"My name is Bradley Cohen," "But when I was a kid, people called me by lots of names." "My brother Jeff called me Dr Bobo" "My mom called me... honey" "And the kids at school... well, they called me everything, from spas to freak" "I didn't have many friends, actually" "But I did have a constant companion" "I can barely remember the time it wasn't there" "Now, sometimes it wasn't a problem for me" "Other times...it was" "Chrop-chopp" " Chrop boy!" "Scared, Brad?" "Stop it!" "Throw!" "What is going on?" "Come on, bring it on!" "Stop that fighting right now!" "come on!" "Get back to class!" "Chrop-chop!" "Stop that nonsense!" "Wap-wap.." "You are in big trouble, mister" "The girl fell in the mud and got dirty" "One thing my constant companion and I agreed on was that we hated school." "I couldn't wait till I got out." "No more homework, no more books, no more teachers' dirty looks." "wa-wa-quap (everybody laughing)" "My companion first showed up when I was six but it was years before it had a name" "Now, the shrink said I was just hyper." "I made funny noises and acted weird to draw attention to myself." "It was just a face." "I'd grow out of it and be normal like everybody else." "Wop-wop!" "Through it all, my constant companion stuck with me." "Now, to my friends" "I'm just regular old Brad" "The guy who likes baseball" "And who loves cheesy 80's music" "Which they think is much weirder than the noises I make." "Pa-pa-pa-pa-baby" "Don't forget my number baby" "Afternoon, officer." "Was I speeding?" "12 miles over the limit." "St. Luis, ha?" "You're a tourist?" "No." "I live in Atlanta now." "I just moved here." "I" "I guess I was a little distracted." "Sir, 've you been drinking?" "No...no sir, I have a Tourette syndrome" "Take it easy, son" "I'm gonna need you to sign" "So, what kind of job are you looking ofr?" "Teaching." "I'm gonna be a teacher" "Aha." "I get this look a lot" "But I never let it get to me." "I see you have a BA from Bradley university" "That's in Illinois, isn't it?" " Yes, ma'm." "Graduated cumma laude." "High recommendations" "Your student teaching evales are outstanding." "Excellent." "What made you decide to go into teaching?" "It's all I ever wanted to do." "I feel like I was born to teach." "Wop!" "Why choose Atlanta?" "I mean" " Missuori is your home" "Yeah..." "No, I'm thinking of becoming a Brave's fan" "So I..." "Jeorge is my Illinois teaching certificate" "Plus, I fell in love with Atlanta when I worked down here as a camp counselor" "I live here now" "So does my dad and my step-mom." "Well, it's nice to have family here to give you support." "Maybe we should talk about the elephant?" "Elephant?" " In the room." "My tourettes." "No, the Americans with Disabilities Act doesn't allow me to ask.." " I know" "But I would like to tell you." "Just like I tell the kids in my classes." "See, I explain it to them that it's a brain thing" "That causes me to make these strange noises" "They are like sneezes." "Irrepressible." "When you have to - you have to." "HOw do they react?" "Once they understand, they are fine with it." "It's never caused a problem in the classroom." "All I want is a chance." "Just get me the interviews and let me prove to them that I can do the job." "The Americans with Disabilities Act says I'm entitled to a chance." "Ron!" " How did it go?" "Err..you know..." "Who wants a teacher who barks like a dog?" "You should try another line of work." "Are you serious?" "Didn't they look at your resume?" "Ah!" "you're kidding me!" "They are setting up some interviews with some principals." "Fantastic!" "When?" "I don't know, I gotta wait for their calls." "Get changed, we 're gonna go celebrate." "Haven't you got a date?" "Elis, see if she's got a friend." "It's about time you started meeting some chicks" "I can't focus on dating right now." "Has anybody ever told you that you 're obsessive?" "...Only every shrink I ever saw." "Well, have fun focusing." "Oh, your Dad called againg." "Maybe you should call him back." "You know?" "I'll see you later." "Returning Dad's call?" "I'd have to prepare for that." "See, Mom and Dad had divorced when I was a little kid and my relashionship with Dad had always been..." "I mean, I wore out his patience like nails on a chalkboard." "It didn't help that my brother Jeff was also a little hyper" "Dad said he is waiting to get back to his room in Atlanta." "He is waiting to say good-bye." " Bye!" "You 're gonna make him mad!" " Shut up!" "Come on, I'll race ya!" "Git's the green dragon, ya gotta be kidding!" "Sucker!" " Cheater!" "See you, Jeff!" " That's not fair!" "Oh, come on!" "You're not gonna beat me!" "Oh, that's not fair!" "You gotta fight!" "Quiet down, guys, quiet down!" "We do have neighbours, you know!" "Come here!" " You see, I did beat you!" "Yeah." "Calm down." "Brad, come here." "Come on, honey, focus, will you?" "Come here." "Come here, stand here." "Listen, listen up." "Focus, please" "All right?" "I need you guys to do me a favor." "I want you both to make life a little easier for your mom, ok?" "You are driving her nuts!" "Guys, listen.." "Hey, hey, stop it!" "Brad!" "Help her out around the house, but most of all let us - stop the obnoxious behavior!" "Hey, listen!" "I mean it!" "Ok?" "Quit the clowing!" "Your brother may think it's funny but I don't." "I can't help it!" "Yes you can, there is nothing wrong with you, it's a little self-control wouldn't