TEACHTABLE OF CONTENTS

How to Use this GuideLetter from the DirectorAbout the Film Key Statistics / About the IssuesAbout the CampaignTips for Hosting a Successful EventViewing Guidelines Before Viewing While Viewing After Viewing Questions for Further DiscussionTake Action Resources

12-33-4

455

6-11689

10-11112-13

14-15

TEACHHOW TO USE THIS GUIDEThis discussion guide is intended for students, parents, educators, administrators, and general audiences interested in organizing or facilitating a screening of the documentary TEACH. The guide can be implemented in community screenings, workshops, or house parties, and can easily be adapted for use at home, in the classroom, or for a professional development workshop. Each suggested activity has been created to facilitate dialogue surrounding the issues explored in this 90-minute documentary special.

Every member of the community has a role to play in supporting our teachers, and in turn, keeping public education strong, vibrant, and innovative for every American child. There is a substantial amount of information in this guide, so it is up to the host or facilitator to decide which activities are most useful and relevant for his or her event. Facilitators should consider audience, timeframe, and venue as they read through this guide.

The “Viewing Guidelines” section offers activities for groups, families, or individuals before, during, and after watching the film. These activities are opportunities for viewers to make connections between the documentary and their own experiences, as well as to encourage a robust conversation. For screenings that are accompanied by a panel discussion, material from the “Questions for Further Discussion” can be used to prompt thoughtful dialogue. Because one of the primary objectives of the film is to inspire real-life change, there is a comprehensive section that can help each of us make a difference, by giving back to our teachers and helping students - both individually and through established organizations. By engaging with this guide, audiences will deepen their understanding of the film’s content, and will be provided with the tools to help turn inspiration into action. Participants can also access the official website, www.takepart.org/teach, to learn more about inspiring the next generation of great teachers – and even find out how you can become a teacher yourself!

PAGE 1

TEACHLETTER FROM DAVIS GUGGENHEIMIt is More than a Job: It is a MissionSure, we all know what a teacher is. We spent years sitting in classrooms being molded by them. But those impressions can distract us from truly understanding the role. What makes the job so important? What qualities make teachers effective? Ask 50 different people and you’ll likely get 50 different answers. TEACH aims to shine a light on the subject, giving this most heroic of professions the attention it sorely deserves and celebrating the men and women on the front lines in what is one of the most misunderstood and yet most important roles in our society.

Some teachers are inspirational, some practical; some focus on details, others give us a broader perspective. I was a terrible student who was saved from mediocrity by a few teachers who saw the best in me and changed the course of my life. So I know firsthand how transformative a teacher’s influence can be on a student’s life. Being an educator is a tough job. Some say it’s an art, some say it’s a science, and in TEACH we come to see that it is both.

The simultaneous promise and tragedy of our American schools have long been a focus for me. I kicked off my documentary career in 1999 with THE FIRST YEAR. The film chronicled the stories of five first-year teachers in some of America’s toughest schools. In 2010, with the backdrop of having to take my own kids out of public school, I looked at the shocking flaws in our public education system and how it affected the lives and dreams of these five kids and their families in WAITING FOR “SUPERMAN.” But where WAITING FOR “SUPERMAN” centered on the crisis in public education, TEACH turns the focus to its brightest promise: the teachers. Most moms and dads believe every kid in America deserves great public schools, but the issue is so complex and sometimes feels impossible. With TEACH, I wanted to show that there are great teachers in every school fighting the good fight and doing whatever it takes for their kids. They are at the heart of what’s working. Maybe, if we could find and support more teachers like this, all of our schools would be great.

Our September 6th broadcast could not be more timely. It is estimated that 50% of America’s teachers will retire over the next ten years. I hope TEACH will help advance the national discourse on public education and, beyond that, move people to respect teaching as a top profession and vital career choice. America needs to recruit its next generation of passionate teachers, and I hope that TEACH in its own small way inspires people to realize this is a tough, demanding, deeply meaningful job where the stakes are extremely high and the rewards are infinitely rich.

