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Gaba teacher steers student to cinematic success

TOKYO, Japan (GTA) - Recently hired, Shawn Hill is quickly making himself known around the Shinagawa East school. Not content with merely teaching English--Shawn has taken his role as teacher one step further.

"A lot of times, I'll have a student tell me that they are going to rent Mr. and Mrs. Smith from the video store. I just shake my head...I mean there are way better choices. I try to encourage my students to see the latest Coen brothers movie if it ever comes to Japan. Although I haven't made up my mind on the new Mel Gibson movie. I mean, as I have explained to my students, it will difficult for me to put aside the controversy involved," Shawn explained. "Make no mistake, I'll still be recommending several other of my favorite Gibson movies such as Braveheart. Also, a lot of students have overlooked Ransom. I really thought that it was overlooked by most critics."

However, for each student Shawn has saved, another slips through the cracks.

A while back, a student told me they liked Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Carribbean. So, I said 'If you like that, you should see Ed Wood...It's easily Depp's best.' But then a month later, I followed up on the student and they hadn't even taken the time to rent it."

Many would just give up.

"Yeah, I suppose there are times when I ask myself, why bother? Poor me. Why try to fill student lesson records with encouragement to see Goodfellas? When I know the student will just end up with Miss Congeniality 2," Hill lamented.

"But there's always that one student. If I can make a small difference in one person's cinematic life, it is enough to keep me going."

Shawn's advice has not been limited to film. He has also made countless efforts to provide travel advice--in case the students ever visit the metro Pittsburgh area.

"I know that one day, one of my students might be livin' it up in the burgh. And hopefully, they will be smart enough to check out the Andy Warhol Museum on the North Side."

"Or the kick-ass Jimmy Stewart Museum we have downtown," he added.

The Gaba Teachers Association: Serving teachers at Gaba Japan, Nova Japan, Geos Japan, Aeon Japan, ECC Japan, and Berlitz Japan since 2005. The Gaba Teachers Association is dedicated to reporting the latest news from the English school industry. This is a site for that covers all news that impacts those who teach English in Japan. If you are teaching English at NOVA, GEOS, Berlitz, ECC or any other Eikaiwa school, check us out.
The GABA TEACHERS ASSOCIATION is the most provoc-ative name in eikaiwa news today. Since 1994, the Gaba Teachers Association has been dedicated to reporting the latest news from the English school industry in Japan.