Chalk: The Movie

I would highly recommend the movie Chalk for any and all of those who have ever been involved in the public school system, whether as a teacher, student, or administrator (alright, so basically everybody). Chalk provides a candidly entertaining, yet somewhat disconcerting portrayal of the current state of public education in America. The film could almost pass as a documentary; the characters are so incredibly realistic that audiences may find themselves transported back to their high school Civics or gym classes. Furthermore, the actions and antics of Chalk’s teachers are amusing, even hilarious, though at the same time, it’s extraordinarily simple to imagine that they are actual teachers. They struggle to effectively manage their classrooms, they stumble when lecturing, they say rude comments to their colleagues, they tell students to stop using such “big words” in class, they complain about students and about their heavy workloads, and they are constantly stressed and fatigued.

Sometimes, watching these often clueless teachers is funny; sometimes, it is also disturbing. As I’m watching, I repeatedly find myself thinking, ‘that was wrong.’ Mr. So-and-So should never have said that to his class. Or Coach What’s-Her-Name really should be more careful with how she relates to her fellow teachers. However, I have not been able to invent any immediate solutions for these problems. If I were in the place of any of the teachers in Chalk, I might have had just as difficult of a time controlling the loud, rowdy classroom of unresponsive tenth graders. Unfortunately, these out-of-control classes occur with remarkable frequency. In fact, I’d guess that most or all students my age have experienced similar situations – wherein one’s teacher is unable to command the classroom – somewhere along the line in their educational experience.

So indeed, Chalk is an uncomfortably accurate depiction of schools today. Once in awhile, however, it also expresses small smidgens of hope and optimism for the future of education. For example, my Ed. Psych. class discussed one of Chalk’s characters: the ineffective social studies teacher who lacks the ability to restrain his wild class. He visits the library to research methods of “classroom management” because he recognizes his own shortcomings in this important area of teaching. Similarly, the overly-assertive gym teacher seems to realize she often comes off as aggressive. In self-reflection, she asks her close friend if she is too “pushy.” In these small steps, it is apparent the two teachers have the desire to change and truly enrich their “teaching skills.” The fact that they acknowledge their weaknesses and indicate an aspiration to improve seems, at least to me, to be the real message of the film.

In any case, regardless of the real purpose of the movie, Chalk is undeniably funny, and I would definitely recommend watching it.