PAGE 2

TEACHHopefully, millennial viewers will appreciate the film’s honest, authentic, no-holds-barred depiction of teaching. From research, we know young people want their work to have meaning and here they will see teaching is something a smart, tech-savvy, engaged person can do. What can be more meaningful than making a difference in the lives of others and our world at large? To put it simply: I believe there is nothing more urgent than recruiting our best and brightest to be in front of our classrooms.

Education is at the core of the American dream. It’s a pathway to success and a key to a future of hope and opportunity. The teacher is the key that unlocks that door. It is time to elevate and promote the profession, as well as engage new teachers and support current ones.

Davis Guggenheim, DirectorTEACH

ABOUT THE FILMIt is estimated that within the next 10 years, 50% of America’s teachers are eligible for retirement. With this staggering fact in mind, Academy Award®-winning documentarian Davis Guggenheim has decided to ask a timely question: What is a teacher? The answer is TEACH, a rare glimpse inside four public-school classrooms filmed over an entire school year through the eyes, hearts, and minds of four inspirational teachers.

As intense as it is emotional, this year-in-the-life of four public-school teachers illustrates how tenacity, passion, and a belief in innovation drive these educators as they navigate the daily ups and downs of the 2012-2013 school year. Viewers are taken on a journey inside the classrooms of: Matt Johnson, a fourth-grade teacher at McGlone Elementary School in Denver, Colorado; Shelby Harris, a seventh-grade math teacher at Kuna Middle School in Kuna, Idaho; Lindsay Chinn, a ninth-grade algebra teacher at Martin Luther King Jr. Early College, also in Denver; and Joel Laguna, a tenth-grade AP World History teacher from Garfield High in Los Angeles, California. These educators use conventional and unconventional methods and do whatever it takes to overcome obstacles and strive for success.

For the viewer, TEACH is a chance to rethink and explore exactly what it means to be a teacher, to look at the tough and complicated job of teaching as a profession, examining in real time what it takes to reach their kids. In celebrating teachers and teaching everywhere, it is a call to action for viewers to recruit and inspire the next generation of educators.

PAGE 3

TEACH“This is more about what’s working in education,” Guggenheim says. “Most moms and dads believe every kid in America deserves great public schools, but the issue is so complex and sometimes feels impossible. With TEACH, I wanted to show that there are great teachers in these schools fighting the good fight and doing great. They are at the heart of what’s working. If we could find and support more teachers like this, we would have great schools.”

As the film demonstrates, at the heart of academic success are teachers whose deep devotion to their jobs makes the difference. We see them digging deep to help students like Yeira, a bright-eyed fourth-grader struggling to make up a three-year shortfall in her reading skills; or Samy, a ninth-grader who wants to be a pilot but has all but given up on grasping the math that is a prerequisite to realizing that dream.

“The idea is to recruit the next generation of passionate teachers,” he says. “I hope the film inspires people to realize this is a tough, demanding, deeply meaningful job where the stakes are extremely high and the rewards are infinitely rich.”

KEY STATISTICS / ABOUT THE ISSUES • There are over 4 million teachers in the United States. Almost half of them are

under 40 years of age. Almost 80% of them are white, and 75% are women.

• The average American classroom has one teacher and 25 students.

• The average teacher’s salary increased only 3% between 1990 and 2010.

• Almost 50% of all new teachers will quit teaching within their first five years in the classroom.

• Close to 60% of the teaching work force will be retiring within the next 10 years.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2012). Digest of Education Statistics, 2011 (NCES 2012-001), Introduction and Chapter 2 ; U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Schools and Staffing Survey, Teacher Data Files, 2007–08.

PAGE 4

TEACHABOUT THE CAMPAIGNThe goal of the Social Action campaign is to reframe and elevate the profession of teaching while engaging potential new teachers and supporting current teachers.Takepart.com/teach will provide opportunities to explore innovations and great teaching happening in the classroom today, show more about how one can support teachers in the community, as well as how to become a teacher. The campaign will consist of online and offline grassroots activities to build awareness and recruit the next generation of teachers.Please visit www.takepart.com/Teach to learn more.

