Insightful Human Dog: Haberek Webisodic Review

In an eight part series, Human Dog Productions has created an insightful and shockingly honest documentary profile of Ben Haberek. Haberek follows a high school math teacher in metro Detroit, Mr. Haberek, as he has become disenfranchised with teaching in the weeks before summer break of his seventh teaching year. Beat down by students, parents and administrators, Haberek takes you to the front of the classroom and shows it's really like for a teacher who has poured his heart in to the job, but doesn't know if he's getting anything back.

In one of the most standout episodes, episode five, Mr. Haberek debates with a student over the benefits of private versus public school students. Is it a conspiracy? Why does the administration keep dumbing down the curriculum? Is free quality education really a right, or a responsibility?

Haberek doesn't paint a politically correct picture of how teachers should think. It even leaves you wondering how a teacher could feel secure enough in their job to go on the record in such a way without some retribution.

In one of the funniest episodes, episode three, Mr. Haberek and fellow teacher Mr. Brown show how they used to patrol the restrooms for smokers, and effectively at that. But when trying to discipline the students, the administration didn't support them. Before long Mr. Haberek and Mr. Brown begin to stop even trying to catch the students. What's the point when the administration doesn't even believe them?

The final episodes flashes forward more than a year. Test scores are still bad, students still aren't paying attention, No Child Left Behind is starting to leave its mark, and to make it worse the teachers union is in a nasty battle with the district.

Haberek is distinctly just one person's story, but an important one for anyone concerned about the future of America's education.

There are eight episodes in all, including the flash forward and run about five to seven minutes each. The files are on the smaller side, but provide plenty of quality. As striking as the images are, what people are saying is the most important part. Editing is simple but effective, it has a very raw documentary feel to it that matching to tone of the context.

You can view the full series here.