The Education of Ms. Groves

His family got a new home.

As a teacher, I have to say this is the most touching stoy I have ever seen! Thank you to MSNBC for sharng Monica's stoy with me. It gives me additional insight and the strength to carry on in this profession.

This story was so beautiful, touching and inspirational. It took me back to my early school years. Everyone can relate to that one teacher that made a difference in his/her life.

Bravo MSNBC and bravo to all the wonderful teachers that truly care!!

Armyb Retiree

The Education of Ms. Groves was wonderful. I am a seasoned teacher and I could relate to everything Ms. Groves was going through. Teaching is challenging yet rewarding and watching Ms. Groves made me think of myself in the classroom. I too have gone through the yelling, making threats only because I wanted so much for the students. Thank you for allowing dateline to chronicle your first year and keep up the good work.

WOW, Ms.Groves! you go girl!
This story made me want to be a teacher when I grow up. I just hope my high school senior daughter, the rest of my family, and all my co-workers will understand and forgive me!

I have watch Dateline for years. This story by far is the best I have viewed ever. I have taught
school and you have exposed the battle fought from both sides of the desk. Job well done and not only does the teacher and children in this story get an A so does Dateline. Thanks again.

Sue Hiatt

This story was awesome. It is really nice to let the public know exactly what a teacher has to deal with on a daily basis. It seems the news media has been reporting the negative actions of some teachers. It was nice to see some positive actions.

This was an amazing story. I just lived through my first year of teaching as a special education teacher and I could relate so much to what Ms. Groves was going through. I went down that same road of not knowing how to get through to my students. But by the end of the year, it all came together!

Thank you MSNBC for covering this story. I hope it inspires other first year teachers.

What a fantastic story! I related so well to what Monica went through. My first 3 years in the classroom were spent in a New York City Public School in Harlem. I gravitated toward the very students who were the most difficult to connect with and eventually became a child psychologist. Monica should be so proud of herself for getting a hold of things and turning them around. It is when she was able to master her emotions that the students were able to excel- and she did it. I have the utmost respect for good teachers and the utmost compassion for almost any teacher. Teaching, to me, is probably the most challenging job there is. Connecting with; supporting; motivating; understanding and teaching 25 + people is no easy task. I will never forget my first grade teacher for being the kind, compassionate and intelligent woman she was to me back then. By the same token, I will never forget my very first class- 2nd graders. Together we muddled through and they taught me at least as much as I taught them.

This story should be available in DVD form and shown to all new and seasoned teachers. It would really be helpful to show new teachers who are just starting out. It could be used in new teacher training.

Wow! What a wonderful heartening story! Such great work, Ms. Grove. We need more like you.
Yes, we can!

The world of teaching is constantly changing, especially the ever evolving needs of our students. I so enjoyed this show. It did a brilliant job of addressing the initial hope that teachers all have at the beginning of the year; the heartbreak of the reality teachers have to deal with; and then the triumph of finding ways to teach children to invest into themselves. What impressed and taught me the most is the reflective practice Ms. Groves used to evaluate her next steps. I too am a teacher in a community of poverty stricken families and the #1 challenge is getting the students to invest in themselves. So many things in their world compete for their time/attention - and tell them that whatever they accomplish won't matter. Finding ways to reach the child and then encouraging them not to give up is so critical, once this happens 95% of the battle is won. I cried and laughed throughout this entire program, it inspired me to think bigger thoughts about not only my own teaching skills, but also about my expectations from my future students. Thank you Dateline for airing this. How can we get copies of this program?

This is a wonderful story!!! All teachers should watch this, active or retired.
Ms. Groves did a wonderful job and I'm glad she took the time to better herself so that she can help the kids. We need more hard working and caring teachers NOW more than ever. Even though she had a tough group she stood the challenge and I commend her!! Keep up the GREAT work Ms. Groves and CONGRATS on your Master's!!!!!

what a great story - Mrs Groves is a great person - Wish everyone could be as dedicated and as devoted as she is - it certainly would make a big difference - she is an inspiration to everybody - just simply a beautiful person that will inpire everyone to be better - I believe that this will not be the last that we hear of her, her dedication and inspiration will inspire us all.

I've never been so proud to watch an episode on Dateline. What an inspiration you are to so many families who are experiencing what we watched tonight. To me, it was real-not a movie and you
exemplify the teacher we all need in our classrooms today. Be encouraged. I am praying for you
as you continue to reach out to our children. It is one thing to teach the students, but another to reach them right where they are and that takes more than any degree you may attain. You not only have the knowledge, you are also blessed to have wisdom.

I'd like to thank MSNBC and the staff for such a beautiful story. In today's world, we need more like this.

what a great story - Mrs Groves is a great person - Wish everyone could be as dedicated and as devoted as she is - it certainly would make a big difference - she is an inspiration to everybody - just simply a beautiful person that will inpire everyone to be better - I believe that this will not be the last that we hear of her, her dedication and inspiration will inspire us all.

Does anyone know how to get a Video, DVD copy of this story. I would like to show it to all new teachers at our school.

This story made me appreciate the emotional strain teachers must endure and surpass, more so than any other profession. My respect for teachers has grown exponentially after viewing this wonderful story of a new teachers introduction to that profession. Thanks Dateline!

