One of the brightest films on the topic of the importance of the teacher’s role in the life of a person is the movie Freedom Writers. The plot of the film revolves around a young teacher Erin Gruwell. She has no work experience, and therefore she is given the most unmanageable class at her disposal. The problem is that the students are divided into racial and class groups and hate each other. The classroom is always chaotic, and the whole school treats them as the dregs of society because they do not know how to behave normally.
However, Erin realized what was hiding behind each of the guys. In fact, she was not doing anything supernatural: she just knew how to listen, accepted people as they were, respected them, and loved them in her own way. The most important thing for her is that they are all people, and she regrets that society frequently forgets about this. To explain simple truths to the class, Erin told the children about the Holocaust: an event when some people considered themselves better than others, and nothing good came of it. Hence, she showed that discord leads only to senseless bloodshed and war, and where there could be peace and happiness, there is only pain and loss.
Despite the severity of life, each person can light a small flame even in absolute darkness. A professional teacher can help young students in this, making them kind and helpful (Singh, 2016). Erin found a way to do this among her students by teaching them to think critically. They stopped taking the ideas that separated them as given and learned to distinguish between good and evil truly. Erin has shown superior problem-solving skills in this situation. No matter how her students behaved, she firmly defended her position. She invented exciting ways to interact with students and believed that each of them could become a better person. Undoubtedly, the world needs responsible, empathic, and sensitive teachers.
Stand and Deliver is another film on a similar theme. This is a wonderful story about a simple math teacher who helped others realize their strengths and make their choices in life. The main character of the film, Jaime Escalante, has a strong personality: he leaves a higher-paying job because he wants to teach. The new school is attended mainly by children of immigrants, adolescents whose future is already predetermined. They, like their parents, will, at best, become waiters, refuellers, and at worst, they will be involved in crime and prostitution. Some of them relate their lives to criminal activities even at a young age.
Escalante sees all this horror and decides to show the guys that they can make a different choice in their lives, but they need to put a lot of effort into this. Escalante does not try to impose his ideas and does not preach the correct way of life, as is done mainly in schools. He also does not indulge in humiliation and does not press with his authority. His attitude is based on sincerity, respect for the personality of any person, and a desire to help. He takes on a lot of responsibility because, in case of failure, many will blame him. He understands this but does not stop trying and acts according to his principles. Feeling his strength and the correctness of his ideas, the students strive after him, which gives the viewer hope for a better future.
Such films are essential for modern cinema and must-see, especially at a young age. Ideas related to the critical role of a talented teacher have been around for centuries. It is a wise mentor who can help children develop compassion, wit, and empathy. It is crucial that in every student’s life, there is such a person who can become a support in a complicated situation. Difficult as it is, teachers who interact with students in this way are the most valuable representatives of this profession.
Reference
Singh, S. K. (2016). Roles of teachers in global scenario in 21st century. RED’SHINE Publication, Inc.