Heidi's Blog

CATCH The WAVE? NOT!

I am a substitute teacher and recently worked in a high school English class. During the class we watched a movie called, "The Wave." It was based on an actual story that took place in a California High School, if I remember correctly, in the 1970's. The movie made such an impression that I have not been able to stop thinking about the events depicted in the movie.

The movie begins in a HS History classroom where the teacher is talking about Hitler and his regime and the atrocious crimes they committed. The students question how that many deaths and crimes could occur without the German people realizing and doing something to stop Hitler's killing. I cannot remember the actual number, just how I felt like the student questioning the teacher--the numbers were too staggering to be ignored. The teacher doesn't know the answer to the students question, so he goes home and researches the details of Hitler's methods.

The teacher decides in the process to put Hitler's practices in his own classroom, sort of his own experiment. He first teaches the students to sit up properly, with backs straight. He introduces his new policy in answering questions that include standing next to your desk, addressing him formally as sir, then giving your answer. He then turns it into a game, to see how quickly and efficiently it takes the students to get to their seats from the hallway, and be completely ready for the beginning of class. The first day is all a game and everyone gets into the spirit of the whole thing. The teacher has no intention of going any further with the experiment until he arrives the next day in class to all of his students sitting up straight and uniformly prepared for class. He can't resist the response of the students and decides to carry on with the experiment. To make a long story short, it isn't too long before the teacher has a large following of his new secret, (but not really very secret) society. It becomes an issue on the campus of the school and the popularity of his society begins to cause reactions from other teachers as well as contention within the studentbody. He eventually ends the experiment by calling an exclusive assembly only for those who have joined the "Wave." The assembly is to introduce the leader of their society. He then shows Hitler on the TV.
What is so interesting is to see the response of those involved as the experiment grows day by day. The teacher, himself, gets caught up in the whole experience because he now has students who are well behaved and paying attention to every word. There is no talking out or talking while he is talking. He is receiving respect and regard from his students. What teacher doesn't long for that kind of classroom experience? The teacher had complete control.
The teacher also specifically chose a young man who was an outsider in the normal classroom, to be an example of correct dress. He became the focus by the "ruler" (teacher) because fo the enthusiastic way this young man adhered himself to the new rules and expectations of the new class regime. As spectators we witnessed the change as this outsider student became a part of his classmates and even a leader. A kid who no one would sit with or talk to became an advisor and leader of his peers. The effect on the student was evident. He now felt apart of the crowd and important. It was evident how easily the teacher could recruit faithful followers by appealing to a weakness or unfulfilled desire.
Even some parents as portrayed by one of the student's dad, jumped on the bandwagon because the outcomes produced seemed so positive. Boys that had never studied or done their homework, were now choosing studying and working over other activities. The results were so great, so great that they were too good to be true.
It took a mother to point out that instead of teaching history and allowing students to learn and think for themselves, this teacher was producing, non-thinking, robots. The mother's criticisms caused her daughter to see the events taking place in the classroom as curbing her freedom and ability to think and act as an individual. She awakened her daughter to what was really going on and the oppressive actions of the teacher. This student was a good student who often knew the right answers. When she tried to convince her classmates of the error of the direction the class was taking, it was shocking to see how even her closest friends turned on her. So thrilling was the idea that now they were as smart and important as she used to be, they were unwilling to give credit to anything she was saying.
The viewers of the movie observed how Hitler's methods appealed to so many people, their egos, their weaknesses causing them to be blind to his horrible acts. The participantes in the "cause" experienced first-hand how many of the Germans were probably entangled in Hitler's destructive designs. The movie was eye opening in showing how often what seems so positive and worthy of our support due to the effects immediately produced, can in actuality be oppressive, segregating in nature and, an infringement on our freedoms and rights to think, act, and govern ourselves. The interesting point that the teacher brought out in the end, was the human tendency to want to deny that they ever participated or made the decisions they did during their "Wave"experience. He expressed the hope that they would not forget or deny, but let their experience act as a deterrent to future participation in anything like it.
I will be ever grateful for being in class to watch and vicariously participate in the "Wave." It reminded me of how precious and fragile our freedoms are. We need to be vigilant in protecting our right to think and choose for ourselves according to our own conscience and not a collective, mob like mentality. It is important to be aware and awake to those hidden agendas that seem innocent, positive or equalizing, that are really binding and eventual bondage to a cause that goes against anything decent.
I don't even know if you can find a copy of this movie outside of the education community, but in my mind it is a movie worth finding and watching. I had an even better idea. Ask your teenager if they have seen the movie and how they felt about what happened.