After discovering the gem that I’d missed out on that was Ocarina of Time for the N64, I’ve been on the hunt to discover other works of art from years gone by that I’d never noticed.
One particular film that piqued my interest after stumbling upon a TikTok during regularly scheduled human maintenance was the Ron Clark Story, starring Matthew Perry, which was released in 2006. I was always a big Friends and Matthew Perry fan, even going as far as to read Matthew Perry’s autobiography last year (side note, this book is sad as hell). That being said, I immediately finished my business and found where I could stream the movie. As of now it is free for Amazon Prime subscribers.
I went in with “Friends” level expectations only to be met with a viscerally emotional response as I watched a classroom full of troubled sixth graders realize their potential over the course of an hour and a half, whilst simultaneously witnessing the environmental factors that they had to overcome to do so.
What struck me the most was the ability to follow the development of so many characters simultaneously.
Shameika goes from a student who challenged every attempt to reach her to an all-star student testing higher than was previously thought possible even for the top performers from her district.
TeShawn goes from a kid on the fast track to a juvenile detention center to a world class artist.
These were a few that jumped out the most to me, but there were others.
The common theme was the same though.
Every kid just desperately needed someone in their corner.
Someone to believe in them.
It resonated with me because of similar experiences I’d had in my lifetime. Times when the only reason I kept going was because a teacher believed in me and breathed life into dreams that I would’ve dismissed into the void without that level of validation.
In middle school, I had a math teacher named Ms. Mosbach who saw potential in me that got me into higher-level math classes, even when I didn’t think it was possible. Once, I did poorly on an assignment, and she pulled me aside to give me a scolding that would make a parent proud. I still remember it to this day, over twenty years later.
“What is this test score?”
“I’m trying!” I said, lying. I definitely did not try.
“Nope. No, you’re not. This is not your level of work,” she said, spitting straight facts. I rolled my eyes, but deep down I knew she was right. This conversation got me to focus on my assignments, but God only knows how that course correction helped alter the destination of my life.
In high school, my favorite teacher, Mrs. Barnes, was a driving force for me as well. Looking back, I know that without her influence I would not have set out on a lot of the artistic endeavors that became core pieces of my identity well into my current life. All because she challenged me to get outside of my comfort zone and try something different by auditioning for theater.
Now that I’m an adult, I can see the other side of the relationship.
There was a point in the film where Mr. Clark gave up and walked out on the students. There was a time where he was chewing on multiple antacids because he was so anxious for the students while they were in the process of acing their exams.
He carried a tremendous weight simply to see a classroom full of kids succeed.
He carried a weight where all others had failed to do so.
Who carried a weight for you when you didn’t even realize it?
