In Reality: Being a teacher is one of the most thankless jobs there is. You spend your days trying to help children learn the most important lessons of their young years, being called names and facing a level of defiance and stubbornness you can't possibly understand unless you've spent time in a classroom. Children are fascinating creatures and can be extremely rewarding to work with, but they can also be maddening little demons who drive you to an early grave. Rarely, if ever, are their parents thankful for anything you do for them, instead heaping criticisms upon your every decision. If a child has a bad grade, it's the teacher's fault for not making the lesson clear. Didn't turn in homework? It's the teacher's fault for giving too many assignments. A child throws a rock at another kid outside? Why didn't the teacher make sure there were no rocks on the playground? It's one of the most stressful jobs there is and the pay is pathetic. In The Film: Cameron Diaz' character Elizabeth Halsey has zero interest in actually teaching kids anything. She's in it for the money, since we all know education is nothing more than a get rich quick scheme. She shows up to work drunk or hungover nearly every day, gets high between classes, teaches the kids absolutely nothing and isn't held accountable for anything. When she needed to pad her income she took the reins to the school car wash fundraiser and turned it into a Whitesnake video to pocket the extra cash. She partied, she cheated, she treated people badly and yet she never received any comeuppance. The message was clear: Those who can, do. Those who are slackers with a damaged moral compass, teach.
Brad Hamilton is a writer, musician and marketer/social media manager from Atlanta, Georgia. He's an undefeated freestyle rap battle champion, spends too little time being productive and defines himself as the literary version of Brock Lesnar.
