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But when l was a kid, people called me by lots of names.
Well, they called me everything from spaz to freak.
A: Are you scared Brad? What's wrong?
B: Leave me alone.
One thing my Constant Companion and I agreed on was that we hated school.
Now the shrinks said I was just hyper. I made funny noises and acted weird to draw attention to myself.
Through it all, my constant companion stuck with me.
A: Afternoon, officer. Was I speeding?
B: Twelve miles over the limit.
I guess I was a little distracted
I get that look a lot but I never let it get to me.
What made you decide to go into teaching?
It's all I've ever wanted to do. I feel like I was born to teach.
I explain to them that it's a brain thing that causes me to make strange noises they're like sneezes, irrepressible.
A: How do they react?
B: Once they understand, they're fine with it. It's never caused any problems in a classroom.
All I want is a chance. Just get me the interviews, and let me prove to them that I can do the job.
Who wants a teacher that barks like a dog?
Are you serious? Didn't they look at your resume?
Get changed we gotta go celebrate.
I'll see if she's got a friend. It's about time you started meeting some chicks.
I mean, I wore out his patience like nails on a chalkboard.
Hey guys! quiet down. We do have neighbors you know. Come here.
I want you both to make life a little easier for your mom, okay? You are driving her nuts.
There's nothing wrong with you that a little self-control wouldn't fix.
Hey, listen up we'll stay at my house next time. OK?
This is what everyone is wearing.
You know I wouldn't say this to you if we weren't friends but have you considered an exorcist?
It's a new doctor let's just listen to what he has to say.
Do you resent your father because he doesn't live with you anymore?
He needs to understand that this behavior is totally unacceptable.
On the ball field, I fit right in. I mean, everybody makes funny noises and has strange tics at a baseball game.
Honey, don't eat so fast. You're gonna get the hiccups.
How are you ever going to calm down if you don't do what the doctor tells you to do?
I have a very important announcement to make.
You know what would be nice? One day without you acting up.
How would you guys feel about having a stepmom?
I talked to your mom about it and she's fine with it.
But, what would take a normal person an hour, took me two. Or three.
Trying to concentrate brought out the worst in my Constant Companion.
I know you think you're the class clown, but I've had it with you.
That's what you always say. I don't want to hear any more excuses.
I know you're busy, Norman, I won't take up much of your time but I really think you should hear this.
Boys, keep it down, I'm trying to talk to your Dad!
No. I'm not blaming you.
He is out of control and I'm at the end of my rope.
I'm not being weird on purpose.
Well, I see you only your bachelor's degree. Are you planning to get your Master's?
It's like a sneeze. It's irrepressible.
Well. Strike one. But, like Mom always said, don't ever give up.
That law doesn't mean anything when people are yelling at you to shut up.
It's supposed to be a support group! Where's the support?
It's difficult to imagine that at the age of twelve I would find a genuine philosophy to live by.
To always face my adversity head on.
You seem to have been very successful... in spite of your Tourette's.
You're stressing me out.
It's a look of envy. He's thinking, "How can I make cool noises like that guy? "
Actually, no, she says because my roommate's breath smells so bad.
All right, that sounds great. Where do you want to meet?
Diane's wondering when you're gonna come by. I guess you've been pretty busy with the job hunt. Any luck?
But if you ever do get short, you know you gotta job with me here.
A: What do you think a school's for, Brad?
B: I'm sorry I keep disrupting the class
A: You're not answering my question. What's a school for? To educate, isn't it? To use knowledge to wipe out ignorance?
No, sir. My tics will ruin the music.
Everybody just keep your seats for a minute, please.
Do you like making noises and upsetting people, Brad?
A: But you could control it if you wanted to, right?
B: No, sir. It's a sickness.
A: Well, why can't you just get cured?
B: There isn't any cure. I don't like making noises any more than you like hearing them.
A: What can we do to help you, Brad?
B: I just want to be treated like everybody else.
I had no choice but to prove that Tourette's would never get the best of me.
lf I quit, I would be agreeing with everyone who ever told me I was barking up the wrong tree.
A: But I do have to tell you: this is a tough place to work. We've got some really hard cases.
B: Well, I take that as a challenge. I don't believe that any kid is hopeless. You know, they all want to learn you can't ever give up. You just gotta find the right way to teach them.
Ahh, you got something stuck in your throat? Would you like a drink?
A: How do you expect to handle a bunch of wild students with a handicap like that?
B: Well. By educating them.
