db
... position teaching English. Here she finds a class of tough, street-wise kids, involved in gangs and drugs, whom Johnson quickly dubs the "rejects from hell” (Dangerous Minds, 1995). Her initially meek demeanor, small stature, first day school attire, and white skin earn her the nickname "white bread" from her students. Determined to have them trust and respect her, she quickly changes her presentation, wearing leather jackets, teaching karate to her students and cursing in the classroom as cleanly as the students do to her. Creating her own curriculum for her "socially challenged" but otherwise extremely bright class, she starts having them read college-level texts despite protestations from an uptight, by-the-book principal who is played by Courtney Vance. Lives are changed as a result of Louanne's unorthodox approach of using Bob Dylan lyrics to teach poetry and rewarding completed assignments with trips to amusement parks and dinners at fancy restaurants. Through both her and the class's dedication, she teaches them not only to respect education for its own worth, but more importantly to respect and believe in themselves. Reporting In the video, Dangerous Minds, a class of challenged students has a history of scaring teachers away. The s...