• August 26, 2006 |
A tough story to convey in an hour (Sarah Gregory, Associate Producer)
After watching more than 125 hours of footage, there is one image that resonates in my mind, and surprisingly enough, it is not really a pivotal moment in the story. Actually, it is a simple shot that could easily be buried in the endless hours of footage, but for some reason it sticks with me. It is of Monica, Ms. Groves, standing next to her classroom door ushering in her new students on the first day of school. Her face looks nervous— a fear of acceptance, and one questioning her capabilities. And as the students walk into the corridor of new beginnings, it is obvious Monica is overwhelmed with emotions.
As I look through more and more footage, that the fear that I see on Monica's face, is a fear of disappointment. It is a fear that she cannot give her students everything necessary to succeed. She is more petrified of failing her students, than of personal failure. It is very simple: Monica Groves cares about her students.
My biggest fear with this documentary is that people will not see this passion. It is hard to convey in less than an hour, how much Monica desires to see her students succeed. There are many scenes where she yells at her students to gain their attention. Monica admits that she has her tyrant stages, and her frustration is obvious. But, that frustration is not just because students are being disruptive in class. Monica's vexation is in the fact that her students are not living up to their capabilities. When watching the story, I hope people hone in on the fact that Monica’s passion is to help her students reach their potential, because Monica Groves does truly care about the future of her students.