Hobart Shakespeareans

[Phil Florian]

Anyone see this documentary? You can get it on DVD (I got it off Netflix) but it was also aired a lot on PBS. It is a documentary about a teacher named Rafe Esquith who teaches fifth graders in one of the largest elementary schools in the country (over 2000 kids) that is nestled in one of the most dangerous sections of LA.

He teaches a class of 9 and 10 year olds from usually one of two backgrounds- first generation Korean or first generation Mexican. English isn't their native language and they live in horrible neighborhoods where crime, drugs and violence are a fact of life.

The story is truly amazing and well worth watching. The short version is that each year for the past 20 or so years he and his class end their year performing an unabridged play by Shakespeare. The class is uber dedicated, arriving as early as 6:30 AM (an hour or two before school starts) and stays late in the afternoon. They read compelling and hard core books like Catcher in the Rye, Lord of the Flies, Of Mice and Men and get it! They read tons of Shakespeare as well. They excel in the top 5 or 10% on national tests. It is just cool. My daughter watched it (she is a third grader) and wants us to move to LA during her 5th grade year (don't hold your breath, sweetie).

Anyway, check it out if you haven't.

I bring it up because one thing it makes me upset about is the division of our kids in school. This teacher's class is not made up of the best students at this school. In fact, he talks quite a bit about how they are the opposite, in some cases. These have some parents that don't care. Some have had less-than-grade level performance in other grades in the same school. Yet many do phenomenal work in his class. You can't believe your eyes in how he engenders a love of reading and learning in these kids (as example, a scene where half of them are crying trying to read out loud the powerful climax of The Adventures of Huck Finn).

I love my daughter's teachers. They have all been excellent. But none of the "typical" kid's classes sound nearly as neat or interesting or invigorating as the kinds of stuff happening in the Discovery (or Gifted) programs in Lakewood. My daughter not being of the highest caliber on paper can't access those classes. Maybe if we pushed her she might but that would miss the point. The point is that you shouldn't have to be "special" to get the kind of creative teaching and highest expectations that are found for our gifted kids.

Anyway, I will step off my soapbox and promote again an inspirational and challenging (I don't always agree with the teacher in this but...) video.

Here is a quicky trailer. C'mon, it has Gandalf showing up at class!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCKO-7entZw