fix." "Now, stop it!" "Norman?" " Yeah!" " They are not gonna hold that plane for you." "Ok, all right!" "Ok, give me a hug." "See you, Dad!" " bye-bye, J-man!" "I love you, Dad!" " I love you too, kiddo." "And listen up - we'll stay in my house next time, ok?" "I'll get tickets to a Brave's game." "And Brad?" "Remember, what we talked about?" "Self control, all right?" "ok?" "You need any help with anything, Ma?" " Well, now that you mention it.." "After the divorce, Jeff and I helped Mom with her new business." "Sort of a high-class traveling botique." "Well, maybe "helped" isn't exactly the right word." "Oh, Ellen, these things are exquisite." "You'd never find styles like these in St. Louis." "It was direct from California." "Beverly Hills." "This is what everybody is wearing." "Look at this..." "Boys!" "boys!" " Hide-and-seek?" "You count!" "one. two..." "Now, Ellen, I don't wanna see anything in double digits." "Honey, everything in California runs small." "Go ahead, just try it on!" "Wha-whap!" "whap!" " Brad, would you please calm down." "He is barking like a dog, for Goodness sake!" "Now look." "Don't take this a wrong way, you know I wouldn't say this to you, if we weren't friends." "But have you considered an exorcist?" "You know, I think you might face the fact that you are size 12." "I can cut the label out to make you feel better." "It's a new doctor, let's listen to what he has to say." "I know what he has to say..." "Do you feel any anger toward your mother, because of the divorce?" "Wha.." "No." "No." "You resent your father becaus he doesn't live with you anymore?" "No" "Do you blame yourself for the divorce, Brad?" "It happened when I was a little kid." "I hardly even remember." "Mrs. Cohen, Brad has some serious denial issues regarding the divorce." "What he needs at home are some clear boundaries." "He needs to understand that this behavior is totally unacceptable and that, Mrs Cohen, is your job." "The hardest part was knowing how tough I made things for Mom." "I tried as best as I could for her." "Make sure he keeps taking his medication, yeah?" "And for Dad ..." "I played sports." "On the ball field I fit right in." "I mean, everybody makes funny noises and has strange tics at the baseball game." "Go on, bobo!" "Get him in, Brad, get him in!" "Thank you very much." " Ok, what can I get you?" "Hey, guys!" "I've got something pretty exiting to tell you!" "Honey, don't eat so fast, you gonna get the hiccups." "He's always got the hiccups." " You're a hiccup, j-juch!" "Listen, would you just relax?" "Mom says you're not taking your meds." "How are you ever gonna calm down if you don't do what the doctor tells you to do?" "Pills just make it worse." " Oh, I see, so you're a doctor now, too, heh?" "He's Doctor Bobo!" " Shut up!" "All right guys, listen, guys." "I have a very important announcement to make." "Guys?" "GUYS?" "All right, that's it, we 're going back to the car." "Come on." "I'm still hungry." " You know what 'd be nice?" "One day!" "without you acting up." "One!" "So, what's the announcement, Dad?" "I've been seeing somebody." "What do you mean - seeing somebody?" "Her name is Dianne, and she ..." "Brad, please!" "Stop doing that!" "I can't." "I mean, nothing has happened yet, but how'd you guys feel about having a step-mom?" "No way!" "We've already got a Mom." " Well, now you're gonna have two." "I've talked to your mom about it, and she is fine with it." "She said..." "I said, STOP IT!" "STOP IT!" "You see, I couldn't really blame Dad for losing it." "My tics drove him nuts." "Because, like my teachers, he had no name for my strange behavior." "Except - insufferable." "Now, somehow" " I don't know how" " I made OK grades." "But what would take a normal person an hour, took me two or three." "I mean" " I love learning. but I hated, HATED reading!" "Trying to concentrate brought out the worst in my constant companion." "Brad!" "Come up here, please." "I know you think you are the class clown, but I've had it with you!" "I can't -wha--can't help it." " That's what you always say." "I don't wanna hear any more excuses." "Your classmates are trying to study..." "And your clowing makes it impossible." "I'm sorry." " Don't apologize to me." "Apologize to them." "Eyes up here, everyone." "Sit up straight, please." "Brad has something to say to you." "I'm sorry, I ...that you can't study because of me." "And..." "You promise never to make any more silly noises ever again." "Promise I won't make any more silly noises ever again" "Take your seat." "All of you - back to your books!" "As difficult as this may be for you, Mrs Cohen, I assure you - the teachers are at their wits' end" "I understand that, of course" " No, this can be the last chance." "I mean" " THE very last chance" "Brad!" "Look, I sent for your mother, because things have just gotten out of control here." "Now, she's gonna take you home today..." "You can come back..." "I can't help it." " Sorry, what did you say?" "He said, he can't help it." " Right." "What if he is telling the truth?" "Huh?" "You've got a bright boy, Mrs Cohen, but making excuses for him..." "Making excuses is not going to help." "Now, he needs to use this time to ask himelf this question" " Come on, Brad, let's go!" " why am I sabotaging myself." "I don't care if they expell me." "I hate that school!" "Well, it's that school or another school..." "I hate all schools." "Why are we going