Yes, this was truly the most astounding show I have seen in a long time. Especially interesting because you showed us a transformation, over time, where the private life of a student evolves because someone decided to stick with them.
I taught tenth graders in rural Georgia. It was like "Welcome back Carter" when I began. I came home in tears. My lack of success during the first few weeks bothered me so much, invading at random, my every day with thoughts of;"What shall I do to get them interested?"
While the girls wanted to go shopping with me and get me some updated clothes, the boys brought in the sports page or a magazine. Four students were the only ones who had a rather normal home life. I found out by talking with them in private.Coincidentally, they were my students with the highest grades. I thought,"I cannot change the home lives of the rest of these young adults,so what can I say to give them a vision?" The next day I came in with no plan, just a bunch of thoughts I knew I had to discuss with them, honesty, basically.
In a nutshell; You are my math students. I don't even know you and you don't know me. Today is the beginning of a new life for you, if you choose it. Because I love all of you unconditionally, I am going to be honest. Some of you go home every day to people, maybe just one person, maybe alone. You think no one cares.You may think what does Geometry have to do with my everyday life? You are so right!!
That means you can think. That means you must know, the only way out of this existence I now live in is my education, my grades, my life. Some people think you are not capable because of the color of your skin. Very few of you will go on to be a basketball player, or football player or an actor making millions.
I asked them, what will you do with your life? Today, I say, no one is going to be able to say that about you. Everyday, I want you to bring in your books, a pencil, a pen, if you don't have one, I will give you one every day you are here. After school, you can go to the library, or my house, or to the community center and you can escape to a place where you can learn to learn. You must take control over your future, because if you don't ,the world that judges all of us will be right about you.
Do not let that happen. Learn and enjoy the ride to have a good life. When you graduate from college, remember to promise yourself;I will always give my children a good, quiet place to learn. I will not become addicted to drugs or alcohol.
Now, to all of you who do not desire this for you own life, leave school now. Walk out of that door and do not come back. Do you know why? Because you are wasting your time here. You are old enough to leave school. No books, no homework , no alarm clock and no teacher.
Not one student left that day. I was scared but happy I could be honest with them. They took school much more seriously. Every day after class was over, I asked them;Why will I see you tomorrow?
They would always say,"Because I want to have a better life!"
I asked them, "And, HOW can that happen?"
Their own answers were, find a quiet place to study, bring my book every day,or remember to study!
I would say, You are all right! Correct. You are too smart to become dumb. Use your brain and you will be able to have a great life using your gifts from God. You are all different, and have different gifts. Now, you will go out into the world and use them, and we are starting here, and now.
At the end of my fourth week, every student came to school and some stayed after school with me to go over a difficult part of our book. I taught and they listened and their grades improved so much.
They really needed to know that someone cared about each one individually because I wanted a better life for them. Teaching is not a job,it is a passion!!

Thank you NBC for reminding us all that being a teacher is not "what people do when they can't do anything else." Rather, teaching is a calling answered by very special individuals like Ms. Groves who give so much. I am humbled by this episode and realize that I have never paid attention to the challenge teacher's face. Thank you Ms. Groves and NBC for providing me a glimpse into a world that I have always taken for granted. It's time I reconsidered my goals and what I can do to ensure the children of my community and their Teachers have what they need to succeed.

I am not only offended by what I viewed in this program, I am more than surprised at the positive comments so far. Perhaps folks wouldn't mind if when they went in for their next surgery, the doctor that greeted them in pre-op, shared that he had a great desire to be a surgeon, but his college degree was for accounting, and this was his first surgery. Or perhaps we would applaud learning that the attorney hired to represent us in our divorce, was actually educated for working as a marine biologist. I'm sure that knowing this would boost our confidence that we would be well represented in court, since we had just learned that he/she really wanted to be an attorney and just didn't realize it until after graduation. Having a desire to teach does NOT make one a teacher in our world today. I'm not even sure how school systems can hire non-teachers like this and it not be a legal issue. Students should not be subjected to this kind of fraud. Ms. Groves needed to get her education in the college classroom, as five weeks of training clearly didn't "cut it". Not only were her methods grossly defifient, but several were clearly legal issues. I am very disappointed that Dateline would take the time to misrepresent teaching as a profession which requires professionals who enter the classroom with required specific training, experience, and the "tools" (which include but go far beyond a desire to help students succeed) . As a licensed teacher in Ohio, I found this program disturbing. God help the students that are subject to "experimental" projects which bring college graduates with no knowledge of skills needed to teach successfully, into the classroom. All students deserve better.

Does anyone know how to order a DVD of the program? I would love to show it to the new teachers at our school.

Patti, I disagree with you. These are schools that are so hard to get teachers in. Having a degree does not make you a better teacher. I saw no legal issues at all. I've taught in the rural south myself, been in the same shoes with a very hard class. I loved the show, laughed and cried throughout it.

Patti, I disagree with you. These are schools that are so hard to get teachers in. Having a degree does not make you a better teacher. I saw no legal issues at all. I've taught in the rural south myself, been in the same shoes with a very hard class. I loved the show, laughed and cried throughout it.

As a veteran teacher in Idaho, I am forced to see that America has some serious issues with the teaching profession and with the the student populations. I go through very similar discipline and motivation issues as Ms Groves and feel frustrated that my training and personality are not making my country and state stronger academically. I applaud Ms Groves for sharing such a vulnerable experience and rising to the challenge of making those professional adjustments. Teaching is the only profession that requires much content knowledge, but also a certain type of personality that can sustain the emotional endurance of connecting with so many interesting individual histories. I myself have 140+ students and I try to teach math that requires a lot of individual effort. It is a serious business to motivate a huge group of differing situations and anyone who can do it and stay with it year after year and be successful at it is a profoundly important person!!