Film

I've watch three movies so far for my Portrayal of Teachers in Film class - which I love! Here's a quick review in case anyone is looking for a movie...

Mr. Holland's Opus - I'm sure many of you have already viewed this movie, but it's a great one to watch. One question we came up with as a class was, "Is it possible to rise to greatness in both your teaching career and your family?" In the movie Mr. Holland avoids his family after discovering his son is deaf, but does amazing things with his students. Interesting question, and I don't think it is - at least not at the same time. Things get put on hold in one place (work or home) or another.

Dead Poet's Society - Another one I've scene before, but after watching it I looked up some more of Walt Whitman's poetry and found this one to be perfect in describing Mr. Keating's feelings of education.
What I heard the learnÂ’d astronomer,
When the proofs, the figures, were ranged in columns before me,
When I was shown the charts and diagrams, to add, divide, and measure them,
When I sitting heard the astronomer where he lectured with much applause in the lecture-room,
How soon unaccountable I became tired and sick,
Till rising and gliding out I wanderÂ’d off by myself,
In the mystical moist night-air, and from time to time,
LookÂ’d up in perfect silence at the stars.

This is a great movie and left the class arguing over the role of Mr. Keating in the ending of the movie.

Stand and Deliver A true story based on the real life teacher of Mr. Escalante, who taught math in an East LA inner city school. In this story he teaches a class of math students for about 2 or 3 years. Sets high expectations, gets to know them, and eventually all of his students pass the AP Calculus exam - which is not easy to do. It's a great movie thdepictscts what is wrong in most inner city schools and offers a glimpse of hope. This movie shows Mr. Escalantes first year of success where 15 students took and passed the AP exam. For ten years, that number increased and remained consistent, those that took his AP calculus class passed the exam. The tenth year (and final year talked about in the movie), 87 students took and passed the exam.
This is a good movie even if you're never planning on teaching inner-city kids. It truly shows how people and student rise to the expectations presented to them (or fall to the expectations).