here?" " To find some answers." "I can't go in the library." "They'll throw me out." "Please, Mom..." "All right." "Come here." "Sit over here." "Well, maybe we're just going down the wrong track." " Who?" " All of us." "Get off me!" "Djha-wah-wha " "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 talking to your Dad." " I wanna talk to him!" " In a minute, keep it down!" "Listen, you know those teachers and that doctor." "To them, it's all about bad parenting, which of course comes down to me, because I'm the only one here." "No, I'm not blaming you, Norman." "In fact, I'm gonna stop blaming myself." "I was talking to a friend, and she thinks that the doctors are missing something." "I got this stuff of medical books from the library and I've been doing a little bit of research" "Stop saying he just needs more discipline, Norman!" "Nothing I do, helps." "He is out of control and I'm at the end of my rope." "Can I talk to Dad?" " Can you just wait a minute, honey?" "Mom!" " All right, give him back to me when you're done." " What is it, Jeffrey?" "Hi Dad!" "No, it was a great game!" "I had two base hits in a walk." "Sorry I cause you so much trouble, Mom!" "I want you to read something in this book I found." "It's a medical book that might explain why you make all those noises." "I can't read it, Mom." " Read." "Tourette syndrom." "That's Brad, isn't it?" "The noises and the twitches" "I still need to do more tests, but... you could be right." "We may've been headed out the wrong road here." "I've never actually seen a case of Tourette's before." "So at last, my constant companion had a name." "This says there is no cure." "But that may have changed, this is an old book." "That hasn't changed, Mrs Cohen." "I'm very sorry." "Yeah, but they are still looking for a cure, right?" "I mean, they will find one, won't they?" "They have...have to..." "It's ok, Mom." "We can do this, all right?" "See, there is a reason, Dad." "I haven't been weird on purpose." "Listen, Brad..." "I..." "Right." "Well, that's all I wanted to say." "Bye." "Finally, my Dad believed me.But he never believed IN me." "That I would succeed." "That I could teach." "Cha-Wap-wa..cha.." "Hello, this is Brad." "A dog?" "Yes." "Yes, ma'm, that's my dog." "Aha.Ok, yes." "Yes, I can be there 11 a.m." "My very first interview." " Great, that sounds great." "Ok, thank you." "I tried not to overreact." "I held in my tics." "After the first call, I got two more." "Three interviews with three principals." "Needless to say, my constant companion was more than a little enthusiastic." "Well, I see you only have your Bachelor's degree." "Are planning to get your Masters?" "Yes, sir." "As soon as I can." "We don't require for entry level.." "But if you're serious..." " I'm very serious." "I want to make teaching my life." "I..." "I make these noises because I have a Tourette syndrome." "I'd like to tell you about it." "It's a neurological disoreder, where my brain sends mixed signals to my body." "It's like sneeze, it's irrepressible." "Three weeks, and..to get off." " Ok." "Thanks very much." " Take care." "Well, strike one." "But, like Mom always said - don't ever give up." "When I was little, Mom never stopped researching." "Because, while there was no cure, there might be ways to live a normal life." "It's a church, Mom." " Honey, you're not gonna have to get a Bible lesson." "This is just a support group." "Do I have to?" " You need to connect with other people who have Tourette's." "Let's find out how they live with it." "Ok?" "Let's do it." "I'm not going in there." "I'd never seen anyone with Tourette's syndrome before." "There were eye-blinkers and nose-twitchers, foot stampers and neck-jerkers." "Some of them yelped, coughed." "Is this what I looked like to other people?" "Come on, Bobo." "We are here to learn." "Start learning." "The Americans with Disabilities Act gives us the right to do anything or go any place we want to." "Try going to a movie." "Or a concert, or a restaurant." "All this doesn't mean anything when people yell at you to shut up." "I come home, and my parents close the windows and blinds,' cause they don't want the neighbors to see me tick." "No one was even trying to be accepted." "The adults were out of work, the kids stayed at home." "I knew one thing:" "I didn't wanna be like them" "Even the coach on his team won't accept him." "Oh, I had had it." "Of course, you're homeschooling, too." "No, Brad goes to school, like any other kid." "These kids aren't like any other kids." "School is a waste of time for them." "I took him out of the third grade, just to save my sanity." "You want my advice?" "You'll do the same." "Yeah." "Thanks." "Let's go, Bobo." "It's supposed to be a support group." "Where is the support?" "Just hide away for the rest of your life?" "I'm really so sorry that I brought you there, honey." "Let's just forget this." "I don't wanna forget this, Mom." "These people let Tourette's win." "I'm never gonna do that." "It's difficult to imagine that at the age of 12 I would find a genuine philosophy to live by." "But here it was, this defining moment - to always face my adversity head on." "When I went to my next interview, I decided to be even more upfront." "Get the Tourette's staff out of the way first, and then dazzle them with my approach to teaching." "You seem to have been very successful inspite of your Tourette's" "I worked very hard to