TIPS FOR HOSTING A SUCCESSFUL VIEWING OF TEACHHosting a viewing of TEACH is a great way to initiate a thoughtful exploration of America’s education system through the eyes, minds, and hearts of its most essential resource – teachers. Your event might be an informal house party, an independent study assignment, a formal classroom lesson, an evening program or professional development workshop.

TEACH can be viewed in a variety of settings, with more or less facilitation, depending on your objectives and audience. Hosting a house viewing party is a great way to make the most of the film during its initial broadcasts (September 6, 2013 at 8pm on CBS, September 18, 2013 at 8pm on Pivot). Subsequently, when the film becomes available on iTunes (September 18, 2013), other contexts, such as community screenings, classroom use, or professional development workshops become more feasible. The film itself is 90 minutes, and whether or not the event is a house party to watch the broadcast, or a more formal educational event, hosts should allow an additional 30 to 45 minutes for a follow-up discussion. With larger groups, consider having a moderator. Your discussion might also benefit from including local experts or stakeholders to discuss the content and address audience questions. Local experts could include: classroom teachers, school administrators, community organizers, parents, and students. Other kinds of events to consider are: a separate, follow-up session for participants to work on an action agenda; a workshop for a longer, more informal and participatory event; or a class or classroom activity that spans multiple class periods. Whatever you decide, we’d love to hear about your event. Please share anecdotes, pictures, and/or videos from your event with us on our Facebook page at Facebook.com/TeachMovie and we may showcase them on our website.

PAGE 5

TEACHVIEWING GUIDELINES FOR TEACHTEACH is a point of departure for a larger conversation about one of our most precious community resources: our teachers. The film is meant to be discussed, not just watched. In this vein we provide the following guidelines for a facilitated viewing of the film TEACH.

While many of the procedures that follow lend themselves seamlessly to a more formal educational context, we encourage hosts to pick and choose the activities and discussion topics that are relevant, even for small groups in a relaxed setting. These guidelines can be used in many ways with a variety of audiences: with friends and neighbors at an in-home viewing party, or as part of a course or workshop with pre-service teachers, in-service teachers, parents, students, and others. The pre-viewing activities are meant to prepare viewers to look for specific topics and themes as they watch the film. Post-viewing discussions can help transform participants from passive viewers into active thinkers, as the discussions provide a multitude of ways for viewers to engage critically with the show’s material. If your event is a more formal one, try to watch the film yourself and create a list of the main points for post-screening discussion. This will help you be an active, engaged, and prepared facilitator.

Before Viewing1. Before starting the film, provide a brief introduction to the film and the issues it

raises. Refer to the sections “About This Film” and “Key Statistics” in this guide for a general description. Then, communicate some of the central themes that recur throughout the documentary, including:• Perseverance as a key predictor of success • The instructive value of being challenged• Innovation, technology, and learning• The importance of constructive supervision, coaching, and mentoring in the

learning process• The importance of reflection and assessment in the learning process• Authentic human connections at the heart of teaching and learning• Flexibility, change, and resilience as necessary strategies for success

2. On a flip chart or white board, write the following terms:TEACHEDUCATEINSPIRELEARN

3. In a large group discussion, elicit definitions and associations for each word from the group, creating web frameworks for each as you chart their responses on the board. To guide the discussion, ask participants to consider how each term is similar, and how they are different.

PAGE 6

TEACH4. Explain to the group that these four experiences can sometimes dovetail,

sometimes clash, and sometimes overlap for students and teachers in the classroom. Ask the group to keep these terms in mind as they view TEACH, and to consider how they reveal themselves, and relate to one another, throughout the year that is documented in the film.

5. Before viewing the film, use some or all of the following questions to conduct a group discussion. Encourage viewers to draw on their existing knowledge, personal experiences, skills, and assessments of the issues surrounding education in their responses.• What are some of the values or personality traits that characterize successful

teachers who thrive in the classroom? • How might a teacher change - both personally and professionally - over the

course of one academic year? How might this differ with veteran teachers vs. new teachers? How might this change be reflected in their students?

