October Sky

This to me is an example of a great teacher, one who will continue to do what he or she thinks is right regardless of whether it earns her the disapproval of the rest of the staff. A teacher can not only be there for informational needs, but must also stand behind her students and be prepared to defend their rights to discover themselves. A teacher should be prepared to recognize hidden potential; it is in almost every student. When Dern's character was accused of giving the boys false hopes she held her grounds and continued to support the boys. This would seem to say that teachers need these qualities in order to fully relate to their students. Every teacher will have a student in his or her classroom with hidden ability; despite the student's possibility for greatness, the great teacher will be measured by her ability to see the potential inside that student. This is a difficult task, especially if the student also brings great adversity, however, it is not impossible; Dern's character realized this. She is portrayed as compassionate, understanding, and very beneficial in keeping the students directed toward their goals. This was true in October Sky; the Rocket Boys were from a small failing mining community, where little expectations were placed on them and even less opportunities were available. The movie October Sky gives a very positive representation of a teacher. She is a role model, a friend, a source of information, a defender, and a fighter.