become the best teacher I can be." " Thank you for coming in, I'll let you know." " Thanks." "So much for being upfront." "For my third interview, I decided to avoid discussing my Tourette's at all." "Each weak I like to send home a progess report to my students' parents" "I like to give my students a voice in learning, to be hands-on and interactive in the classroom" "But also to keep the parents closely involved." "Ron, it was a huge mistake not mentioning my Tourette's" "It was like...you know..." "I was trying to hide it." " Fat chance!" "Ok. that's the negative." " No the negative is you gotta stop stressing out." "You're stressing me out." " But the positive is that - hey, the agency had no problem with it, right?" "I just..." "I got to wait for the call." "The positive is: you're coming out with me." "My new girl friend, she has a roommate." " Will you stop trying to set me up?" "When I'm ready to date, I'll date." "Come on, she's heard all about you, and she still wants to meet you." "Oh, thanks." "Real kind!" "Listen, I wanna relax, ok?" "I wanna watch the Braves." " We all wanna watch the Braves." "Get changed!" "Ron tells me you are on a big job-hunt." "How is it going?" "Pretty good." "Except no one has hired me yet." "I guess they are all too busy fighting to get to me." "You do this?" " Yeah." " I'm impressed by this." "You should be." " I was not expecting this." "That's amazing!" " But I'm pretty good." " You are." "So, you are really a sports-fan." " Yes, big time." "Soccer, softball, tennis." "I played a lot in college, but not good enough for the pros." "I hear that because I wish I was good enough to be him." " Who?" " Him." "Oh, you wanna be a mascot." "His name is Homer." "And it's a life-long ambition." "Don't look now." " Ok." " Don't look now." "There is this guy behind us, and I don't know what his problem is." "Keeps staring." " Ah." "I actually get that look a lot." "It's a look of envy," "He is thinking: how can I make cool noises like that guy." "You have such a great attitude about your..." "Bye, Homer." "Bye, Ron. - bye-bye." "So, that must have gone well, heh?" "Did you ask her out again?" "Yeah, I asked. but it's second-date syndrome." "You know" " I'm a great guy, she had a lot of fun, but..." "Your ticks are just too cool for her." "No, actually she said because my roommate's breath smells so bad." "What do you mean?" " You know what I mean." "This is Brad." "Hi, Dad." "No, Ron told me you called, I just..." "I've been so busy that.." "No, I haven't had lunch yet." "All right, that sounds great." "Where d'you wanna meet?" "Lunch at Dad's work." "He wouldn't have to worry about my noises there." "Let me know if you need any more of those trusses, ok?" "Hey!" "Cheap in on you way!" " Yeah." "Let's grab lunch outside my office. a little more private." "All right." "Dianne is wondering when you're gonna come by." "Guess you've been pretty busy with the job-hunting." "Any luck?" " Still interviewing." "How's that going?" "Are they giving you any trouble with your..." "You can say the word, Dad." "Tourette's." "Some of them are, some of them aren't." "How's your money holding out?" " I'm not asking you for money." "I know that." "You never ask me for anything." "No." " But if ever you do get short, you know you get a job with me..." " I'm gonna teach, Dad." "Ok?" "I can't let anything get in the way of that." "Ok." "I'm just saying there is nothing wrong with keeping your options open, in case things don't work out." "You know, there are other things besides teaching." " Not for me." "Dad could never understand my optimism." "Like when I graduated to middle school." "I was really hopeful things would be different." "What's the matter, Brad?" "Eating alone?" " Make a fresh start." "New school." "New friends." "Same result." "Today we're gonna be talking about fractions." "Fractions are your friend." "You use fractions in everyday life, and - cha-chap - you just don't realize it." "For example, say your mother bakes a pie..." "She cuts the..." "Cohen!" "Just go to the principal's office." "Not the best way to introduce myself to the principal." "What do you think a school is for, Brad?" "I'm sorry I keep disrupting the class." " You're not answering my question." "What's the school for?" "To educate, isn't it?" "To use knowledge to wipe out ignorance." "School's orchestra is having a concert this afternoon, you're planning on going?" " No sir." "My tics will ruin the music." " I want you to be there." "Everybody, just keep your seats for a minute, please." "Thank you." "Enjoyed the concert?" "Nice job!" "Did you hear any noises during the quiet parts?" " Yes!" "Yes, so did I. They are pretty annoying, aren't they?" "The person making those noises is Brad Cohen." "Come on up here, Brad." "Do you like making noises and upsetting people, Brad?" "No, sir." "Then why do you do it?" "Because I have Tourette syndrome." "What's that?" "It's the thing in my brain that causes me to make rude noises." "But you could control it, if you wanted to, right?" "No, sir." "It's a sickness." "Well, why can't you just get cured?" "There isn't any cure." "I don't like making noises any more than you like hearing them." "They are even worse when I get stressed." "When you don't accept that I can't stop them." "But when I feel accepted, then they are not so bad." "What can we do?" "And I mean - everyone in this school." "What can we do to help