• What characteristics do you have that would make you a successful teacher? What characteristics do you have which might create challenges for you in the classroom? Explain.

• What would you find to be the most challenging aspect of teaching?• As a parent in the school community, how might you best support a novice

teacher?• Who are teachers and what do they do?• Overall, what was your educational experience like in elementary, middle, and

high school? Consider what you loved, what you hated, what worked for you and what didn’t. How does this influence your behavior today as a student, teacher, administrator, or parent?

• What are some of the reasons people may be inspired to join the teaching profession? What are some of the reasons highly qualified people might choose not to become teachers?

• What do you think are the biggest challenges facing American teachers today? • How do you learn something new?• In an institutional system that is often fraught with budget cuts, political

upheaval, and increasing teacher turnover rates, what can a teacher look for and depend upon for support and inspiration?

• Looking back on your own history as a student in the traditional classroom, what could have been done differently within the confines of the classroom that would have enriched your experience?

• What is the single most challenging thing a student in a classroom faces in today’s educational climate?

• Who was your favorite teacher? What did he/she teach you, and why was this class and this teacher so meaningful to you?

PAGE 7

TEACHWhile Viewing

1. Create a full-sized version of the following chart and distribute a copy to each viewer. Alternatively, draw the chart on a flip chart or white board, and instruct viewers to recreate it on a piece of paper:

Matt Shelby Lindsay JoelEvaluate

Plan

Implement

Assess

Reteach/Differentiate

Reflect

2. Explain to the group that the terms in the left hand column of the chart represent some of the steps taken by teachers during the course of a unit.

3. Allow some time to define the terms with the group:• Evaluate: explore the needs of the students and identify learning objectives• Plan: devise and map clear and innovative lessons to achieve objectives• Implement: teach the lessons to the class• Assess: through formal and informal assessments, gauge how successful the

lessons were in achieving learning objectives• Reteach/Differentiate: revisit the objectives that were not met based on the

results of the assessment. This usually involves devising new lessons and differentiating instruction to accommodate students at various levels of competency

• Reflect: how successful overall was the unit? What could be done differently? What impact did your teaching have on your students and on yourself as a reflective practitioner in the classroom?

4. Instruct the group to take notes in their chart as they watch the documentary. Viewers should note moments in the film when the teachers implement each step that is listed. Notes can consist of thoughts, reflections, questions, comparisons, or observations. Explain to the group that they will be able to refer to this graphic organizer during a post-viewing discussion.PAGE 8

TEACHAfter Viewing

1. At the conclusion of the documentary, allow time for viewers to process what they’ve seen. Encourage members of the group to share one question or observation that they noted on their chart while viewing. Use these comments as prompts to facilitate a short, whole-group discussion.

2. Divide the group into four smaller groups of 4-10 people, depending on the size of the audience. Assign each small group one of the four teachers featured in the documentary: Matt, Shelby, Lindsay, or Joel.

Note: For large audiences, consider dividing into eight small groups and assigning two groups to each teacher.

3. Allow time for the small groups to discuss their assigned teacher. Each group should answer the following questions. Questions can be copied and distributed as handouts, projected overhead, or written and posted on chart paper or a white board:• What methods of instruction did your teacher use at first? Did his or her

methods change throughout the film?• Give one example of an “innovative lesson” that the teacher demonstrated.

What made it innovative?• What factors contributed to the teacher’s overall success in the classroom?

What factors proved to be hurdles to success?• What was the biggest lesson that the teacher learned about him/herself during

the school year?• What was the enduring message that the students received from this teacher?• How did the mentors in the film influence the teachers? How did their

guidance impact the students?

4. Allow time for small groups to present one of their answers to the whole group, and to discuss these responses as a whole. Ask viewers to consider the following guiding question as they discuss each teacher in depth: How would you characterize this teacher’s personal and professional journey over the course of the academic year? How was this mirrored in the experience of his or her students?

PAGE 9

TEACHQuestions for Further Discussion In addition to, or in lieu of, the more formal after viewing activities outlined above, use some or all of the following questions to facilitate an after viewing discussion about the film:

• What was surprising about the film? What was expected?

