ACTIVITY 5 – REACTION PAPER

FILM/MOVIE: To Sir, with Love (1967)

This is one of my favorite movies of all time. I can honestly say that it helped to inspire
me to become a school teacher, because of the influence that one can have on the lives
of young students. In this sense, this movie is probably the one that had the most
profound effect on my life...

This movie is about many things –teen angst (fear or anxiety), race relations, and
poverty. And its outlook towards the generation gap, racism, sexism, and music.

Sidney Poitier (Mark Thackeray) is absolutely superb in this film about a novice teacher
who prepares a class of uncouth youths for adulthood. There are too many wonderful
scenes to catalogue in this commentary but among the highlights are: his coping with
the young lady who has a crush on him, and his complicated relationship with the
stiffnecked rebel of the class. There are so many positive messages imparted in this
film.

Teacher Mark Thackeray, one of his most famous characters, an engineer taking a
teaching post as a stopgap between jobs. Eventually the relationship he develops with
the students causes him to question his loyalty to the profession.

From the very beginning, members of the class try to bait him into losing his temper so
that he'll quit. Their previous teacher committed suicide, we are told. Gradually, he gains
their trust and helps them overcome their personal struggles, thus winning their respect
and friendship.

The students not only have little interest in school, but are not quite ready to be taught
by a black man. Mr. Thackery is forced to show the students that he will not tolerate in
subordination.

Sidney Poitier (Mark Thackeray), doing just fine as usual, is a teacher assigned to a
rough gang of kids in an Enblish working-class school. They hate him. Not because he's
black, though that fact figures in a few off-hand insults, but because he's a toff. He
speaks proper English and dresses in suits and ties and he knows stuff -- like the girls'
bouffant hair styles.

Mr. Thackery is meticulous and elegant, something of a revelation to the unwashed

juvenile deliquents and teen sluts who populate his class. Yet this unemployed engineer
has his work cut out for him, as his motley crew will try just about anything(including
burning tampons in the classroom stove!) to run him off. Instead of exploding like the
kids wish, Mr. Thackery takes a different tack; treating them like adults and talking about

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things they have questions about and talking about life. The ploy works, and along the
way Mr. Thackery learns to deal with indifferent fellow teachers, racism, lovestruck
female students, and a hard decision that will determine his future . . . The process by
which Mr. Thackery molds these wild, rebellious teens into mature and thoughtful
adults--and the teens' resulting respect for Mr. Thackery, quite possibly the first respect
they've ever felt for an adult--is touching. Definitely a classic film worth seeing.

Mr. Thackery's irrepressible student Pamela Dare. At the end of the movie, when Mr.
Thackery and Dare dance together, racial, social and philosophical barriers are
smashed, and hope springs eternal.

I still love the theme of the song and I think it refers to the whole movie and you want to
see it over and over again. "How do you appreciate someone, who took you from
crayons to perfume...” A meaningful message from the theme song of the movie.

The movie glows, has a soul even, and actually dares to say something of value. I wish
they made more movies like this today! Just a gorgeous movie going experience

These are the methods used by Mr. Thackery to solve his problem with his students.

The cause of the problem of the students is due to their family backgrounds, people
they interact with, they spend time everyday and above all the influence of gangs. So
teacher Thackeray what he did was classroom strategies and procedures as well as
getting and knowing their personal and emotional personality. And he also showed his
personal and emotional ability to discipline them. As teachers we also need to know
each student from name, family composition, and socio-economic status. Each student
in their respective family backgrounds also has different socio-economic backgrounds
and this is also an effect on young students.

What she did in teaching to avoid problems with children was the cooperative learning
approach, team learning, teaching techniques and he showed her patience,
compassion, concern and caring attitude, respect and trust for others.

Teacher Thackery is calm and shows his reaction to his discipline between students
who are disrespectful and rude, and this is all he has done and a solution to all his
problems in class. He is also a compassionate teacher who cares and gives sympathy
and attention to his students when they are going through trials or problems in life. A
deep concern for their welfare and growth is easily accepted. In his teaching ability, he
and they also showed team work and learning together for the common goal. His
effective teaching strategy and techniques have changed his students. His discipline
had an impact on the group's behavior. So it shows here the individual behavior affects
the group and the classroom control is maintained.

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Between those scenes that I learned in teaching. Show sincere concern for their
welfare. Knowing that you are care will develop among them self control and self-
discipline. As they grow they will be more responsible for their own behavior. Be calm,
poised and tactful in solving discipline problems. And unkind words and harsh
punishment must be avoided. And, At all times be firm and consistent in following
classroom “do’s” and “don’ts”. Students will likely test your patience and try how far they
can go. Be enthusiastic and the students will match your enthusiasm instead of being
drawn to trouble. Speak with a good voice volume, not too loud to become noise nor too
soft to be heard. And be humble in words and actions. It could produce a magnetizing
effect.

This, in turn, is his method of disciplining problems. Acceptable and effective: Use
verbal reinforces that encourage good behavior and discourage bad tendencies. And,
Dialogues can help in discovering problems and agreeing on mutually beneficial
solutions. And give students the freedom to express or explain agitated feelings and
misgivings rather than censure them right away. So in the end he successfully
transformed his students from gestures, words and deeds. I salute Mr. Thackery for his
perseverance in his promised newly pursued profession far from his course of study.

So I have a lot of admiration and respect for teachers because they have the hardest
job in the world.