'American Teacher' Takes A Look Inside The Teaching Profession

This piece comes to us courtesy of Education Nation's The Learning Curve blog. Nínive Calegari, producer of documentary "American Teacher," writes. The film opens in theaters in New York City and Los Angeles Sept. 30 and in San Francisco Oct. 7.

After receiving my Master's in Education and my teaching credentials, I taught in three different settings: a large urban public school, a large suburban public school, and a tiny public charter school - San Francisco's first.

There were huge differences in these settings in terms of resources: I was laid off from my first job due to budget cuts and our union's "last in, first out" requirement; the second school was in a wealthy suburb with plenty of resources and meaningful professional training; and the charter school didn't even have a building until a few weeks before the start of the year.

What the three schools had in common, however, were superb faculties. I marveled at the teachers at those schools. How David Sondheim knew the souls of every kid in the halls of Drake High. The way Jonathan Dearman brought an entire music department to our under-supplied charter school. The eye-popping science experiments that Sarah Kerley designed on a limited budget and with scrappy materials. I could go on and on.

I witnessed firsthand how these creative, warm, hilarious, and intelligent teachers made sincere connections with students and provided inspiring lessons day after day, but I knew the outside world didn't see what I saw. I often felt and heard a very different impression of our profession.

In 2003 I was thrilled to team up with Daniel Moulthrop and Dave Eggers to attempt to address this lack of awareness. We wrote a book that collected vivid depictions of teachers' lives. We interviewed hundreds of teachers about the complexities of their work, their passions for their profession, their frustrations with public conceptions of their value, and their financial struggles to make it all possible. We talked with people who said they would have loved to go into teaching, but didn't want to be undervalued professionally or find themselves scraping by financially.

This piece has been truncated. Read the full piece at Education Nation's The Learning Curve.

Comments

[Fremont Pathfinder]

05:56 PM on 10/02/2011

Thanks, Matt Damon. You rock

[dejapooh]

06:08 PM on 09/26/2011

After 23 years as a teacher, I have finally fallen into a school where the teachers act as if it is their job to support the students in their learning. Where the administration acts as if it their job to support the teachers in doing their jobs, supporting the students. Where the parents act as if it is their job to be parents, and not friends. I didn't think it was possible, but it is. Is it any wonder that the school is one of the top rated public schools in our state?

[Tucson Mom]

09:36 AM on 09/28/2011

Exactly! Teacher need the support of their administrators as well as the parents so teachers can get on with what they do best and love to do-TEACH. Teachers don't say, "I want a high paying job, so I think I will go into teaching children." They go into teaching because they have a calling to do so. More wages would be nice but better would be the support of a community that understands what is trying to be accomplished. More support in and out of the classroom, no out of pocket money from the teachers for materials and opportunities to advance their own skills, and summer income, by workshops and continuing education during some of the summer months. LET'S LET TEACHERS TEACH.

[DrKatePhD]

11:13 AM on 09/26/2011

Finally a film that supports teachers and their hard work and dedication to their students. Michelle Rhee and Mrs. Walton of Walmart and the Walton Foundation should watch this and learn.

[Thinkingoutlouder]

05:39 PM on 09/25/2011

What of they built a school and no teachers came?

[maninal2]

02:54 PM on 09/28/2011

The reformers and the Republican lawmakers would rejoice....

[misha1996]

10:40 AM on 09/25/2011

Hats off to teachers, their jobs are tough. They are under paid babysitters for people who do not care how their children act. we move a bit with my husband's company, so my children have been in several schools and each one has children who do not RESPECT teachers. They throw chairs, cuss, bully others, what are teachers suppose to do?? I taught preschool and had a parent who couldn't believe her son could act the way he did. Come on, kids are kids and yeah they will be testing but learning starts at home. There is no reason teachers have to teach manners and respect.

[Goldzilla]

10:39 AM on 09/25/2011

I've been teaching for 10 years. I have been actively looking for a different career for the past three. It's not that I don't like teaching, it's the constant administrative hassles and b.s. paperwork I have to put up with just so I can retain the RIGHT to teach to the test.

[misha1996]

10:53 AM on 09/25/2011

Teaching the TEST has ruined the schools. I know more people homeschooling because of this. I have one child-who test well, one-- get anxiety and another--who rushes through. How does testing really show that my child are retaining the information?

[Dede Eagleburger]

02:39 PM on 09/26/2011

it doesn't!!

[toxicity]

09:00 AM on 10/01/2011

It all depends on how one teaches to the test. A good teacher can shape a class in many different ways and still cover test content.

The biggest hassle my wife faces as a teacher are children who have not had sufficient home training and attention. A child must value education before he or she can succeed in the classroom.

[marydianeg]

09:46 AM on 09/25/2011

I have a student that is probably full blown autistic and is placed in a regular education classroom. This student calls out, throws materials, shouts, argues, mimics, is oppositional defiant, aggressive on a regular basis. Districts don't want to pay for services for children with these needs unless they absolutely have to so I have to teach him, document his behaviors, document my interventions by duration, try multiple interventions, meet with the family and develop behavior modification charts, reward systems and send that information home and meet with parents to see how it is going... just to refer this child to a child study team. The parents know that something is wrong, but noone will tell them that their child may be autistic. Legally schools and particularly teachers cannot diagnose students or tell parents these types of things. And so, this child will have to try and fail, in a classroom that is not appropriate and the I will jump through the administrative hoops I need to get him classified. This is one of the 20 students I teach this year.

[Dorothy Moody]

01:28 PM on 09/25/2011

I have one of those, too. One day he was absent and the entire class was peaceful. hang in there and I hope this situation works out in your favor.

[dejapooh]

06:10 PM on 09/26/2011

You are lucky you only have 20.

