Ryan Ngo
Teacher: Mr Nollan
Block B College Writing
24 October, 2019
‘No pain, no gain. If little labor, little is our gain: Man’s fate is according to his pains.’ This famous saying stood out to me as I watch the movie ‘Searching for Bobby Fischer’. The movie is about Josh Waitzkin’s hardfought struggle in becoming the number one child chess player in America. Through his coach Bryce Pandolfini’s strict and rigorous lessons, Josh Waitzkin became motivated to work hard in improving his chess skills. And Josh Waitzkin was similar to a music theory teacher I had in 8th grade by which they both used humiliation and punishment as means to demand obedience from their students. Yet it was through their strict and rigorous teachings that they were both able to bring out successful students, as without force students will not try their best and that’s they need someone like Burce Pandolfini and Miss Ho to force them to work hard.
Flashback 7th grade. I just passed by ABRSM 5th grade horn exam. In order to take your grade 6 Horn exam, you must take the ABRSM music theory test as a prerequisite to higher level horn courses. With this said, my mom signed me up for a music theory class outside of school in the following school year at Pak Shi tutoring center. Relutant and unmotivated, I came to music theory class every wednesday waiting for a chance to persuade my mom to drop the class. The music theory teacher I got assigned to was Ms. Ho. Ms. Ho was similar to Bryce Pandolfini in a way by which they both often resort to humiliation and punishments as a means to demand obedience. Bruce Pandolfini punished Josh Waitzkin when he made mistakes by which every time Josh Waitzkin didn’t follow instructions in class he would deduct virtually all his class mastery points. As for Miss Ho, she was equally punishing. Every week, she would assign me 8 pages of music theory practices. And If I failed to complete all practices correctly… Oh no! She would be raging at me like a Godzilla in class and she would be confining you in the center like a policeman until you correct all your mistakes. Bruce Pandolfini used humilation as a mean to demand Josh’s obedience. And he did so so bluntly that on one occasion Josh’s mom even kicked Bruce out of her house because he was being too harsh when humiliating Josh. Completely Defeated by Jonathan Poe, Josh Waitzkin starting losing interest in playing chess. Feeling no more interest in his previously-loved hobby, Josh ignored Bruce Pandolfini’s instructions in class and told him ‘I’d only listen to you if I give me certificates’ Enraged and frustrated, Bruce stacked pieces of certificates on the desk, and flicked them towards Josh’s face as he lectured him about how the certificates are a useless piece of paper. Dripping to tears by Bruce’s humiliation, his protective mom Bonnie Waitzkin kicked Bruce Pandolfin out of the house and suspended chess lessons for a period of time. In a similar manner, Miss Ho humiliated her students when they ignore her instructions. Just because I got 10 questions wrong on my worksheet because i didn’t follow her instructions, Miss Ho ripped the entire worksheet into pieces and threw the pieces at me like a rock thrown at an adulterous women. Hearing the sound of paper tearing, my heart shattered into pieces. I spent two hours trying to work out this worksheet. Yet you treated my hard work as a piece of trash! How could you do something like that!
Yet however, it was through their strict and rigorous teachings that Bruce Pandolfini and Josh Waitzkin were both able to bring out successful students. Hadn’t Josh learned a chess strategy given by a coach Pandolfini, he wouldn’t be able to defeat his longstanding rival, Jonathan Poe, in his tournament at New York. Hadn’t I got motivated to complete my music theory practices on time, I wouldn’t have got a distinction (highest grade possible) in my music theory exam because without force I would not do music theory practices on my own. Thanks to her rigorous lessons pushing students to work hard, a majority of Miss Ho’s students have gotten distinction in their music theory exam. And because my mom was impressed by the amazing results students of Miss Ho received on the ABRSM exam, my mom decided to enroll my twin brother in her music theory course in the 2017-2018 school year.
Hard and painful work is an essential factor in creating success. And because some people wouldn’t want to work hard on their own, therefore they must need tough coaches like Bruce Pandolfini and Miss Ho to push them. Through their use of punishments and humiliation when dealing with unmotivated students, Bruce and Miss Ho were able to force their students in becoming the best version of themselves and this is an outcome I believe all educators should aim for in their students. Achieving a goal is not an overnight business, it may takes days, months and even years of continuous hard work. That is why I believe educators should uphold the golden rule ‘No pain, no gain. If little labor, little is our gain.’ This is all it takes to be a top achiever. Yet are you determined enough to work towards being one?
Due to the unavailability of a rough draft, no rough draft copy or peer edit document will be attached to this blog.
Ryan Ngo's college writing blog 