you, Brad?" "I just want to be treated like everybody else." "Good job." "Go sit down." "A few words, a little education, and it was like opening a door to a brand new world." "Now, some day, some way I knew:" "Tourette's or no Tourette's, I was going to be a teacher." "I had no choice but to prove Tourette's would never get the best of me." "If I quit, I will be agreeing with everyone who had ever told me I was barking up the wrong tree." "Sorry about the air conditioning, it's supposed to have been fixed by now." "Well, your resume looks ok, and we do have an opening in the fifth grade." "But I do have to tell you, this is a tough place to work." "We've got some really hard cases." "I'll take this as a challenge." "I don't believe that any kid is hopeless." "I mean, they all wanna learn." "You can't ever give up on them, you just gotta find the right way to teach them." "You got something stuck in your throat, would you like a drink?" "I have tourette syndrome.I'd like to tell you about it." " Tourette - isn't that when you yell out obscenities?" "That's corpolalia." "It's a rare symptom." "A small percentage of people with Tourette's have it." "I don't." "Listen, they didn't tell me that you're gonna be handicapped." "How do you expect to handle a bunch of wild students, with a handicap like that?" "Well...by educating them." "I'll let them know that it's OK to talk about it." " These students would laugh at you." "Not...not when they understand that's simply a matter of..." "I've seen teachers with disabilities before." "And never with what you've got." "I just don't see how you could ever teach a class." " I can teach." "Look at my resume." "Look at it!" "I was very successful as a student teacher." "My Tourette's has never posed a problem." "I can teach." "Ok, bottom line." "I need somebody now for the fifth grade." "You want to teach here - you're gonna have to refrain from making these noises in class." "You know what..." "Thank you very much for the interview." " But don't you want the job?" "Yes, actually, I want it really bad." "But I would never, ever work for a man who doesn't care about his students." "So, I'll take my portfolio and take no more of your time." "You got a great boss." "It was the worst interview I've ever had." "The only thing he could see when he looked at me was my Tourettes." "It's all any of them see." "Oh, honey, if they can't see what a great teacher you would be, it's their failure, not yours." "Well, it sure seems like my failure." "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 the ticket." "I'm not saying thet." " Really?" "It sounds like that's what you're saying." "It sounds like you're letting Tourette's win." "I'm not letting Tourette's win." " Really?" " Yes, really." "Look, I'm never gonna give up, I just..." "I have to find the right school." " You will, Bobo." "You will." "So, I decided it wasn't tourette's." "I just hadn't found the right school yet." "I'd keep barking and I wasn't quitting until I found that principal." "I made a map of every school where I hadn't interviewd." "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 principle returned." "I didn't care." "I needed a job." "I wasn't gonna stop, until I had." "You'll be starting at the bottom, but that's no big deal." "That's where I started." "You're working from 7 to 4." " I told you this only part-time." "I need to keep my mornings open for interviews." "I thought that schools had started already." " No, not all of them." "Well, we'll see what happens." "Here're your tools of the train." "Just for the time-being." "Like I said, bottom." "But every job is important here, and - who knows - maybe you'll end up liking it." "And if you put your time in..." " Did you hear what I just said?" "I'm only working here until I get a teaching job." "All that stuff has to go in the dumpster." "The hiring season was ending." "My interviews had dried up." "School had started." "I was running out of time and money." "And hope." "Dianne." " I gave up on you ever coming to me, so I just came to you." "You busy?" "It was my stepmom Dianne, trying to build bridges with bagels." "Your Dad built his business with his own two hands, you can't blame him for wanting you to be a part of it." "He's just being a Dad." "He wants you in his life." "So, how do you like Atlanta?" "got to meet any nice girls?" "I'm just saying all the right things,heh?" " Let me get you a refill." "Brad." "You Dad loves you." "So much." "He just doesn't wanna see you get hurt." "The only thing that hurts is the fact that he has never accepted who I am." "See, he's got this idea of a perfect son, who is normal and does normal things." "Well, I'm never gonna be normal." "Or maybe that's not his idea, Brad." "Maybe, that's yours." "And you're right." "You are not normal." "You have a gift." "To teach." "And it's not in spite of your Tourette's ." "It's because of it." "I have to go." "Hello, this is Brad." "Yes, that's a sheep-dog." "Yep, right, Brad cohen. 