American Teacher Reflection Essay

Submitted By hellobeej
Words: 666
Pages: 3

American Teacher The documentary American Teacher takes a deeper look inside the classrooms, buildings, and offices of these super heroes in education system called teachers. American Teacher tells the combined story by and about those closest to the issues in our educational system, the 3.2 million professional educators who spend every day in classrooms across the United States educating the adolescent minds. Through this film, it shares information about educational experts, student interviews, and documents day-by-day videos of struggling public school teachers. Why is it that our own people take for granted the gift of learning? Especially when there are people in the world who aren’t privilege to be educated. Why aren’t we valuing our strongest, most committed, and most effective teachers? How can the teachers teach if they aren’t supported? How will this effect how our children learn and the future of this country. Will the educational system only get worst? I found it unpleasant knowing that Erik Benner, the teacher from Texas who became a salesman and Jonathan Dearman who became a realtor, faded away from the profession due to compensation. It’s depressing when an ex-teacher is making more money selling cell phones than he was being a teacher. Jonathan Dearman story was one that touched me the most because he is a local guy from the Bay Area. He is someone who is only 45 miles away from home. From the interview of his previous student, he touched he life and he meant a lot to her. I remembered in the documentary she had loss someone dearly to her and Jonathan went out his way to find her number just to give her a call and ask if she needed anything. When students could appreciate you as a human being and you can have that relationship with your students, being in this profession is valuable. However, going from a profession that should have enough compensation and going into realty you ask yourself if hustling for a paycheck is greater than this profession? I am also asking myself if this is worth it, and what is in it for me? Knowing teachers are fearless, they embrace their students and the curriculum. Teachers know their students, they know how they learn, they know where they come from, and they will not accept that a student cannot achieve greatness. That is why we are in it. A teacher will ask uncomfortable and dangerous questions, like “why are more students of color failing in schools?” or “why am I sending more lower-income students to detention?” or “ why are minorities the highest population in incarceration?” Others who are finding ways to increase the value of education and awareness, is Microsoft. This company has