Paper Tigers

We forget how dark teenage years can be. How crushing that time period can be. But this movie remind us also of those teachers that hold our hands through the darkness.Makes you remember that when you are in that position as a teacher. You most likely are a key support for someone navigating a difficult time for everybody, their teenage years.I prescribe this movie for those teachers that need uplifting regarding their difficult profession.

If you are a human who is or has ever been a teenager, if you are a kid going through hard times, or a parent, or a teacher, or counselor or social worker or member of society, this is a good film for you. You get to learn what ACE's are and that most of us have them to some degree. Don't miss Kelsey's depth and her amazing poem in the middle, or how the teacher's respond to the student's stress and challenging behavior with wisdom but most of all unwavering compassion - when most adults would become angry and defensive and punitive. As teacher Gordon said, "The behavior isn't the kid, it's a symptom of thier situation. The behavior is not about me. Sometimes it's not even about the kid, but the situation. And if you can work through it and forgive and be a caring role stable model..." I wish I had more adults like this in my life when I was that age. But even just watching this and imagining what it would feel like, helps me heal. It inpires me to continue to strive to be a kind and supportive presence for youth in my life. This approach to education and relating to each other is what the world needs.

I loved this video.As an educator, I have found that students will do more for you and their-selves, if they know you...someone cares about them. It is taking the time to develop the relationship, provide the support that they need, and truly loving them that makes the difference! Being observant of their ups and downs and checking in on them that they are ok."Students don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care!"Learning how to deal with the baggage and triggers that they each carry is critical for their success and ability to end the lifelong cycle.Great message! Well worth the time to watch!

Although it is 1hr 45 minutes in length, the message is extremely important! Please take the time to watch and share.

This is exactly the kind of documentary I love, so it's not hard for me to appreciate it. It's a story of great kids with some deep trauma in their lives and a school that broke ground early in supporting them with a science-based approach to support them through high school. The teachers, principal, and staff are inspiring, and this documentary does a great job of presenting a range of perspectives and situations, telling the stories of a select group of students as they find their way through high school. I'm happy to learn that this type of deep healing work is being done in our schools.

This documentary was a required piece of content for a class I am taking in college as part of the teaching credential program. I did not know what to expect but I decided to watch it with my kids and I'm glad I did. This is a great documentary that exposes what a little caring and compassion can do to help students who have dealt with trauma in their lives, specifically ACEs trauma. I would recommend this to anyone who is in the field of education and also for anyone who has had traumatic experiences or has children who have. I was aware of many of the different types of adversity that people face but this opened my eyes to it even more.

Most people have not heard the term "ACEs" except when talking about fighter pilots or playing cards. Adverse Child Experiences have now been proven to "physically" affect the brain and lead to future mental and physical health. But this documentary shows how and why there is hope for our kids when ACEs are identified and addressed. A fantastic, inspiring film with real people who talk about real problems. One reviewer gave this a 1 star because of "language." With all do respect to the reviewer, bleeping out all of the bad words would have destroyed the impact of this film. There is no nudity and no violence, but there is harsh reality that, at times, is hard to watch. But the reward is seeing that there is hope for our kids who have ACEs.

This was a beautiful illustration of what compassion can do for a high-risk child. I am more compelled than ever to help push this movement. It amazes me to understand how our children have become so hurt and misunderstood. I am thankful for the students and the teachers, the principal at Lincoln High who allowed us to observe what works. This is by far the best documentary that I have seen in a very long-time. A must see again, for sure.

I showed this video to my high school students and shows the lives of teenagers with different backgrounds and how unique and caring this school is and how other schools should be.

Excellent documentary. I recommend it for educators, social workers, and other professionals who work with disadvantaged and disengaged youth.Power of caring in the lives of kids.

Great movie. Very relevant in today's society.

All teachers if HP schools need to see this.

Wonderful documentary on what can happen when recognize the affects of trauma and not label or judge.