No whole school or school system for that matter can meet the goals of a “true” education because everyone has their own definition of what a “true” education is. To meet this goal, everyone has to be united; something that is very hard to do. If no one is willing to come together, then the children are the ones who suffer.

Some teachers prejudge students and decide who is worthy of what. Whether it be because of their race, gender, age, economic status, musical preference, the way they dress, etc.; students are discriminated against everyday in someway. This is why students, for example, those in the movies Stand and Deliver, Dangerous Minds, and Freedom Writers act the way they do. These profound films show that is only takes one educator—one person—to stand up and go against the system to make an everlasting difference.

All of these teachers gave their students hope, light, a picture that tomorrow can be better and that they can achieve whatever they put their minds to. These teachers, one male and two females, broke the mold of what a teacher should be and go beyond the call of duty. In Dangerous Minds, their teacher—Mrs. LouAnne Johnson—broke all the rules and went against an entire school system just to give her students hope for a better tomorrow. They go as far as to call her their “tambourine man” (Bob Dylan), the supplier of their new drug, knowledge and hope; something that no one else ever took the time out to give them until she came along. She, as well as the other teachers, knew what it felt like to overcome some type of obstacle and/or struggle in their lives feeling hopeless at the time and as if no one else understands or cares about what you’re going through. They understood and took the time to listen, without anyone asking them to.

Sometimes that is the most important thing to show a person; that you genuinely care about them and the problems that they are facing at that time and what you know is yet to come. That alone can make all the difference in a person’s life. If teachers only focused on making a difference and not following the rules and constantly worrying about their jobs, then they could possibly reach their students. At least then there is a possibility that the teachers can teach their students something that they can use for the rest of their lives. Only when that happens can the real learning begin; the learning that touches you and that you can relate to, the lessons that will stay with you until the day that you die; the most powerful lessons. Those lessons are the ones that are the most important and change lives. When teachers and educators altogether learn this lesson can they really teach the children and leaders of tomorrow. But until that happens, these same educators need to sit back and take a lesson from their students and maybe some real learning will take place.