Daily News: Abbott Elementary review: Heartwarming insight into the lives of teachers, and their complicated lives

Wednesday, April 13, 2022

Abbott Elementary review: Heartwarming insight into the lives of teachers, and their complicated lives

Language: English

As a school student, one of the most embarrassing and awkward moments you could potentially face would be running into your teacher in a public place. I still don’t know why that bothered us so much. Maybe it was because, as kids, you don’t believe that your teacher exists outside the walls of the classroom. That they might have friends, families, likes, and hobbies is beyond our imagination. When I was teaching, my students probably felt much the same about me.

Teachers, as a community, have been much spoken of and also much-maligned for centuries. Shaw’s quote (Those who can do, do; those who can’t, teach) is still sprouted at intervals or when teachers make mistakes. There’s an assumption that teachers are, of course, superhumans who know everything, and because they’re in a position of authority, they can do no wrong. Students forget (and maybe they don’t even want to accept) that teachers are merely human beings, too, with interests and dreams and, often, many failings.

ABC show Abbott Elementary, available on Disney Hotstar in India, deals with precisely this complicated role and perception of teachers. Set in a public, underfunded school in Philadelphia, the mockumentary-style sitcom brings to light some of the challenges teachers face daily. The school is for underprivileged kids, primarily African-Americans, without the resources available in better schools and to other kids, ranging from music lessons to new textbooks.

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Teachers are overworked (and though they don’t specifically say it, we know they’re underpaid). The bunch of teachers is diverse. Some like Barbara (Sheryl Lee Ralph) and Mellissa (Lisa Ann Walter) are pros, teaching for decades in the same school. Others like Janine (show creator Quinta Brunson) and Jacob (Chris Perfetti) are new, idealistic and well-meaning, but often without the skill set to deal with the students. They have to win the respect of the students and their colleagues; not easy on the best of days. While their passion eventually gets the teachers on their side, the students pose different problems.

In fact, the final big win for Janine is depicted in the final episode, where she can get a bus full of students to sit quietly without any help from her colleagues. That, in itself, is a big deal, comparable to taming dragons and professing love in other shows. It might not seem like a lot, but every teacher knows how difficult it is and what it’s worth.

Having taught in a low-income school in Mumbai, what immediately attracted me to the show was the depiction of the school problems: the lack of funds, teachers unable to understand the context of their students, parents who are overworked and struggling to balance the emotional needs of their children, along with being able to ensure that the kids don’t go hungry. Development in the school is not helped by the incompetent principal Ava Coleman (Janelle James), who is more interested in checking out young dads and male teachers than getting any real work done. The 20-minute long episodes, while fun and light, also make a great point about primary school education, especially in underfunded areas. Surprisingly (or maybe, it’s not so surprising after all), education for poverty-stricken kids across the world seems much the same.

The writing is precise, sharp and witty, with several laugh-out-loud moments. It is also heartwarming and moving as you learn more about each teacher and their complicated lives.

I do wish more attention was given to Janine’s relationship with Tariq, who pops up only when it’s convenient for the plot. However, the writing is backed by a fabulous cast. Brunson brings Janine to life, Tyler James William is fantastic as a stoic Gregory, Chris Perfetti does a great job of being idealistic yet confused, and Lisa Ann Walter can be both warm and determined at the same time. Of course, the revelation is Janelle James, as Ava Coleman, the very incompetent but very cool principal. She makes every line and every step work.

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One of my other favourites in the show was the relationship shared by Barbara and Mellissa, who are good friends, motivating each other, talking about personal lives and dates, fiercely protective and defensive of each other. They’re reminiscent of middle-aged women everywhere, who have bonded with their colleagues over shared lunches and work woes and have often unknowingly come to care for each other. They remind me of the veteran teachers at the Mumbai school I taught at, where teachers would travel for hours every day, only to be caught in a web of admin work and bureaucratic processes before even reaching the classroom. Yet, they were always up to help and share food, were up-to-date with each other’s (and my) family life and dating/rishta stories, and would unquestioningly step in if someone needed a break from the classroom to just breathe.

Abbott Elementary takes a group we’re all familiar with, in essence, but gives us a little more insight into the lives of teachers: staff-room conversations, presentations to the school board, parent-teacher meetings. The teachers have to constantly juggle to save and allocate funds where required most and teach the kids to grab every opportunity they get, knowing that they probably won’t get all they deserve. The newer ones, like Janine and Jacob, struggle with this: they want to get the kids all kinds of resources, but more experienced ones like Barbara and Mellissa feel that they have to get by with whatever is possible. “My students don’t need to feel less-than because they do not have stuff,” Barbara tells Janine.

Through the show, and the impeccable research done by the creators, Abbott Elementary gives us a look into the lives of teachers. It’s not full of summer holidays.