With all this interviewing, and reading lots of books and articles to prepare me for upcoming teaching seminars, I am in a "teaching" frame of mind. To keep within the current mood, I borrowed a DVD from the library from the "new" shelf...sorta just jumped out at me.
At first, I thought it was a documentary, and only at the end do you figure out they're actually actors. It's called Chalk and it reminds me of a podcast I had to watch for one of my grad. online courses, on the NYC Teaching Fellows. That followed a group of professionals who'd agreed to join the Teaching Fellows...in exchange for a free MA, they'd teach in a NYC school for 2 years, I think. It was a way to get teachers into the NYC schools, who really were suffering a teacher shortage. By going into the professional world (anyone with a BA or BS in anything qualified) to bring people in, the idea was to plump up the workforce, and breathe new life into a really stale and suffering school system.
Anyway, Chalk follows a group of 1st and 2nd year teachers & one administrator in one particular school for one year. They are taped in their classrooms, faculty rooms, meetings, and also speak into a web cam at home. It really seems very authentic. I was very surprised to find out it was scripted, and I know there must've been quite a bit of input from real-life beginning teachers. It was very interesting to watch, especially as I'm entering this work force, myself, after an adult life outside of the "system."
I'd recommend this movie for anyone at all connected with teaching or with the schools in general (BOE, panel members, coaches, PTA, parents in general, etc.,) and anyone outside as well. It's an insightful look into how different personalities deal with the stresses of teaching in a public high school, how some survive and how some do not. I came away with some thoughts of how to make myself better as a teacher, a professional, and in dealing with difficult situations. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.
2 comments:
Do you think that you could teach in NYC? When I graduated and received my cert, I was offered a job in the city. I turned it down. I was not the right person to teach in the city. I don't think I have what it takes, it is a whole different ballgame in there. I found it interesting, though, when I went to teaching job fairs that a lot of city teachers were coming out here to teach. And you know what? They were getting the jobs over the LI based teachers. Have you noticed any of that?
If I were single/childless, I might consider it, tho' the commute from here would be a killer. They would have to realllly make it worth my while...or I might relocate closer in, if I could find somethg affordable. But def. not at this stage of my life.
I don't know that NYC exp. t's particularly get preference, but in my field schls def. look at the program you grad. from. Some univ. are pref. over others...I guess their training is more consistent w/what the schools are looking for.
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