The four Pillars of wisdom at Welton are: Tradition, Honor, Discipline and Excellence. Tradition is love for school, country and family. At Welton the tradition is to be the best. Honor is dignity and fulfilment of duty. Discipline is respect for parents, teachers and headmaster. Discipline comes from within. Excellence is the result of hard work. Excellence is the key to all success, in school and everywhere.
2. All the teachers at Welton are teaching in the exact same way that has always been the tradition at Welton. The only exception is Mr. Keating. The students have always been forced to fulfil the "commandments" made by the four pillars. Mr. Keating brings a more radical way of teaching to Welton. His way of teaching chocks the other teacher to say the least. For instance when he tells his students to rip out the part in their poetry book written by J. Evan Pritchard.
3. Mr. Keating himself graduated from Welton. He didn't like the way things were at Welton and that might be the reason he has chosen to teach in a more radical way than any of the other teachers at Welton. He tries to make his students interested in reading poetry and even make them like it. His attitude is not to force them to read poetry, but make them read it because they find it interesting. And when he discovers that some of the boys have found out about the "Dead Poets Society" he gives them his old book about poetry to help them further.
4. Carpe diem or seize the day is a way Keating tries to tell his students to make most out of life and use everything life has to offer. He tries to encourage the students to do this, for instance when he puts his old book about poetry on Charlie's desk he encourage them to start the "Dead Poets Society".
5. Poetry plays an extremely important role in Mr. Keating's teaching. It is an important part of human existence and life. On page 41 he says: "But poetry, romance, love, beauty? These are what we stay alive for!" Not only in his teaching, but also in Keating's life plays poetry a big role.