You want to teach here, you're gonna have to refrain from making these noises in class.
A: But, don't you want the job ?
B: Yes, actually. I want it really bad. But I would never, ever work for a man who doesn't care about his students.
All he could see when he looked at me was my Tourette's.
Well, if you say so. You know what? Why don't you just throw in the towel and come home, huh? I'll buy you a ticket.
If the Principal wasn't in, I'd give my resume to a secretary or a janitor, and ask them to drop it off when the principal returned.
Didn't you hear what I just said?
Your Dad built his business with his own two hands. You can't blame him for wanting you to be a part of it.
Let me get you a refill.
He just doesn't want to see you get hurt.
You have this gift to teach, and it's not in spite of your Tourette's, it's because of it.
A: Just come on in, tell us why you want to be a teacher.
B: Well, it's all I ever wanted to be.
It's never off-limits to my students. They can ask me anything they want about it at any time.
A: Do you make those noises in your sleep?
B: I don't know. I'm asleep. No, I don't tic in my sleep.
Still, my Constant Companion, as always, warned me not to get my hopes up. But hope is a hard habit to break.
Yes, but you do manage to maintain a little discipline, right?
What do you think is the most important thing you have to teach?
I'm sorry but how can you expect kids to learn when you're doing that all the time?
It's hard to be patient when you feel as though you've blown your last chance.
I know what you mean you don't think anybody would hire me if they had a choice.
Whoa! Are you all right, man? You'll knock yourself out doing that!
I tried to convince myself something good would happen.
Did Mom send you to check up on me?
Where do I put my stuff?
You're just saying that to rattle me because you know I'm going to beat you.
I'm going to have to ask you to stop making those noises.
I can't help making these noises because I have Tourette Syndrome.
Hey, man. We're a twosome and our buddies don't appear to be showing. Would you like to join us?
lf you don't leave, I'm going to have to call security.
How can you stand living in a world where everybody's so ignorant?
A: My life is full of people like that.
B: That's not always been my experience.
Jeff's visit did give me a break from my worries. And, right after he left, I got a call from the school.
The principal wanted to see me in his office. Just like old times.
And, we talked about how proud we are of teaching our kids to never let anything hold them back in life.
And, Hilarie said that if we're gonna talk the talk, we need to walk the walk.
There's your student roster.
I looked down at that roster like I was announcing the starting line-up for an all star baseball game.
Hey, everybody, bring them in. Just put them down anywhere. We'll get them arranged.
Here, let me help you with that.
Yeah, Mom, it's phenomenal, but, you know, it's taken me so long to get here I still have to remind myself that I'm just at the beginning.
I literally have about two weeks of preparation to do in about two days.
Now that I have the job, I gotta really seriously start working on getting my Master's degree.
OK, one thing at a time, all right?
How do you ever expect to have a relationship?
Did your teachers warn you that Mr. Cohen makes funny noises?
Anything you want to know about it, I want you to ask.
A: Is it catching?
B: No. Absolutely not. You have to be born with it, like I was.
A: Does it hurt?
B: Well, sometimes, like when my neck jerks. But the noises do not hurt at all.
A: Can you go to movies?
B: Yes, I can go to movies, but sometimes I get kicked out and that makes me sad.
A: Are they ever gonna make you well, Mr. Cohen?
B: Well. Right now there's no medicine that can cure Tourette's. But, it's okay. Cuz I've learned to accept it and I don't let it ruin my life.
In fact, I can do anything anybody else can do except there is one thing that Mr. Cohen can never do.
Well, that's the right answer but it's the wrong words because there won't be any namecalling in Mr. Cohen's class,
Thomas, if you want to leave your seat, you have to ask for permission.
Which one of you guys thinks that you can help me? Huh?
A: Here's the deal. I need to get this ball and put it back in that bin. Why don't you guys shoot for it?
B: Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!
You want my advice, you'll pass him on to Special Ed.
A: You ever need any cross-country hauling, just call for Maxine.
B: Hey, umm. Do you have a card?
I found myself focusing on teaching all the time.
A: See how you feel after he's trashed a few classes.
B: I'll be all right. I just need to get settled.
Seriously, no. Your noises don't bother me at all. As long as you keep me laughing.
My Dad has always said I was going to marry somebody who made me laugh.
A: My Mom said to ask if it's okay.
B: Is what okay, Heather?
A: I wanna be in your class, Mr. Cohen.
B: You are in my class, Amanda.
A: No. He made them take me out.
