My wife and I watched this on DVD last night.

What a great movie! It was my daughters pick. Like most of the stuff she likes to watch, this was a story of empowerment, sharing and getting to know about other people.

A young woman, out of college, goes to her first teaching job. The school is a mess! Kids outta control, angry, living in fear, unable to express themselves. Her innocence is shattered as she is confronted with these kids and their problems.

Most people would then just do their job, try to get through it and keep things low key, aligning with the establishment with no longer term worries. This woman, one out of a million, goes home, thinks about it, then comes back to get to know those kids.

It all boils down to her deciding to actually talk to them, and finding ways for them to talk to one another.

Real conversations do expose the self. And with that comes the potential for change. The kinds of change and empowerment that happen as a result of those conversations starting is amazing to watch!

We've all had that special teacher that took some time to just talk to us at some point in our life.

This movie will take you back there, if you've had that experience, and make you wonder just why we can't get more of that done in school. So much is lost to fear and inhibition it's just scary, when put into perspective.

This film rendered the true story well. Highly recommended.

Sounds sorta like "High School High."

"Now, I'd like to talk about the Bill of Rights, and what it means to all of us..."
The kids immediately stop paying attention.

Ain't that the truth!

Thing is, stories work. Stories kids can identify with, think about, imagine. Just putting raw facts and concepts out there does not have enough texture to entertain most kids enough of the time to really have an impact.