Learning in "The Class"

          François Bégaudeau’s classroom in the film seems to reveal a very inconsistent learning environment that provides a test tube for conflict. François’ loose and flexible style of teaching is combined with a poorly executed management of classroom behavior, and creates an environment where students are virtually in complete control of their learning experiences.
          Each student seems to have the desire to learn, but that desire is squelched in various ways throughout the film. While François does not always directly hinder the learning of his students, his response to the students’ questions, challenges, etc. many times limits, or even halts, the potential and active learning that takes place. An example of this is when the students are working on projects in the computer lab. When Esmeralda asks François how to spell Lafayette, he asks her how she’s able to go there since it is relatively far away from the neighborhood. Rather than tell her how to spell the word, he somewhat suspiciously asks her a personal question that places her in an uncomfortable and defensive position. It also shows his disconnection and misperception of young urban life in Paris. This question further alienates him from his students. In the classroom, François opts to have open discussions about the French language instead of following a rigid structure. The result is his being led by the questions that the students have. While many of these questions are legitimate and valid, his answers often times only either confuse them more, or inspires questions that end up leading him off topic.
          The positive learning that did take place seemed to also have some negative aspects as well. For example, the Anne Frank discussion turned out to be an outlet for students to share some personal things about their own lives, which potentially helped foster some sense of understanding and appreciation for others. While this was surely a positive exercise, the way it was initiated seemed to be a bit intrusive and insensitive. When a student in the back told François that he did not want to share things that were too personal. Instead of respecting how the student felt and moving on, François prods him and doesn’t stop until the student shares an example of what he meant by personal.
          Culture and language had a major influence on the students' learning in the film. One example that I remember was when François struggled to communicate in a meeting with Souleymane’s mother and brother. It was clear that the mother had much more to say than the brother was translating, but since she could not speak French, she was powerless to effectively communicate when her son was controlling what was said. Since François was unable to tell Souleymane's mother about the extent of his behavior issues, Souleymane will never be held accountable outside of school for what happens in school. As mentioned earlier, François’ interaction with Esmeralda in the computer lab was also evidence of poor cultural understanding on the part of François. Cultural language was a constant issue between François and the class throughout the entire film. In multiple cases, he explains an answer to a question using vocabulary that is foreign to the students. An example of this was when he uses the phrase “the penny dropped.” This cultural difference only alienated François even more from the students he was teaching.