Front of the Class Page #4

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No, sir.

Then why do you do it?

Because I have Tourette Syndrome.

What's that?

It's a thing in my brain that causes me to make weird noises.

But you could control it if you wanted to, right?

No, sir. It's a sickness.

Well, why can't you just get cured?

There isn't any cure.

I don't like making noises any more than you like hearing them.

They're even worse when I get stressed,

when you don't accept that I can't stop them.

But when I feel accepted, then they're not so bad.

What can we do

and I mean everyone in this school

What can we do to help you, Brad?

I just want to be treated like everybody else.

Good job. Go sit down.

A few words a little education

and it was like opening a door to a brand new world.

Now some day, some way, I knew,

Tourette's or no Tourette's,

I was going to be a teacher.

I had no choice but to prove that Tourette's would

never get the best of me.

lf I quit, I would be agreeing with everyone

who ever told me I was barking up the wrong tree.

Sorry about the air conditioning. Supposed to already be fixed by now.

That's all right.

Well, umm, your resume looks okay.

And we do have an opening in fifth grade.

OK.

But I do have to tell you:this is a tough place to work.

We've got some really hard cases.

Well, I take that as a challenge.

I don't believe that any kid is hopeless.

You know, they all want to learn you can't ever give up.

Let me just...

You just gotta find the right way to teach them.

Ahh, you got something stuck in your throat?

Would you like a drink?

I have Tourette Syndrome. I'd like to tell you about it.

It's a neurological...Tourette's?

Isn't that where you yell out obscenities?

That's coprolalia, It's, ahh, it's a rare symptom

that a small percentage of people with Tourette's have.

-I don't have that. -OK, listen.

They did not tell me that you were going to be handicapped.

How do you expect to handle a bunch of wild students

with a handicap like that?

Well. By educating them.

By letting them know it's okay to talk about it.

-It's okay to ask questions...-These students would laugh at you.

Not...not when they understand

-it's simply a matter of ...OK. I have seen teachers

with disabilities before ...

...but never with what you've got.

I just don't see how you could ever teach a class.

I can teach! Look at my resume.

Look at it! Ok?

I was very successful as a student teacher

my Tourette's never posed a problem!

I can teach!

OK. Bottom line:
I need somebody now for fifth grade.

You want to teach here,

you're gonna have to refrain from making these noises in class.

You know what? Thank you very much for the interview.

But, don't you want the job ?

Yes, actually. I want it really bad.

But I would never, ever work for a man who doesn't care about his students.

So, I'll take my portfolio and, ahh,

and take no more of your time.

You got a great boss.

Well, it was the worst interview I've ever had.

All he could see when he looked at me was my Tourette's.

That's all any of them see.

Well, honey, if they can't see what a great teacher you'd be

that is their failure, not yours.

Well, it sure seems like my failure.

Well, if you say so. You know what?

Why don't you just throw in the towel and come home, huh?

I'll buy you a ticket.

I'm not saying that

Really? That sounds like what you're saying.

It sounds like you're letting Tourette's win.

I am not letting Tourette's win!

-Really? -Yes, really!

Look, I'm never going to give up, I just...

I have to find the right school.

You will, Bobo. You will.

So, I decided it wasn't Tourette's.

I just hadn't found the right school yet.

I'd keep barking, and I wasn't quitting until I found that principal.

I made a map of every school

where I hadn't interviewed.

lf the Principal wasn't in, I'd give my resume to a secretary or a janitor,

and ask them to drop it off when the principal returned.

I didn't care. I needed a job.

I wasn't going to stop until I had one.

You'll be starting at the bottom,

but that's no big deal, that's where I started.

And you're working 7 to 4.

I told you this is only part time.

I need to keep mornings open for interviews.

I thought that school had already started.

No, not all of them.

Well, we'll see what happens.

Here are your tools of the trade at least for the time being.

Like I said, at the bottom.

But every job is important here, and who knows

maybe you'll end up liking it. And if you put your time in...

Didn't you hear what I just said?

I'm only working here until I get a teaching job

All that stuff has to go in the dumpster.

The hiring season was ending.

My interviews had dried up. School had started.

I was running out of time and money...and hope.

Diane.

I gave up on you ever coming to me, so I just came to you.

You busy?

It was my stepmom, Diane. Trying to build bridges with bagels.

Your Dad built his business with his own two hands

you can't blame him for wanting you to be a part of it.

He's just being a dad.

He wants you in his life.

So how do you like Atlanta? You meet any nice girls?

I'm just saying all the right things, huh?

Let me get you a refill

Brad. Brad,

your dad loves you...

...so much.

He just doesn't want to see you get hurt

The only thing that hurts is the fact that he has never accepted who I am.

See, he's got this idea of a perfect son,

who is "normal" and does "normal" things.

Well, I'm never gonna be "normal"

Well, maybe that's not his idea, Brad.

Maybe that's yours. And you're right, you are not normal.

You have this gift to teach,

and it's not in spite of your Tourette's,

it's because of it.

I have to go.

Hello, this is Brad.

Ahh, yes.

That's a sheepdog.

Yep, Brad. Brad Cohen.

Ten o'clock is is perfect for me.

Absolutely. OK, great.

Raise your hand. Raise your hand!

You gotta raise your hand! Come on.

You must be Brad Cohen.

Hi.

I'm Jim Ovbey I'm the Principal around here. And...

Hilarie Straka, Assistant Principal.

Hi.

Come on in the office, Brad.

We heard you coming all the way from the parking lot.

Hear you've been making the rounds.

Twenty-five schools so far. And, uh, here's, here's my resume.

Oh. Here. Oh.

We can look at that in a minute, Brad.

Just come on in, tell us why you want to be a teacher.

OK.

Well, it's, uh, oh, it's, it's all I ever wanted to be.

Ever since I was in school.

You must have had some pretty inspiring teachers.

Ah, well. I had an inspiring principal Mr. Myer

but my teachers, they really only

inspired me to be the kind of teachers they never were.

What kind of teacher is that?

One who makes it possible for a kid to learn even if he's different.

In a way, the, the best teacher I ever had was my Tourette's.

You, you don't have to talk about that, Brad.

No, it's OK. I make a point of being open about it.

It's, ah, never off-limits to my students.

They can ask me anything they want about it at any time.

You must get some pretty interesting questions.

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