Great Hollywood Teachers

What great movies about teachers come to mind? Dead Poet’s Society, Mr Holland’s Opus, and, strangely enough, School of Rock are some that people mention to me, and all have a consistent theme or storyboard:

1. Students with some sot of disengagement, or social or other disadvantage
2. Most, if not all other teachers not connecting, caring or (most importantly) believing in the said students
3. The eccentric, out of the box or even accidental teacher believing in, listening to, challenging and  yet unconditionally respecting the students
4. Hitherto disengagement is replaced with inspiring outcomes

As Hollywood as this is, it is a formula still replicated in schools around the world. By enlarge, and in spite of working as hard as ever, large numbers of teachers are crunching curriculum crowding, battling behaviour and facing decreasing time resources.

This is not the fault of teachers: indeed, school systems currently act to disengage teachers from students what with the intensity of curriculum measurement and accountability. Still, about 5% of teachers are able to replicate the Hollywood greats with a strong sense of presence and connection with students. Listening to, unconditionally respecting and believing in students.

It’s more than a shame that it remains so few – it’s a tragedy. Our world is starving for engagement, for engagement is the key to managing the complex and time-critical learning needed in our fast changing (and seemingly, degrading) world.