[LearningCommunity]

09:15 AM on 09/25/2011

As many of you know, I push heavily toward an online education system.

It is stories like this that remind me the power of one person physically connecting to another.

The Internet is great for a lot of things. But the Internet cannot read the eyes of the person on the other end of the screen. The Internet can always have more up-to-date information than a textbook. But the Internet cannot look at the body language of a learner to see if they are enjoying the learning.

There will always be a benefit of physically being in the proximity of another person that truly wants to help you discover the world around you.

The technical reason is clearly "bandwidth." An electronic connection will never have the bandwidth of a live in-person teacher.

But independent of the technical reasons, humans need to be connected. From the moment we are born we thrive though our connections to others.

Thank you teachers. May our community continue to be blessed with souls that want to help others soar!

[mbertone]

09:00 AM on 09/25/2011

So glad someone has made a film about how special teachers are, and brought to light in such a touching way the issues of how teachers are not respected and paid enough.

[Grouchland]

07:49 AM on 09/25/2011

WOW that literally made me tear up! Finally, the truth is out there about me and WHY I teach.(or at least part of it)

[maninal2]

02:55 PM on 09/28/2011

Thank you for doing the most to make our country's future a brighter one

[blitznstitch]

10:10 PM on 09/24/2011

The american baby boomer teacher is ready for retirement. HOnestly, as a part of that lost generation who went to college + financed by student loans + lack of jobs = unemployment with sky high debt - they can't retire fast enough.

[pakaal]

10:34 PM on 09/24/2011

Yeah, OK, thanks for the vote of confidence. With those sorts of absolutist statements and condescending attitude, and you call US the "lost generation." LOL

[Geelee]

10:51 PM on 09/24/2011

As one of the first babyboomer teachers who has retired, I can only tell you by the roles my formers students now have in their work careers and the letters, cards, phone calls and yes even gifts I have received in the past few years from those I taught as far back the 70's and the comments of how I turned so many into loving math that my years were worth it. I do hope with all that is happening in the states regarding teacher that they do retire in the numbers we are already seeing and that you are able to lad a job, but truthfully, in the current political environment, you all need to be careful who you vote for. I have read several comments by Wisconsin teacher who actually voted for the idiot they have as Governor . I learned a long time ago that Republicans do not like funding public schools for any child other than their own. They would, in fact, leave all children behind except theirs.

[Grouchland]

07:52 AM on 09/25/2011

My mom just retired after 34 years of teaching. Well, a few years ago. Both of her children became teachers. Just yesterday when my car had to be towed because it broke down again and I said I have no choice but to buy a new one and I cannot afford it my mother said something I never thought I would hear. She said "I am sorry I pushed you and your brother into teaching." All she ever wanted us to be was teachers.

[joyf1]

09:23 AM on 09/25/2011

I got talked into a Facebook page shortly after I retired. Wow! I have over 500 friends, 99% of them former students. It's been wonderful keeping in touch with so many who shared my life.

[Hlynn]

07:49 PM on 09/24/2011

I would like to see this movie, but live nowhere near those three cities. I'm going to call some local theaters and ask them to show it.

[Jenn May]

06:34 PM on 09/24/2011

I'm really looking forward to this one...

[rtolmach]

04:08 PM on 09/24/2011

Bravo to the team behind this!

Are you tired of seeing kids going to schools without enough books, computers, art supplies, musical instruments and other resources they need to succeed?

A new nonprofit offers a solution. Please see http://ClassWish.org

[DeweyJ]

05:26 PM on 09/24/2011

Not to worry, I always step up to the plate to purchase supplies to run my classroom, and do do most of my colleagues.

[Grouchland]

08:10 AM on 09/25/2011

After 17 years I got my 1 and only bad observation. I said to the AP "I do not care? I spend thousands of dollars. I do cartwheels if necessary. What do you mean I show laque of concern for my students. I go above and beyond everyday." She said "All of the other teachers here spend money too"

[marydianeg]

09:35 AM on 09/25/2011

Yes we do! I spend hundreds of dollars of my money to support my students and the curriculum I'm required to teach.

[bessielil]

02:47 PM on 09/24/2011

We certainly need an antidote film to Waiting for Superman. Look forward to it.

[capt hastings]

10:35 PM on 09/24/2011

Antidote - great choice of words. If pay reflects value of a position, our nation is woefully behind all the nations we supposedly want our students to compete with for higher test scores.

[Grouchland]

08:13 AM on 09/25/2011

I would love a real look at these stastics also. China has more students and thus higher % is logical. I am also sick of hearing the % without the solution. Just Friday we were told that the solution was to use the cookie cutter scripted program and show the online video examples. The kids pay no attention to them. If they cannot add they cannot move forward to adding integers.

[joyf1]

09:25 AM on 09/25/2011

The deck is stacked. We test every kid, the rest of the industrialized world does not. Gee, any wonder why our scores look so bad? Let's test those college bound students only and see who wins.

[roaddawg31]

01:39 PM on 09/25/2011

You know what. Teachers are such lemmings that it's almost comical. They blindly attack ...Superman because they think it's anti-teacher. They refuse to acknowledge that, even if they think it's an assault on teaching (I don't), there are legitimate issues that the movie brings to light.

Instead, they totally dismiss it as a hit piece and now hope/wish for something that's going to sing their praises, like little children.

[bessielil]

03:43 PM on 09/25/2011

Beg to differ. I felt Waiting for Superman was anti-union, and slanted toward the unique problems of huge inner city schools. It was worth watching, no question, however, and very a very provocative look into the lives of some students who deserve so much better.

As a life long educator we all know that our praises are rarely sung. One has to be intrinsically motivated.

[eceresa]

04:07 PM on 09/25/2011

I watched the whole thing, from beginning to end.

It's a hit-piece. Almost totally misleading.