10 o'clock is perfect for me." "Absolutely." "Ok, great." "You must be Brad Cohen." "I'm the principal around here." " Hillary Streick, assistant principal." "Come on in the office, Brad." " We heard you coming all the way from the parking lot." "You've been making the rounds. - 25 schools so far." "And here is my resume." "We're gonna look at it in a minute, Brad." "Just come on in and tell us why you wanna be a teacher." "Ok, it's a..." "It's all I ever wanted to be." "Ever since I was in school." "You must have had some pretty inspiring teachers." "Oh, well." "I had an inspiring principal, Mr Myer." "But my teachers, they really inspired me to be the kind of teacher they never were." "Waht kind of teacher is that?" "One who makes it possible for a kid to learn, even if he is different." "In a way, the best teacher I ever had was my Tourette's." "You don't have to talk about..." " No, that's ok." "I make a point of being open about it." "It's never off the list to my students. they can ask me anything they want about it any time." "You must get some pretty interesting questions." " Oh, yeah." "Sometimes it gets really personal." "I hope this question isn't too personal, Brad." "Do you make those noises in your sleep?" "I don't know." "I'm asleep." "No, I don't tic in my sleep." "When I'm relaxed, the noises give me a little bit of a break." "Like just now." "Ok, Brad." "I wanna hear more about your teaching philosophy." "Yeah, I'd love to tell you about my teaching philosophy." "We talked for nearly 2 hours." "It was the best interveiw I had ever had." "Well, Brad." "It was a pleasure to meet you." " You, too." "We've still got a few more teachers to interview, but we'll let you know when we've made a decision." "Great." "Thank you" " Thank you." "Still, my constant companion, as always, warned me not to get my hopes up." "But hope is a hard habit to break." "I was called one last time adn asked to come in and meet with the second grade staff." "Oh, so you as student taught second grade?" "I love second grade. the kids are still so open-minded." "They are oped to everything." "Yes, but you do manage to maintain a little discipline, right?" "While they are being so open?" "I do let them know what the boundaries are, yes." "So Brad, what do you think is the most important thing you have to teach?" "Well, besides the importance of reading and the value of math, that it's ok to be yourself." "It's ok to color outside the lines, if that's who you are." "So, it's ok to ignore the boundaries?" " No, and I didn't..." "I'm sorry, but how can you expect kids to learn, when you are doing this all the time?" "Oh, come on, Brenda" " No, it's ok." "It's a valid question, and I wanna answer it." "Before they know me, kids sometimes think I'm just weird or even scary." "But once I educate them about my Tourette's, and they can see that Mr Cohen is a real person, who just happens to have funny noises then they accept me as a good teacher." "Just like they accept all of you." "Well, maybe we should all try to be more like 2nd graders." "Does anyone have any other question for Mr Cohen?" "Brad, thanks for coming in." "The school will be in touch with you, so just be patient." "It's hard to be patient when you feel as though you've blown your last chance." "And patience was never my constant companion strong suit." "I guess you never heard from that school." " No, not yet." "They are still interviewing." "I'm not worried." " Ok..." " What's that supposed to mean?" " I just said "Ok"." "I know what you mean." "You don't tnink anybody would hire me, if they had a choice." "So you're a mind-reader now?" "You know what, Dad?" "This is gonna be my last day here." "Why don't you wait and see if you got the job first?" " I'm gonna get the job, Dad." "I just have to stay focused." " Why can't you stay focused and realistic at the same time?" "What's wrong with that?" "Wow, you all right, man?" "You'll knock yourself out doing that." "What if that happens while you're driving?" " I'm fine." "Yeah, I don't know." "You've got to see another doctor." "I've seen doctors my whole life, Ron." "And they don't help." "Don't you think you need to see somebody?" " I really don't." "Just..." "There I was, waiting for the phone ring again." "I treid to convince myself something good would happen." "My kid brother.Not exactly what I had in mind." "How're you doing, Bobo?" "What are you doing here?" "why didn't you tell me you were coming?" "You know, you're in your boxers." "Did Mom send you to check up on me?" "Why, you need checking up on?" "No, but..." " Where I put my stuff?" " Great." "You get the couch." "Wow!" "Nice clubs, are these new?" "They are Dad's, he let me borrow them." "Thought maybe you'd like to play a little golf." "So, what d' you think, ... a hand from you little bro?" "Hey, by the way, thanks for the round." " Thank Dad." "Oh, wait." "You guys aren't speaking." " I don't wanna talk about that right now." "You're just saying that to rattle me, because you know I'm going to beat you." "I'm serious, Brad, you and Dad got to start getting along." " We get along just fine." "As long as we keep a long distance." "Is that why you moved down here?" "To keep a long distance?" "I mean, it's not like you've got anything to prove to him, right?" "What are you now, Jeff - a shrink?" "Dr. Jeff, heh?" "I'm sorry, sir." "I'm going to ask yo to stop making those noises." "Pal, he's not doing this because.." " No, no, I can handle it, Jeff, I got it." "It's just not fair to the other golfers." " No, I understand." "I can't help making these noises." "Because I have Tourette syndrome." "It's a neurological disorder." "I'd like to tell you about it." "You gonna have to leave the course." "I've got to think about the other members." "Hey, Joe, leave the guy alone." "He's fine." "Hey, man, we're twosome