I feel like I may be the only one who really liked the movie. I’m one of those people that likes to look at the actual art aspect of the movie, and I thought it was really well-crafted.

As for what we’re focusing on for the topic of our class, I thought that the film was really enlightening. So far, it seems that I’m the only one who was really able to relate to the problems presented in The Class. I’ve seen many a student strike up an attitude with the teacher, I’ve seen people walk out of a classroom. I went to a high school that had a reputation for the fights among students. We were mentioned on the local news more than once for students being arrested due to fighting. It really was an everyday thing, not just for me, but for most of the kids that went to my high school.

When I saw these disturbing events take place in the film, I almost wanted to chuckle because of how incredibly raw it was. I wasn’t really shocked like it seemed my classmates were. I thought it was kind of amusing because I had seen students do the same exact things in high school – “Why do we have to learn this?” “I don’t care.” “If you don’t respect me, I’m not going to respect you.”

I think that my reaction to these events was almost something of amusement, rather than shock, which was what was probably intended. I thought that the experiences depicted in the movie were completely accurate, not over-exaggerated at all. I’ve seen these things happen in classrooms. I’ve never seen anyone become bloody, though, I admit.

Granted, my experience got much better once I progressed further through school and ended up taking Advanced Placement and Honors classes. Students who wanted to do well and be well-prepared for their next step in life. Students who realized that education was a big factor in what the rest of their life would be like.

This film reassured me that I could never become an educator. It must have its incredibly rewarding moments, but I couldn’t handle forcing someone to do something they blatantly refuse to do. You can’t make someone care about something. I think that is probably one of the biggest challenges high school educators face. A teacher wants to see their students learn and progress. They want to have an active step in a student’s future. I think a lot of people underestimate how big of a challenge that can be sometimes. It was definitely interesting to see it from a teacher’s perspective – to see how frustrating it can be, and how teachers communicate with one another about students’ progress.

The final point I wanted to make was the similarity between this school in France and, say, a school in a small town in South Carolina. It’s interesting to see that international similarity, and to know that this is a global struggle that educators all over the world are dealing with.