Mr. Holland's Opus

For any movie fanatics out there, Mr. Holland's Opus is a must see movie that deals with Educational Psychology. The film is about a frustrated composer who is forced to take a job as a high school music teacher. The plots continues as Mr. Holland begins connecting with students and learning what it takes to be a successful teacher. He must face problems like students who have no interest in music, students who have trouble grasping concepts, teachers who have a problem with his teaching methods, and a board who wants to cut the whole music program (see the Mr. Holland's Opus trailer below for more info on the movie). Even though this movie was made in 1995, these issues are not too different from what is going on in the Educational field today.

Many who decide to go into Education are not aware of the issues they will have to deal with from day to day, just like Mr. Holland experienced. On his first day, he walked into a classroom expecting to have a group of musically talented students, but to his dismay, the orchestra could not keep a beat or play together for the life of them. Just like many other teachers, it took Mr. Holland some time to adjust to this new career, but eventually, he found teaching methods that worked for him and made him love what he was doing. Discovering what your teaching method will be is one of the most important concepts of Educational Psychology. Considering Educational Psychology it is how people learn and develop, the method that teachers use with students is of the utmost importance. For Mr. Holland, he chose to find a way to reach out and relate to the students. Instead of becoming frustrated by the lifestyles of their day and age, he chooses to embrace it and uses it to teach his students about different aspects of music.
As time goes on in the movie, cuts begin to be made within his school, and the music department is at the top of the list to get cut. Many teachers in his situation would be upset that they are losing their job, but Mr. Holland is upset for different reasons. He is angered by the board decision because he feels that music is a necessary element in a students education, and that without it, they are taking away from what the students can and should learn. This part of the movie really relates to what is happening now with the current budget cuts throughout the nation. Actually, a few weeks back I interviewed my old orchestra teacher, Mr. Blaufuss, from the Canandaigua Academy, and he had very similar thoughts. When I asked him how he felt about the budget cuts and how they will effect him, he responded by saying:

"It really is a shame. I know that cuts have to be made eventually, but it is a shame that music and theater are usually the first to get cut. Music opens up the creative sides of students which is just as important as Math or English. It's possible that a few years from now, I will not be here. And I'm not upset with the board because I won't have this job anymore, I am mainly upset that the students coming in now will never be given the chance to experience music like you were able to. They won't be given opportunities like you and your classmates were given, and it makes me sad thinking about what their futures will be like."

I think of Mr. Blaufuss as Canandaigua Academy's very own Mr. Holland because of the way he cares about his students and their education. It is important for all teachers to realize that everything taught in school, whether it's Math or Music, is important for a students education. Just like Mr. Blaufuss and the fictional character Mr. Holland, all a teacher needs to have is a passion for what they are teaching, and a caring relationship with his/her students to be successful.

Click here to view trailer!