Ellei Coleman

ED 299

Dr. Madrazo

27 March 2023

I Promise School Documentary and Open Response

1. Pick two scenes that resonated with you and describe them. Then, explain why you connected

with those parts of the film.

The teacher meeting where they discussed how they felt the school year was going and

how they felt really resonated with me. I had never seen a teacher discussion like this before and

thought that it was really important. These educators are so focused on their students and their

social-emotional learning, but it’s also important to check their own feelings and practice their

own social-emotional learning. The fact that they can have this discussion with their team and be

honest about how they were feeling was really powerful to me. The one teacher also stated “we

are creating change” and this quote specifically really resonated with me and the impact that

these teachers on making. Furthermore, another scene that resonated with me was Dae’Shaunna’s

interviews. In one of her first interviews, she stated that she hated all her past teachers, but then

later on she said she would give her teacher at IPS an “AAAAAAAA+++++++.” This teacher

was able to make such a powerful and positive impact on Dae that she was able to enjoy school

and learning. With this impact and influence, Dae was able to exceed her test score goals and

improve her reading level. I connected with these parts of the film because I hope to be able to

make as much of an impact on my students in the future.

2. Describe at least three examples from the film of trauma-informed practice. In your opinion,

were these strategies effective? Why or why not.

One of the most prevalent examples of trauma-informed practice was the I Promise

Circle. Twice a day each class would do I Promise Circles where students were able to share how

they were feeling and share fears. This allowed students to have honest discussions where their

emotions were validated. They were able able to establish trust and understand their emotions. I

think this strategy was really effective and allowed students to be heard. Furthermore, by being

heard they were able to voice their feelings better and learn how to control their

emotions/behaviors. IPS also continued the practice by helping the entire family. By focusing on

the whole family and not just the students, educators were able to help with basic needs and find

the root of the problem. IPS offers a food bank, GED classes, and longer school days to help

students whose parents work all day. By offering all of this, students’ basic needs can be met

which allows for more learning opportunities. Finally, the educators created a sense of belonging

for the students at school. Before coming to IPS, many students had felt left out or insecure at

school. As one of the teachers said, they focused on a “true sense of belonging” and “making

space for the baggage they bring with them.” This practice allowed students to feel involved and

included, no matter how their home life was or what trauma they had. Through these practices

and more, I feel that the strategies were effective and allowed students to feel that they had a

place in school where they could learn and succeed.

3. What surprised you about this film? Explain your answer using examples from the film.
 One thing that really surprised me about this film was how they included all the struggles

with brutal honesty. They showed how the children had behaviors and would lash out. They

showed fights and misbehavior. They included the students' true feelings about school,

themselves, and their home life. I was surprised by how much they included, but I also

appreciated the honesty and how it allowed for a clear understanding of how much improvement

there was. The film committed to showing the good, the bad, and the ugly and I think that really

shows how much improvement can be made and the effectiveness of SEL in the school. I was

also surprised by the immediate connections I had with students in the videos. I had never met

any of these kids, but I was so hopeful for their success and improvement. I was tearing up when

the scores were released and the celebrations that ensued with the student’s families. One of my

favorites was Scout’s and her excitement of being able to celebrate her success with her mom at

school. I was surprised by how well this film was done and the impact it had on me about how to

be an effective leader and educator.

4. How does this film connect to your view of yourself as an educator? Explain your answer.

This film continued to show me how much of an impact an educator can have. With

patience and the right styles of teaching, so much student improvement can be made. It’s

important to meet students where they are and understand the whole child. This film showed me

the valuable characteristics of an educator and how students respond to these practices. As an

educator myself, I hope I can be just as effective and have the patience to help my students where

they are and improve.

5. What assets do the kids and families in this film bring with them to school? What strengths do

they already possess? Use examples from the film to support your answers.

