Weekend Film Clip: “Full Metal Jacket” and Classroom Management

This clip is primarily for my fellow teachers who are decompressing for the summer.  One of my all-time favorites, Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket may not be the most accurate Vietnam film (that honor probably goes to Platoon), but probably the most memorable.   The reason lies in the performance of R. Lee Ermey, a former Marine that gives a mesmerizing performance as Gunnery Sergeant Hartmann, a brutal Marine Corps drill instructor.  This clip is Ermey’s first 10 minutes of film, and this may be plenty for anyone.

This film is definitely much too harsh for the classroom, so it’s mostly intended for teachers who can’t wait for school to be over.  If you had a particularly tough class this year, relax this weekend and fantasize about Sgt. Hartmann tearing into one of your little brats, making them a blubbering mess.  He’d be a magnificent teacher!

And always remember, “Sound off like you’ve got a pair!”