Jordan Leandro

Professor Samantha Fecich

SEDU 101

2 February 2020

The Smiling Faces of Intelligence

“A smile is worth a thousand words,” is a phrase that truly emphasizes the main takeaway

from the screening of Intelligent Lives at the Guthrie Theatre on Thursday, January 30th.   From a

smile given in response to a few wisely worded jokes, or a smile in response to the possibility of

being able to create sculptures in college, smiles truly were worth a thousand words for those

who were portrayed in the film.  Micah, Naieer, and Naomie, along with the narration from Chris

Cooper, taught me a few lessons that I hope to integrate into my future classroom.

In Micah’s portrayal of living his own independent life, his use of humor and his desire to

pursue relationships showed me that even though students may be labeled, they still find value in

the friendships they create and the bonds they form with others.  There might be a student in my

future classroom that is identified by a label, but this doesn’t mean I won’t value who they are or

care for them just like a student who doesn’t have a label.  It's all about focusing on the “able”

and not the “label.”  These caring relationships and friendships also played a large part in another

main character's life, Naomie, whose family supports her as she works towards becoming an

integral member of society.

If it were not for the love, support, or care from her family, Naomie would never have

been able to secure a job working at the Empire Salon.  Naomie’s brother was very helpful in

bringing joy into her life.  This was shown in the movie as we saw Naomie continuously smiling

when her brother was around, or if she was listening to her brother’s music.  The love he shared
for his sister helped her learn what it meant to have someone in her life who cared for her and

made her feel special; so special that I feel like she didn’t even realize she was living with an

impairment.  In my future classroom, I hope to show love and care for every student regardless

of any label they may or may not have. 

The final character in the film was Naieer.  His story was one that really hit home with

me.  As a high school senior who absolutely loves art, his passion opened many doors for

himself.  He has many people in his corner who are pushing for him to succeed, including his art

teacher, who is helping him get ready to go to college to further his art career.  Art is a way that

Naieer was able to express himself and you can see how happy he is painting and talking about

art.  His artistic ability allows him to leave his impairment behind and channel his true passion.  I

hope that as a teacher in the next few years I can impact students' lives just like Niaeer’s art

teacher; a figure who allows his students to channel their inner passions and future career

goals.             

All in all, the movie was based on love, compassion, and caring figures that made these

three individuals feel empowered and driven to succeed.  However, if I were to sum up the

movie in one line or scene that I particularly enjoyed, I would direct your attention to the scene

on the subway with Naieer where he is shown smiling from ear to ear.  A smile can speak

volumes for individuals like the three in this movie, and a smile can make their whole day and

even their whole world.  I hope that each and every day as a future high school math teacher I am

able to do exactly that; empower my students to follow their passions while being the caring

individual who helps them succeed along the way.