and our buddies don't appear to be showing." "Would you like to join us?" "If you don't leave, I'm gonna have to call security." " Ok, ok.Thanks guys." "Maybe, next year, right?" "Jeff, come on." "Come on, buddy. thanks." "Come on, Jeff, it's not like you haven't seen it before." "How can you stand living in the world, where everybody is so ignorant." "Everybody's not." "You saw these golfers back there, They want to bet for me." "My life is full of people like that." "That's not always my experience." " Well, that's because you're always getting in the fight sticking up for me." "You and Mom." "You've always been there for me and my tics." "You know what?" " What?" " You're beginning to tic, be off racing car." "Sucker!" " Hey!" "cheater!" "Jeff's visit did give me a break from my worries." "And after he left, I got a call from the school." "The principle wanted to see me in his office." "Just like old times." "Pretty noisy, heh?" "And yet, some other kids manage." "Don't they?" " Yes, they do. they do." "Hillary and I discussed you with the teachers." "And we talked about how proud we are of teaching our kids to never let anything hold them back in life." "And Hillary said: if we're gonna talk the talk, we need to walk the walk." "She's waiting to show you your classroom." "Welcome." "Second grade is overcrowded, so we had to create a new class." "Your kids are being taken out of other rooms, so some of them might be a little confused." "They've been in school for 3 weeks." "There's your student roster." "The fun starts Monday, Brad, let me know if there's anything you need." "I need everything." "I looked down at that roster, like I was announcing the starting line-up for an all-star baseball game." "Hillary, this is...thank you." "We thought you might need these." "Hey, everybody, come in." "Just put them down anywhere, we'll get them arranged." "Here, let me help you with that. thank you." "Welcome to Mountain View." "Yeh, Mom, it's phenomenal, but you know, it took me so long to get here, I still have to remind myself that I'm just at the beginning." "Honey, that is...that is wonderful news." "Wonderful!" "Yes, Mom, it is absolutely wonderful, but you know: they 're going to give me a contract for a year, ok?" "I still have to prove to them that they've made the right choice." "Honey, listen." "Just take a moment to enjoy this." "Oh, my Gosh!" "Did you call your father?" "He's gonna be so proud of you." " I will, Mom." "But you know, right now I literally have about 2 weeks of preparation to do in about 2 days." "Adn, you know, now that I have the job, I have to seriously start working on getting my Masters degree." "Ok, one thing at a time. all right?" "Listen, are there any cute teachers at that school?" " MOM!" "I want you to be happy." " Ok, all right, don't worry, I'm working on that, too." "I gotta go, good bye." "You must be Brad." " You must be Nancy." "Hi, I'm Brad." " I know." "Right, of course." "I guess, we are a little nervous." "Please..." "This is my first time computer dating, so..." "Me, too." "My Mom thinks it's dangerous." "Well, yeah." "You never know what kind of weirdo you might meet." "But you look pretty normal, so..." "Good, I'm glad." " Actually, you look much better that normal." " Thank you." "So, I guess we're supoosed to tell each other our life-stories, or..." "Ok, do you think you could get a cup of coffee first?" "Cup of coffee?" " Yeah." " Right." "Of course, coming on. - thanks." "Do yo want, like a...muffin?" " I'm on a diet." "But I would love a muffin." "My roommate is driving me absolutely crazy." "She never makes her bed, she's got clothes everywhere." "Always blasting her music, night and day." "But of course, whenever I wanna listen to my music, she's all like:you need to keep it down." "So, what kind of music do you listen to?" "Well, mostly olde stuff, especially Stein." "I love Stein." "Madonna, Bon Jovy, you know..." " Milli Vanilli?" "I love Milli Vanilli." " Really?" " Wait, you too?" "I've got to be the only two people on earth that love Milli Vanilli." " We do not..." "Yeah!" "I had a really nice time, thank you." "I shouldn't have had that muffin, but..." "I really enjoyed meeting you." " Yeah, me too." "I mean...well, thanks again, Brad." "I cant' believe you." "You said she was perfect." "She was perfect." "I just didn't want to ruin it." "Oh, by asking her out again?" "Oh, right." "Second- date syndrome." "So, it that gonna be your life?" "nothing but first and only dates?" "How do ever expect to have a relationship?" " Maybe, I don't." "Come on in." "Get in there." "Come on in." "Weirdo!" "Did your teachers warn you that Mr Cohen makes funny noises?" " Yes." "She said you have Tour.." "Tor..." " Tourette syndrom." "Ok." "Anything you wanna know about it, I want you to ask." "Yes." " Is it catching?" "No, absolutely not." "You have to be born with it, like I was." "Does it hurt?" " Well, sometimes, when my neck jerks, but noises do not hurt at all." "These are great questions." "Keep in coming." "Adn it's ok to ask me anything about Tourette's." "Yes." "Can you go to movies?" " Yes, I can go to movies, but sometimes I get kicked out and that makes me sad." "What's the bunny's name?" " Wa.." "Wa.." "Waffle." "Wa-wa-waffle?" " His name is just Waffle." "All right, guys, any more questions about Tourette's?" "Anyone." " Are they ever gonna make you well, Mr Cohen?" "Well, right now