The Teacher’s Lounge

FADE IN

TEACHER’S LOUNGE, LUNCH BREAK

During the lunch period of a typical school day two teachers are sitting and eating their lunches,

one is grading papers.

JAMES: ...so how are you doing?

DWAYNE: I am fine… so what do you teach? Also, what is your name? Are you new here? I’m

Dwayne L. Root, Band Director.

Jim face

JAMES: … well I’ve been working here for 8 years… I’m James… I’m the choir teacher …

you’re the band director…I’ve seen you at all of the choir concerts…we work literally a room

apart...

DWAYNE: oh that’s you up there on the stage… I never really see your face, you’re always

turned around facing the students.

JAMES: ... yup that’s me.that’s kinda how you conduct a choir... The students are great aren’t

they?

DWAYNE: I’ve heard better, but they are fine.

JAMES: right...well it’s been nice talking to, I mean meeting you, I guess.

DWAYNE: Likewise, Harry.

JAMES: It’s James...

-----cut to JAMES giving interview with documentary crew

JAMES: So uh yeah, I’ve been working with DWAYNE ever since I started, even back then he

didn’t shake my hand he kinda just looked at me, it has been a great 8 years with him.

Slight “Jim face”

------ cut back to teacher’s lounge

DWAYNE: I don’t remember the names of people I feel are not as superior as I am. My mistake

Charles.

JAMES: right… quick question Dwayne, do you remember the students’ names?

DWAYNE: No, they are all inferior to me, until they are up to my standards they are not worthy

of names. I refer to each of my students as numbers, in alphabetical order.

JAMES: right…have you ever thought about not doing that, maybe showing some compassion

while teaching and maybe not treating the students like animals on your turnip farm?

DWAYNE: First, it is a radish farm, second, why would I change how I run my farm, the radish

grows well and the animals do their purpose, the classroom and my students work just as well.

----- cut to DWAYNE giving an interview with documentary crew

DWAYNE: I maintain my classroom like I maintain my radish farm, on a strict schedule and no

changes necessary. My grandma used to tell me and my 15 cousins, to raise a radish is to raise a

child, low maintenance, simply water once a day and get rid of them once they are big enough.

----- cut back to teacher’s lounge

JAMES: how do your students react to this? Do they ever ask you to call them by their names?

DWAYNE: I do not take note, I simply make them play the piece and I make sure that every

note is exact. I rule the students through fear of their leader. I am the alpha.

JAMES: right…

----- Scott enters the teacher lounge ready eager to see what his other music educators are up to
SCOTT: WAZZUP

DWAYNE: WAZZUP

SCOTT: WAZZUP

----- cut to JAMES

JAMES: yup they still do that, 21 years later.

-----cut back to teacher’s lounge

SCOTT: So I heard through the door, Dwayne, that you you’re pretty strict with your students

huh

DWAYNE: Yes, the students have to be taught by an authoritative figure and know who is in

charge of the classroom at all times.

SCOTT: I do not know how that will hold over with the PMEA executive board... if I tell them,

because I am the president.

DWAYNE: I’m the assistant PMEA president!

SCOTT: Assistant TO the PMEA president...

SCOTT: Dwayne you have to be close with your students and show more compassion. In my

class I don’t have rules, and I have no assessments, if you’re in class you get an A. I also get to

know my students really well, I have all of their phone numbers and I tell the students they can

call me whenever with any problems (list some things here, problems with school, family, if they

need money, etc). You have to be there at all times and create a fun environment for the students.

Help them out as people.

-----Cut to SCOTT having an interview with documentary

SCOTT: I work as the general music teacher here at Harrisburg High School, and uh I have been

for 15 years. I love teaching music, but what I really love are the connections I make with my
students. I am a performer and I entertain my students every day, I mean I entertain the students

everyday. Haha no “possessive language” James has been helping me out but I think I got it. So

yeah I love kids, they are why I teach. “My audience” I call them, little rascals haha.

------Cut back to teacher’s lounge

JAMES: ok... both of you are on to something but I think that we should all take a step back and

think about what we are doing and how we are teaching the classes. We have to have a

classroom environment that’s safe for the students while also being a critical learning

environment. We have to ask questions and we have to assess the students. We assess the

students so we can understand how well our students are doing and if they need help, or if our

teaching is working or not. Also… Scott you should probably delete those numbers.

DWAYNE: What do you know Jimothy you’re not the all knowing music teacher. I am not

listening to you.

JAMES: It’s James…

SCOTT: he’s right Dwayne, we have to work on being better as teachers, ok MANDATORY

MUSIC TEACHER MEETING GENERAL MUSIC ROOM!

DWAYNE: Let’s go Jim!

JAMES: It’s James...

------cut to JAMES in interview

JAMES: so uh yeah that was an interesting meeting, I thought maybe I was getting through to

them but I think after 8 years of telling them this stuff almost almost everyday, and for them to

forget my name sometimes I think they might be a lost cause… I guess I'll keep trying.

-------FADE------

FIN
 I affirm that I have upheld the highest principles of honesty and integrity in my academic work
and have not witnessed a violation of the Honor Code.

-Brian Buechele