I just have to do what's right for my daughter.
A: He's concerned about Amanda's ability to concentrate. He just thought that you'd make it a little harder for her.
B: Can't he just give me a chance? We've only just started.
A: I pointed that out.
B: And?
A: He said he was sympathetic but that Amanda needs as he put it a "normal teacher." Don't take it to heart, Brad. Parents are the hardest part of the job.
A: You don't have permission to leave your seat, Thomas. That's right. Mr. Cohen has eyes in the back of his head. Go back and sit down, please. And next time, ask.
B: But I need to sharpen my pencil.
A: Now, Thomas.
Can you wait right here for just a minute?
I've been meaning to come and speak to you about Heather.
We were just reluctant to tell anybody at first.
Of course it was only a matter of time before the chemo became obvious, so ...
I'd be grateful if you kept our secret a little longer. I just don't want her to be singled out.
A: Hey, what's wrong?
B: Oh, nothing, I'm just focusing on school stuff.
A: Can you focus on me for a minute?
Try this one on! It'll make you feel better.
Oh my goodness, this suits you. More than you know.
A: I've decided it's time to go for my master's degree.
B: Wow, does that mean you'll be going away?
A: No. I'd go locally. Anyhow, I have to pass the entrance test to graduate school first, so...
A: Oh, wait. Isn't that like the SATs? Do you have to take that in a big room with a lot of people?
B: Yeah. They said I could have a room all to myself.
A: Oh, I'm supposed to have special accommodations.
B: I don't have any notation of that. I mean, everybody tests under the same conditions today.
A: They promised and I have the right to special testing accommodations.
B: Listen, I'm sorry about your disability but there isn't anything I can do.
Isn't there anyone you can call for help?
A: Good luck on the test.
B: As it turned out, I needed more than just Dad's good luck. I needed time.
I failed to get all the way through the test.
A: Can I pet Waffle?
B: You bet you can pet Waffle.
All right. Come on, I'll walk you to your room.
You know you're not supposed to leave the class without asking.
Well, you're going to clean that up. And then, you're on detention: no recess.
A: Yeah. Reading's really hard for me.
B: It's not hard for you. You're a teacher.
A: It's hard to concentrate. That's how hard reading is for me. It's not that hard for you, is it?
B: No. It's easy for me.
I'm not going to give up on you, buddy. OK? And I'm not going to let you give up on yourself.
Thank you. That's helpful.
I can't believe I'm finally meeting Nancy.
A: Well, that's more than he tells me about you
B: What? I tell you all about Nancy.
A: Oh, you never tell me the real stuff.
A: So, are you exhausted?
B: No.
C: Oh, good. Because we've got a pedicure appointment in an hour.
Mom's going a little overboard making Nancy feel like family.
I never dared think about it.
Well, what if one day she stops laughing? What if one day she gets fed up of living with someone like me?
The only thing that can hurt either of you is if you let Tourette's drive her away from you.
Heather's mother had called to say Heather was no longer able to attend school. So, the class all pitched in to cheer her up.
The news we'd all been dreading came a few weeks later...
A: Sir, they're about to start the service.
B: You go ahead.
Weird. Anybody not on Thomas's team know what that word means?
Who can use the word weird in a sentence?
The girl in pigtails.
But what if someone comes up to you and they say, "Hey, you! Yeah, you. I'm talking to you. You're weird." Is it still a good word?
OK, everyone, stay in your seat.
Everyone line up by the door and no running.
Eli! What did I tell you? All right, no pulling the horn. Or else you guys are coming down.
A: I like Nancy. She reminds me of your Mom when we first met.
B: They don't look anything alike.
A: I'm not talking about looks.
Why do I feel like you're still embarrassed by me? And it's okay, Dad, you can admit it.
It is tough being with you sometimes. I hate it when we go to restaurants and people give you those looks.
You know, I've always been a guy who could fix things... but the one thing I could never fix was the one thing that was hurting you most.
We were at recess and she said she needs to see you in your classroom. I think it might have to do with next year.
Would you come over here a moment, please? Hilarie's got an announcement to make.
Some of you may have noticed an observer hanging around school the last few weeks. Well, he was here to assess one of our teachers.
A: I don't know what you're so nervous about. You're in front of a crowd every day.
B: Well, these aren't second-graders.
A: Oh, man, I wish I was invisible.
B: Well, that is something you'll never have to worry about.
I owe this award to all of them.
That's really weird. I mean, what could I possibly learn from a disability?
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