Dangerous Minds: An Inspriation Must-See Movie
For Educators!
There are many movies that are entrenched in the happenings of
real life. These “based on true events” movies, have a special
appeal that other stories lack. Simply put, these movies are
inspiring and leave the viewer brimming with hope even if all the
events present in the story are not all fortunate. In fact, it is
this oft present sense of difficulty and hardship that makes the
movie as moving as it is. Viewers are reminded of the difference a
real person, like themselves, can make and the obstacles that can
be overcome.
Such movies that focus on schools and education are particularly
useful; regardless of their ability to stir the passion and
motivation of the viewer, as they also demonstrate useful lessons
for current and future teachers. They allow for new and deeper
perspectives and understandings of issues that occur both in the
classroom and in the general lives of students. These movies also
enable viewers to see the difficulty in the implementation of
traditional teaching methods with certain classes and the necessity
of thinking outside of the box when it comes to capturing and
keeping the attention of students, as well as helping them in
general. That being said, the main message of most of these movies
is still clear and resounding: any and every teacher can make a
difference in the life of a student or students, provided the
teacher possesses willingness, understanding, and compassion.
Dangerous Minds is a perfect example of a movie in this
category. Dangerous Minds tells the story ofLouAnne
Johnson, who had started working on becoming a teacher before she
married her husband and gave up on her dream. With a looming
divorce, Johnson decided to go back into the field of education.
The high school that hired Johnson is in a relatively poor area
of the city, and when she makes her first appearance in the
classroom, the students do not take an immediate liking to her.
They refuse to listen or complete any work and harass her until she
leaves the classroom.
At this point, Johnson does not believe that she will be able to
teach them, but her friend and fellow teacher tells her, “Yes, you
can. All you gotta dois get their attention.”Therefore, as the
story progresses,Johnsontries to usea variety ofmethodsto gain the
attention, trust, and interest of her students. She originally
captures the attention of her students by telling them of her
Marine background and showing them some basic karate moves (though
teaching karate is against school rules, and she is forced to
stop). Later, she keeps their attention by using language and
topics they could relate to, including using Bob Dylan song lyrics
as poetry. From there, Johnson makes powerful promises that her
students are afraid to believe, thinking them too good to be true.
The first of these promises is“at this point everyone has an A, but
it’s up to you to keep it.” For students whom were considered
difficult and had probably never received an A in a class before,
this was a revolutionary idea and a seemingly impossible
achievement. However, it was also this line that gave the students
their first real seed of hope. Throughout the year, Johnson
continued to offer incentives and encouragement in her students,
while maintaining a genuine faith in their abilities. She does all
she can to help them both in and out of the classroom. As a result,
they come to trust that she will always be there for them.
While not all of the methods and actions depicted in the movie
would be considered appropriate for a teacher in the contemporary
world of education (such as having a student over her house), there
are certain pedagogical philosophies future teachers may learn by
watching this movie. Dangerous Mindscontains several
themes and issues which hint towards or show the complexity of life
both inside and outside of the classroom for both teachers and
students. Some of the issues include socio-economic statuses,
classroom management, violence, teenage pregnancy, and low
expectations from family members and/or other faculty members. All
of these concerns are still relevant today, and some of the
approaches Johnson took are still completely viable. For example,
Johnson talked directly to the parents of two students when they
were temporarily suspended for school. Instead of focusing on her
student’s flaws, Johnson provided positive reinforcement to their
parents. This approach increased the students’ appreciation of her,
as well as the hope they felt for their future education. Johnson
gained the respect of the unofficial “leader” of her class, causing
the other students to participate and open up to her.
The most important trait Johnson exhibited was her unconditional
belief in her students. No matter how students act, where they are
from, or what others expect of them, it is important to remember
Johnson’s memorable words, “Why not these kids?” When Johnson
said this, she was defending her students’ ability to learn and
challenging the preconceptions that had already been built around
them. The worst part of these preconceived notions led to a
self-fulfilling prophecy. However, Johnson was able to inspire
belief and hope in the students by saying “The people who chose to
get on that bus [to school], which are you, are the people who are
saying, ‘I will not carry myself to die. When I go to my grave, my
head will be held high.’ That is a choice. There are no victims in
this classroom!”
Sometimes the biggest difference you can make in a student’s
life is to believe in him or her. While students might make it
difficult to teach, all one truly needs is the right combination of
willingness, understanding, and compassion. This includes the
willingness to persevere and to do everything you can to help and
teach your students. Dangerous Minds teaches the
importance of all these things and demonstrates the difference that
one teacher can make. As such, it is the perfect movie for all
educators to see.
Other inspirational and educational films to consider
are:
Freedom Writers
Stand By Me
Stand & Deliver
The Ron Clark Story
Beyond the Blackboard
Blackboard Jungle
Waiting for Superman
-Reported by: Kathryn
Beleckas