wanted to be treated like any other child in his grade would have been. His parents pushed him to be in mainstream classes to keep up with his grades intelligence level. Peter is faced with many challenges throughout ...