The kids and families in this film bring real-life experience, effort, and belief. The

families believe in their kids and want them to succeed. This belief allows the students to do well

in school and improve. Even with the hardships that the students and families have gone through,

the parents want to see them do well in school and feel good about themselves. The students

themselves also bring a lot of real-life experience with them to school. While this can come with

a lot of trauma, it also allows them to see how hard the world can be and how they can rise above

it in the right way. While their effort can be misplaced, the kids do bring this to school. With the

right educators and strategies, this effort can be redirected to the right places. The kids and

families in this film bring these assets and so many more strengths that allow them to rise above

all the negatives and make a difference in their life and education.

6. Using examples from the film, what do I Promise school do well? What do you wish they did

better?

I Promise School did a lot of things well. I think that their teacher-student relationships

and Social-Emotional Learning were both really well done. The teachers were able to connect

with students and created relationships that had a lasting impact on students. The SEL that IPS

used also allowed students to be heard and understand their feeling. Through this, they were able

to understand why they may be feeling the way they were and control their emotions and/or

behaviors. IPS created a school and environment that kids were comfortable and excited to be

in. So many students didn’t want to leave for summer. Even more, strong relationships were built

between students and teachers that allowed for amazing learning and improvement. Many
students and teachers were crying on the last day of school knowing that they would not see each

other for a while and be in class together the following year. Based on what was seen in the film,

there is not really anything that I wished they did better. While I understand that the film focused

on literacy and reading level improvement, I wish more would have been shown about the STEM

curriculum and continued improvement. While I enjoyed the update from COVID, I would be

curious how the school has continued to improve and how adding more students/grade levels

went.

7. Do you think the I Promise school is innovative? Why or why not? Use examples from the

film or other research you've studied.

I do think that the I Promise school is innovative. Through their teaching and SEL, they

have been able to make an impact on students and their learning. SEL is still a pretty new

practice and IPS introduced it in a mass setting, showing how it can help students and learning.

Many have pushed back on the need for SEL, but I Promise has shown how effective it can be.

IPS introduced many new practices and was a new type of public school. With this introduction,

they were able to show that any student could succeed, even ones that came with massive trauma

and/or were below grade level.

8. What connections do you see between the film and the challenges kids face at JWR? Are there

intersections with housing, gun violence, and policing? What else?

Both the kids at I Promise and JWR live in similar intercity neighborhoods where gun

violence, housing, and policing are similar. These students live in low-income areas where food

can be difficult and parents work long hours. Because of this, they face very similar challenges.
Before reading levels and learning can be achieved basic needs must first be met. These students

need to feel safe and heard. Students want to feel that they belong and that their success matters.

The behaviors that happen when this doesn’t happen can be seen at both IPS and JWR. Being an

intercity school in low-income areas, many similarities can be seen between I Promise School

and James Whitcomb Riley Elementary.

9. Would you recommend that teachers and pre-service teachers watch this film? Explain your

answer using examples from your own life and examples from the film.

I do think I would recommend that teachers and pre-service educators watch this film. I

feel that watching this film I feel that I now understand the struggles that some students and

educators go through. Teaching and learning can be hard, but this film shows that great success

that can come out of it if the right strategies. This film also showed SEL in a great way with its

focus on the I Promise Circle and allowing students and their emotions to be heard. I feel at

times, educators can still be a little confused about what SEL means and entails, but this film

shows it and its practices well. This film showed me the positive impact that teachers can have

and the continued hope that I can one day make a similar impact. Because of this, I think that all

teachers and pre-service teachers should watch this and see those same impacts and the effect

they could have on a student’s life.

Bonus - 10 points:

The film focuses primarily on reading achievement. Is reading/literacy a justice issue? Explain

your answer.
 I do think that reading/literacy is a justice issue. Reading is the basis of so many things

and without it, people would not be able to effectively be a part of society. Reading allows

people to learn so much more. Reading also allows for lots of self-confidence. As seen in the

film, students are more confident about themselves when they are reading at level and

performing well. After going through I Promise and meeting their test score goals, the students

felt better about themselves and continued to succeed. Reading is needed to complete many other

subjects and graduate. Because of this, it is a justice issue. Without reading, there are higher rates

of violence and dropouts. Reading and literacy are vital for success not just for society as a

whole, but for every individual.