INSPIRING FILMS ON TEACHING

'Stand and Deliver' - Watching this film has been a real inspiration to my teaching. It is the story of a teacher who not only tranforms individuals, but also transforms the culture of a school. And the subject he does this with is Maths!

His passion for teaching the individual has made me believe that just about anything is possible in education. I have a subject in Drama that students can really thrive in and express themselves.

Edward James Olmos plays the teacher of this real life story based on Jaime Escalante and his high achieving pupils.

The thing I like the most about this teaching style is the teacher's unwavering commitment to learning. He is unflinching in his determination to educate and does not let disruptive students rule the roost. In the eyes of the rest of the teaching staff, the students within this school were a lost cause. Escalante saw in them all their highest potential and through such topics as calculus brought out the best in them.

Imagine what I could do with Shakespeare, Chekov, Miller, Williamson and even 'Playbuilding'!

'Mr Holland's Opus' - Here is another completely inspiring story for me. Here is a man who is craving his own creativity, but ends up realising that the best way to express himself is by imparting his experience and knowledge to his students.

For me, an actor going into teaching, I have found this idea to be a new lease on life. Hence my 'To Teach is to Master' mantra.

Mr Holland's passion for his work is just as strong as if he were performing himself. This film has made it blatantly aware to me that you can do both. The Artist as Teacher.

'Dead Poets Society' - Here is a man who captivated his class through his teaching methods. He awakened parts of his students that they didn't even know they had. He is the perfect model of a teacher. He loves what he does and therefore it is hard for his enthusiasm not to rub off on his students. If you don't love your subject area how can the kids learn from you? How else do you get teenage boys to love poetry? He showed them that the instructivist educational ideology alone is void of learning for the most part and that students must construct their own knowledge passionately.

When he gets them to stand on the desks and rip out pages from their textbooks he instils in them the idea that learning can be fun, passionate and free!

Go Drama!