The First Year

after reading the reviews from pbs i was excited to see the film. im so happy i rented it as opposed to getting it from here, which i would have done had i not found it somewhere else. while all the teachers had great intentions, it was obvious they were not equipped with the skills needed to engage the children in a community/learning environment. from observing body language and facial expressions in some of the classes, the children were not engaged (notice how they lit up when they were finally engaged through the photo project!). the answers to questions about behavior were the answers that the teachers wanted to hear and the teachers knew it. if they watched the video, i hope they would take not at how they talked to the students (a couple teachers in particular). getting angry, answering your own question, making students write why they wont misbehave anymore, etc. are old school ways of gaining compliance and they wont reach todays children.
this video would not make me want to be a teacher, if anything, it shows just how much preservice teachers need to be exposed to various cultures, they need to learn how to build a community in the classroom, and they need mentors who are aware of the needs of diverse learners. in order to attract students to a profession, make a video that highlights teachers who are able to make a difference despite the odds, schools that have made drastic turnarounds, and students who excel when they should be another negative statistic.
there are some positive things in the video, they are just overshadowed by the other stuff. and, yes, i agree with a previous writer. another video could have been used in the classroom to expose students to the lives of homosexuals.

I don't own this product (yet), but it was shown in one of my teacher certification classes. I was really inspired by how much the teachers were willing to sacrifice to make sure their students had at least the opportunity to succeed. However, I was saddened that they HAD to give so much because often the district/administration wasn't doing its part. The documentary showed teaching in a very realistic light rather than the "oh, well they get weekends and summers off" light that many people think of it as. This video was shown in a class of 23 potential teachers and I really think it strengthened our resolve to become teachers.

The First Year is a wonderful documentary that shows the daily struggles of public school teachers in the face of apathetic administrations, parents, and students. As a teacher in the state of California this film strengthened my own resolve to be the best educator I can. At the same time the film also illustrates the break down of the public school system. The notes with this disc states that The First Year was "created to recruit and retain the next generation of teachers."In some ways I think this film will scare teachers off because of the way some of the teachers are treated by the school's administration.In any case I think this should be required viewing by any school board members, teachers, and civil servants in national and state goverments.

The real world--that is what this movie (documentary) is about. No special effects--just human beings selflessly giving themselves to children in LA--and somehow surviving on 18K per year. This is an especially wonderful movie for anyone who is thinking of becoming a teacher. The understated love that every one of the teachers has for their children and their profession is what one really takes away from this movie. In that sense, this truly is a love story. And one can only hope that there are enough wonderful teachers like the ones portrayed in this movie out there working. The future of the country depends on them.