What ‘School of Rock’ Teaches Educators
Richard Linklater’s 2003 film emphasizes positive relationships and appealing to children’s talents and interests.
One of my favorite movies of all time is School of Rock. As a scrawny kid with no athletic abilities and a love of music, it spoke to eleven year old me when I watched it in a friend’s basement. My parents, to shut me up about it, but me the DVD shortly after. It probably had the opposite effect than the one for which they were hoping. I’ve watched it countless times since then (and I do mean countless), but now, as an educator, the film means more to me than it ever has before.
School of Rock, if you don’t know, is the story of washed up musician Dewey Finn (Jack Black), who hasn’t given up on his dream of being a successful musician. When his roommate Ned (Mike White, who also wrote the screenplay) and Ned’s girlfriend Patty (Sarah Silverman), demand that he pay them back for all of his rent that Ned has covered, Dewey poses as Ned and gets a long term substitute position at a prestigious private school. While there, he realizes that some of the kids have musical talent, and creates a band with a class of fourth-graders.
Now, I don’t condone resorting to identity fraud in order to get a job at a school. But even if you don’t have a…
