Discussion+on+Movie,+I+Am+a+Promise

The principal of the school cares about her students very much. She is willing to do whatever she can to ensure that the children are learning the best they can. She wants to see her students succeed and remain safe in their environment. When a problem develops with a student she effectively handles it by sitting down with the student and figuring out what is wrong. She gets the parents or guardians involved so they can be a part of the situation and be willing to fix the issue. It is sad to see the students struggling in school due to the environment in which they are in. Every student should have an equal opportunity to learn and it is obvious that the principal of this school is determined to make that happen. (Laura)

I really liked the movie. It showed many different situations that the children are in and different ways to handle their acting out in class. I like how the principal handled each situation. She was very profesional and called each child that got in trouble into her office and talked to them, their teacher and their parents privatly. The only thing that i did not like in the movie was that one boy kept on getting blamed for everything. He never started any fights but he got in trouble for all of them. I also like the fact that the principal took it upon her self to remove a child out of one class and place him into another. The boy was not behaving and not doing his work because he did not understand how to do any of the work. She then placed him into a class that was easier and the boy began to succeed. This is not only benificial for the child but also for the teachers and the other children. The principal is not only willing to help every child succeed, but she is determined to make it happen. (Adriana)

I believe that this is a very inspirational school. It does not matter that these students are sometimes living in single parent households, or that some of them are in poverty. This school’s main concern is to make sure these students succeed. I think one of the biggest changes in the school was the all male classroom. I think it was such a good experience for these boys, who never really had a positive male role model, to work with a male teacher in a all male class. It kind of reminds me of the New Visions class, where we have all basically become like sisters. It is a good thing for these boys to feel like they will always be loved and cared for. I agree with Laura when she says that the principal of this school cares so much about the students. She really does want to make sure that they are safe and cared for, no matter what. That day that the police were out and people thought the little girl was raped, the principal made sure to find out all that she could and reassured the father that the little girl was okay. I think this is a very positive school to grow up in, and it goes to show that it does not matter where you come from or who you are, but that everyone can succeed if they try and are encouraged to do their best. (Rachel)

I really enjoyed this movie. It showed me how the societal problems deeply impact students. Something that I did not like about this movie is that instead of trying to fix the problem, they just yell at the student. Also, teachers kept yelling at that one student even though the other people were starting fights with him. I understand he has a behavioral problem, but that doesn’t mean he is the one who always starts the fights. I really like the principal because she is stern, but she understands where the students are coming from. She sympathizes with the students, but she doesn’t let them get away when they do something wrong. I also like that she is willing to state her mistakes. This proves that she wants to fix the problem and won’t stop until it is up to her standards. I was very upset to hear that she quite her position, because she was such a wonderful influence on the students. They need more people like this in their lives. I agree with Ivana, I was equally surprised that students and teachers were talking/knew about drugs and alcohol. When I was their age I didn’t know the affects of alcohol or what a syringe was. It is completely unfortunate that these children have to grow up in this environment. (Kristin)

====I enjoyed watching this movie, it was so inspiring! I respect Mrs. Burney, the principal of Stanton Elementary School in the early 1990s, because she was determined to make the school a safe place for the children to learn. Mrs. Burney and the staff at Stanton Elementary were very caring and wanted the best for the children. It pained me to see such young children talking about drugs and picking up syringes on school grounds. Watching this documentary really opened my eyes to the struggles that these children and their families face, whether it be drug/alcohol addictions or poverty. The film reinforces how grateful I am to be in a school district and town where I can be worry-free of these issues. I can not imagine living in a place where gun shots take place right outside my window. I would be too afraid to leave my house to go to school. Children should not have to carry the burdens that they do everyday. It's their job to be kids. I agree with Rachel on the fact that Principal Burney did everything in her power to solve the issue of the lost girl and comfort her father. That is an overwhelming situation to deal with and she handled it so well. I'm glad to know that the little girl was okay. I liked the song, "I Am a Promise," at the ending on the film. I feel that it tied the whole movie together and it was very touching. (Emeline) ====

I really enjoyed watching this movie, it taught me so much about society. It was extremely inspiring to me becasue all the teachers and staff members were so supportive of their students and wanted them to do everything that they possible could in their life. I have a lot of respect for Mrs. Burney she supported the students and their parents and she cared so much about them. I think she is an inspiration to all teachers because she never stopped trying to have things work out with their students. The kids in this movie bilogically they are 7,8,9 years old but like one of the grandparents said that they havent been that age for a very long time becasue of everything that they are exposed to in their life, because of what their parents do. One little girl in this movie made me so proud, she chose to move out of her house because it was right near a crack house, she moved in with a neighbor and now she calls him her grandpa. I have alot of respect for her becasue she saw that something isnt right and she got out and changed her life for something better. The song at the very end "I am a Promise" was very cute. The movie was very inspiring and very helpful for teachers. (Kimberly)

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====I enjoyed this movie, I found it to be a great source on how difficult it is to teach in inner-city schools. The docutmentary showed me the many problems that the students at those schools face. My respect for teachers that teach in inner-city schools has grow. Mrs. Burney the prinicipal of Stanton Elementary School showed remarkable determination and care for all the students that are enrolled in that school. The things that those children knew about drugs and other substances were things that I didn't learn until middle or high school. It showed me how different life is for those students. Now I am more grateful for the area which I live and the safe community that I live in. The movie "I am a Promise" showed me how important a good teacher is in some students lives and how they become important role models in those students lives. (Jasmine) ====

I thought that the movie was really good. One part that I found very interesting was when everyone in the school and a girl's father thought that a little girl had been raped. I thought that was really scary and I can't imagine what that parent was going through and thinking when she thoguht she had been raped. I was so happy when they found the little girl at a friends house. (Viviana)

I really enjoyed watching this movie. I think that the male teacher teaching the kindergarten class would impact the student's in giving them a male figure in their life. I felt that he was a man that cared and wanted to help provide the studen'ts with a better life and understanding of knowledge. When the teacher was talking to the class, they were talking about alchohal which was suprinsing to me because when I was in elementary school I didn't know anything about what their learning. It was very suprising and sad. ( Ivana)