Chalk, Or Why To Be Glad You're Not A Teacher

At the beginning of Chalk, we're told that 50% of all teachers quit in the first 3 years. After seeing the movie, I'm wondering what the other 50% are waiting for.

Chalk has been called a hilarious mockumentary in the style of The Office. Not having watched The Office, I can't really comment on that aspect, but it really didn't seem very funny to me. Parts of it, yes. But overall, I was mainly feeling sorry for these teachers as we watched them struggle to make it through each day with their sanity intact.

I sure don't remember the kids at my high school being that difficult. During the movie, my friend asked me "Is that a regular high school?" I didn't know what she meant at the time, but I figured it out later. She meant "Is that a special school for rude kids?" With many of the students being out of control, you can easily see how it would wear down any teachers who didn't know how to deal with them.

We get to know three teachers and one assistant principal, along with their unique personalities and challenges. Coach Webb has the most conflicts with the other teachers. (Note to Coach Webb: if you have to ask if you're pushy, I think you already know the answer.) Mrs. Reddell is under crushing stress from her new role as assistant principal, and her marriage suffers. Mr. Stroope is ridiculously gung ho about defeating an old lady in the race for Teacher of the Year.

But the teacher we empathize with the most is Mr. Lowry. He's a first year history teacher who has you immediately wondering if he picked the right career path. Shy, boring, nervous, insecure, and stuttering, he's completely unable to control his class. He does try harder than anyone else though, even allowing himself to be schooled by a problem student's mother about how to communicate more effectively. He eventually starts to win some respect from his students, culminating in his winning the hip-hop spelling bee, which was the greatest personal triumph in the movie. No one deserved it more.

At the end, Mr. Lowry is having trouble deciding whether he's coming back in the fall. His students ate him alive, but I say he should give it another year. It would have made sense for him not to get into teaching in the first place, but now he's come so far. He might as well give it another try, as the second year would have to be much better. I hope the other teachers will encourage him to come back. It seems that forming a strong support group is the only way they'll have a chance of changing that 50% statistic.