Response to Film: TEACH

I am not normally a fan of documentary type films, which is the type of film I would classify TEACH as. However, I really loved this movie; it captured my attention and enthralled me throughout the whole film. TEACH was inspiring and a glimpse of what a day in the life of a teacher might consist of. As a prospective teacher, I watched this film thinking about what I would do in the situations these teachers have been put through. There were certainly moments when I thought to myself, oh man this job is much harder than I thought it would be. What would I being doing in this situation? I would probably be crying or struggling to stay positive. At first, as they were struggling, I was thinking about how being a teacher means having struggles. I was not sure if I was ready and prepared for all the struggles I might have to face. By the end, I knew that this thought process did not matter and that we will never be prepared fully for everything being thrown at us. As a teacher, all we can do is talk to colleagues, work things out, keep trying, be resourceful, and never give up on these students because they are counting on us, so we must be strong for their sake. This movie showed dedicated teachers who did all of this and more for their students. I looked at these teachers and I was impressed. After this, I was once again reminded of the reasons why I was going into this profession. It is not for the money or because it is easy. It is because everyday I must face a new challenge and try to overcome it. It is because I am doing what I love to do and helping students who need a push, friend, or someone to believe in them. I want to go into the profession of being a teacher because of those who inspired me in the past. Also because I know I can face any challenges that may come due to the fact that teachers are some of the strongest people out there.

This movie educates society on the struggles that are being faced everyday in the classroom. Much like the director, Davis Guggenheim, wanted to show, this film demonstrates the fact that “there are great teachers in these schools fighting the good fight and doing great” (Guggenheim 6). This film demonstrates how hard teachers work and fight for their students to get the best education they can. These teachers show how educators are determined to do their best and help their students succeed. This film demonstrated that much like in any other job there are problems that must be overcome, but teachers are fighters striving to move past these problems. In society today, there is a lot of pressure on teachers because people are arguing that teachers are not doing their job. This opens up societies eyes to the fact that teachers are trying as hard as they can to help these students. It is not the teachers fault that students are being pushed through the system at rapid speed without seeing that student’s strengths and areas that need improving. There were students in this movie a few grade levels behind in their learning; it is impossible to expect these teachers to get the students past grade level when they have fallen so far behind. The expectations are high and teachers are only human; they are only capable to do as much as they can. As seen in this movie, teachers are doing all they can and showing results. Though these results are not up to the impossible expectations of some, they are still helping students learn and showing tremendous improvement. This is what the real goal should be. We should not have to work toward a goal that cannot be reached, but be praised for the achievements that we can accomplish like having students’ best interests in mind, helping students move forward, helping students strive for a goal, inspiring students to learn, and doing all we can to help students grow and improve while also enjoying the education they are given. We as teachers want students to feel passionate and happy about their learning because this will bring the best results. As seen in the film, when students read things they are interested in, they are more apt to learn and grow. We as teachers should strive toward helping our students and making learning interesting for them, so we can gain the best results. Focusing on our students rather than on the high expectations of society will allow us to succeed and be much closer to achieving the expectations laid out before us. This can be seen with the AP History class. When he was trying to teach them all the information he could, he was not giving them the chance to be active learners. He was focusing on the requirements of the AP rather than the pace of his students. When he finally focused on the students, he not only saw results, but also was able to teach them much more than expected. They were able to go into the AP exam confident and satisfied with the learning they received. He changed many of these students’ lives and helped them to overcome their doubts and fears. This is what I took away from this movie. I am excited for the path laid out before me even though it may contain obstacles. I believe with my students and colleagues by my side I can overcome it all and focus on what I do best, which is teaching. 

TEACH. Dir. Davis Guggenheim. Perf. Queen Latifah,. CBS, 2013. DVD.

Guggenheim, Davis. TEACH Discussion Guide. N.p.: Great Teachers Project, LLC, 2013. PDF.