• Do you think these four teachers are a representative sampling of the profession? Why or why not?

• The director stated that he made careful choices regarding how to portray the “year-in-the-life” of a teacher in his documentary. What was behind his strategy? What do you think he left out in order to simplify his depiction?

• How does viewing TEACH change any preconceived notions you may have had about the nuts and bolts of the teaching profession?

• How did each teacher show perseverance? What about the featured students? Can perseverance, especially in regards to one’s own learning, be taught? Or is it an innate characteristic?

• How well did the filmmakers show the trials and tribulations of the teaching profession?

• It is estimated that billions of dollars are lost each year when promising teachers decide to quit the profession. How might we improve our system of recruiting and retaining teachers?

• In his book, Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell states that it takes 10,000 hours practicing a specific task to truly become an expert in one’s field. This would translate to 6-7 years of on-the-job training hours for a teacher. Yet statistics show that nearly 50% of teachers quit within the first 5 years of teaching. Have you noticed this phenomenon in your local schools? What impact do you think this has on your children’s education and on your community at large? What do you think your school district, PTA, school administration, or parent community could do that would increase the likelihood of great teachers remaining in the profession?

• Teaching is sometimes referred to as a “noble” profession. Wayne Dyer defines nobility as “…not about being better than anyone else- it’s about being better than you used to be.” How did each teacher become “better than [he or she] used to be” by the end of the school year?

• What does the documentary tell us about the challenges and benefits of innovative teaching methods?

PAGE 10

TEACH• Some might say that teachers are exposed to public scrutiny and disrespect much

more so than those in other professions. What are some ways that we, as a society, could uplift the teaching profession?

• How has the state of education either improved or declined over the past decades in your community? What do you think is in store for the future of education in our country?

• In the film, the narrator states, “The educators use conventional and unconventional methods and do whatever it takes to overcome obstacles and strive for success.” What methods/teaching tools do the teachers employ throughout the film? What are the conventional methods that each of the four teachers employ at one time or another throughout the film? What are the unconventional methods? Which ones are effective, and why?

• How do teachers decide when to use traditional vs. non-traditional teaching methods?

• How can parents become more active in their own child’s success in the classroom? How can your community foster a closer relationship between parents, teachers, and students to ensure academic success?

• If educators and the educational field were appreciated fully, what would that look like? How might that change the success of the American educational system?

• Mentoring new and veteran teachers is an integral part of the documentary. When watching the film, note how the mentors support/coach their teachers. What techniques do the mentors incorporate to both show support for the teachers and help the teachers become better practitioners of their craft?

• What did you notice about the students in the film? How did their content area skills change over the course of the documentary? How did they change emotionally over the course of the film? How can these changes be traced back to their teacher?

• How did the parents feel about their own educational experience? About their children’s?

• Fourth-grade teacher Matthew Johnson states, “This is where it all starts. If you don’t have a good foundation, you can’t build anything on top of that, and it’s all going to crumble.” What did the parents, educators, and administrators featured in the film do in order to better insure that ALL students have a strong foundation upon which to build a more hopeful, educated future?

PAGE 11

TEACHTAKE ACTION The following action prompts can be used by in-service or pre-service teachers, students, parents, and other stakeholders in a variety of contexts -from an independent study assignment to a formal classroom setting, from an evening program to a half-day workshop. In any context, these prompts endeavor to transform every child’s education by encouraging today’s most talented students to become teachers - and to empower today’s teachers to transform their classrooms and become the educational entrepreneurs of tomorrow. Through education, awareness, and simple actions, one CAN make a positive difference. Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn. – Benjamin Franklin

HOST A SCREENING Organize a group to gather together to watch TEACH on September 6, 2013 at 8pm on CBS, or on September 18, 2013 at 8pm on Pivot, and conduct a discussion afterwards. TEACH is an informative and entertaining documentary that captures the challenges and rewards of the teaching profession. Use the discussion questions in this Guide to organize an informed conversation afterwards. Check out www.takepart.com/teach for more information about hosting a screening or house party. And if you miss the broadcast, download TEACH from iTunes starting on September 18, 2013.

