"Chalk"

This past monday I was introduced to the movie "Chalk". When I first began watching, I was reminded of the Office, the filming is similar and the characters are all exaggerated representations of teacher dispositions in real life. I was struck by the character of the young History teacher. As I watched him in front of the class, I thought, did he have any instruction in teaching at all? He knew what he wanted his class to know, but he did not truly understand his students, how could he on the first day? I believe his teaching could have been much more affective had it been engaging and differentiated for students in his classroom. I had hopes for him until he blew up at one student. This was a serious case of lack of self-efficacy. I am intrigued by the interactions between the staff in the school. Teachers lounges have always been a mystery to me, but I think I am most nervous about getting along with my co-workers. I have never really thought about the importance of a cohesive staff in the making of great schools. When staff can motivate one another, the entire school will strive to learn and acheive at higher levels. Hopefully this movie is not an accurate depiction of real schools, but the sad truth is that there are similar teachers out there educating our students. Regardless, I think the movie has provoked me to think seriously about how to conduct myself in a professional manner, yet friendly manner within school.