The teaching methods Conroy employs are unconventional to say the least. The students whom he encounters were unfamiliar with standard written and spoken English, thus he had to adjust his methods accordingly. Rather than utilizing outdated textbooks, or corporal punishment, Conroy offered his students an experiential education. While the students were won over by this approach, their parents and the administrators at the school were far from pleased.
Ultimately, Conroy's approach challenged the divide between the islanders (the students) and those who lived on the mainland because he dared to question the power dynamics at play. One of the most liberating examples in the text happens when Conroy had his students memorize significant classical musicians and their compositions, and then invited inhabitants from the mainland to the classroom so that the students could explain what they had learned. Such an unorthodox approach proved to be successful in that the students were encouraged to enter into a dialogue with otherwise inaccessible people.
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