BECOME A TEACHEREvery day, you can make a difference in the lives of young people, challenge your own understandings of the world around you, and learn new things. Become part of the fabric of your community. Become a teacher. For more information on how you can take your passion and commitment and turn it into a career, or how you can inspire a young person to go into teaching, visit http://www.teach.org/become-a-teacher.Be part of the solution!

SPONSOR A TEACHERMake a tangible difference in the life of an underserved American student by sponsoring a Teach for America corps member. For more information, and to sponsor a teacher, visit http://www.teachforamerica.org/support-us/sponsor-a-teacher. And for more ways to get involved in TFA’s important work or to receive their newsletter,go to www.teachforamerica.org/support-us/take-action.

TUTOR OR MENTOR A CHILD TEACH highlights the challenges that classroom educators face when the students in their classes are at all different levels of competency. Help even out the field by becoming a tutor or mentor. Contact a local school, or volunteer through an existing non-profit such as Mentoring.org. or Khan Academy. Go to http://www.mentoring.org/get_involved/become_a_mentor or www.khanacademy.org for more information.

PAGE 12

TEACHBE A VOLUNTEERSupport teachers across the country by signing up to be an e-Activist with the American Federation of Teachers. Visit http://www.aft.org/getinvolved/enews.cfm for more information and to sign up.

SPEAK OUT ONLINE There are hundreds of education blogs on the web that would welcome a fresh voice and which have the potential to influence the views of many citizens all around the country. Share your insights and experiences as a teacher, student, parent, or administrator by submitting to an existing blog such as HuffPost Education or CNN’s School of Thought. Let your voice be heard!

SUPPORT A CLASSROOMTeachers around the country are faced with a basic challenge: they don’t have the funds to implement their innovative classroom approaches. Help a teacher change this by supporting the classroom project of your choice. Visit www.donorschoose.org to pick a project and donate today.

JOIN THE PTAOne of the best ways to advocate for improving education is by joining or establishing an active PTA. For more information about how to join or start a local chapter,go to http://www.pta.org/about/Join.cfm?ItemNumber=3308.

PAGE 13

TEACHRESOURCES

American Federation of Teacherswww.aft.org

National Education Associationwww.nea.org

US Department of Educationwww.ed.gov

Khan Academywww.khanacademy.org

New Teacher Projecthttp://tntp.org

Teaching Channel

www.teachingchannel.org

Teach For Americawww.teachforamerica.org

Graphitewww.graphite.org

Education Revolutionwww.educationrevolution.org

American Association of School Administratorswww.aasa.org

Council for Exceptional Educationwww.ces.sped.org

American Educational Research Associationwww.aera.net

Association for Childhood Education Internationalwww.acei.org

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Developmentwww.ascd.org

PAGE 14

TEACHRESOURCES CONT.

National PTAwww.pta.org

National School Boards Associationwww.nsba.org

National Staff Development Councilwww.nsdc.org

New Teacher Centerwww.newteachercenter.org

Edmodowww.edmodo.com

Gooru Learningwww.goorulearning.org

Blended Learningwww.blendmylearning.com

The Teaching Channelwww.teachingchannel.org

ABOUT PARTICIPANT MEDIA

Participant Media is an award-winning global independent entertainment company known forhigh-quality films that inspire social change, such as “The Help,” “Good Night and Good Luck,” “Food Inc.,” “The Cove,” “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” and, most recently, “Lincoln” and “A Place at the Table.” Through its films, social action campaigns, digital network TakePart.com, and Pivot, its new television network for Millennials, Participant seeks to entertain, encourage and empower every individual to take action.

ABOUT BIG PICTURE INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN Big Picture Instructional Design gets all the stakeholders in the educational space talking about - and watching - movies. As former classroom educators with extensive experience in nonprofit work, educational administration, and media literacy, BPID increases the reach and impactof issue-driven films, television projects, and documentaries by creating custom-designed campaigns and collateral materials that always put the film at the forefront. www.bigpictureinstructional.com

PAGE 15