there is no medicine that can cure Tourette's." "But it's ok, I've learned to accept it and I don't let it run my life." "What can't you do?" "Like...can you not eat?" "I can eat." "I eat a lot." "In fact, I can do anything that anybody else can do, except... there is one thing that Mr Cohen can never do." "What?" " I can't." " What is it?" " No, I just can't." " Tell us!" " No." "Mr Cohen can never play hide-and-go-seek." "Why can't you play hide-and-seek?" " Because they'll hear him, stupid!" "Well, that's the right answer, but it's the wrong words, because there won't be any name-calling in Mr Cohen's class." "Excuse me, where are you going?" " Bathroom." " What's your name?" " Thomas." "Ok, well, Thomas, if you want to leave your seat, you have to ask for permission." "Weirdo!" "Bye, Mr Cohen" " Bye, Kewin." " Bye, Mr Cohen." " Bye, Heather." "I'll see you tomorrow." "I really liked your class, Mr Cohen." " Well, thank you, Amanda." "How're you doing, Mr Wreight?" " I'm fine." "Stop!" "Leave me alone." " Ok, take him, Thomas!" "Weilai, Thomas!" "Which one of you, guys, thinks that you can help me?" " I can." "I can." "All right, 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?" "Rock, paper, scissors, shoe." "All right, Heely, you win today." " Oh, man!" " it's ok, Thomas, you can help him." "Sorry, I stuck you with Thomas.He was making my class impossible." "He's got a whole outfit of problems:" "ADD, ADHD, OCD." "You want my advice?" "You'll pass him on to special ed." " No." "I can't do that." " You'll see how you feel after he's trashed a few classes." "He'll be allright." "I just need to get settled." "I can't wait for tomorrow." " Ok." "You make more noise than my air-horn." "Sounds like you got a healthy case of Tourette's." "I was just kidding with you, son." "Got a dispatcher buddy with TS." "You ever need a cross-country all-in, jsut call for Maxine." "Hey, do you have a card?" " I wasn't being serious, son." "Unless you're in the shipping business." "No, I teach 2nd grade." "Here's the card." "Maxine gave me a great idea for a geography lesson." " Thank you so much, Maxine." " You're welcome." " Safe trucking." "I found myself focusing on teaching all the time." "Well, almost." "You know what I just realized?" " What?" " All ducks have Tourette's." "Why is that?" " I don't know." "WE are birds of a feather." "So, it really doesn't bother you, does it?" " What?" "You know what." "My Tourette's, my noises." "Not when I compare them to the noises other guys make." "You know, like braggers, loud talkers." "Like egocentric, humor-challenged idiots." "Seriously, no.Your noises don't bother me at all." "As long as they keep me laughing." "Well. don't say that." "You know how I get under pressure." " Oh, I'm sorry." "My Dad always said I was gonna marry someone whol made me laugh." "Not that it has anything to do with...anything." "Say something." " Quack!" "Don't laugh, this was a serious quack." "I got you, though." "Mr Cohen!" " Hey!" " My Mom said to ask it it's ok." "Is what ok, Heather?" " If I give this to Waffle." "You tell your Mom that I said that's fine." "Ok?" "He said that's Ok?" " Yeah." "I love you." " I love you, too." "I'll see you right after school." "Amanda, is everything all right?" "I wanna be in your class, Mr Cohen." " You are in my class, Amanda." "No, he made them take me out." "See you after school, honey, ok?" " It's not fair!" "Is everything ok?" "I'm Amanda's teacher, Mr Cohen." "We met yesterday." "Oh, no, there's nothing wrong." "I just have to do what's right for my daughter." "Come on, Amanda." "Come on!" "He's concerned about Amanda's ability to concentrate." "He just thought that you'll make it a little harder for her." "Can he just give me a chance?" "We've only just started." "I pointed that out." " And?" " He said he's sympathetic, but Amanda needs, as he put it, a "normal" teacher." "Don't take it to heart, Brad." "Parents are the hardest part of the job." "All right." "Who can tell me the names of the capitals Maxine and her big red truck have to pass through?" "Anybody?" "Oh, these hands!" "Excuse me, excuse me..." "Oh, man, who do I choose?" "I don't know..." "Heather!" "Atlanta, Nashville, Springfield..." "That's great." "Because a lot of people think it's Chicago and..." "This is Springfield, right?" "No, that's Indianapolis." "Oh, that's right, what am I thinking!" "This is Springfield.." " No." "That's Columbus." "Springfield is over there, Mr Cohen." "Where is it, Heely, over here?" " No!" "Where is Springfield?" "I don't know, you guys have to point it out for me." "Point out, point it out!" "I don't see Springfield." "Aaa, I see it." "You're telling me that this is Springfield, right?" " YES!" "You don't have a permission to leave your seat, Thomas." "That's right, Mr Cohen has eyes on the back of his head." "Go back and sit down, please." "And next time ask." " I need to sharpen my pencil." " Now, Thomas." "All right, now: where is Maxine and her big red truck gonna be on Tuesday?" "See you right early tomorrow, David." "All right." "Hey, remember to walk." "I really like your hat, Mr Cohen." " Thank you, Heather." "I like your hair." "It's so short because of the medicine." "Bye." "Hi, honey!" " Hi, Mom!" "Can you wait right here for just a minute?" " Sure." "Hey." "I've been meaning to come and speak to you about Heather." " I think I know." "Yeah, we were just reluctant to tell anyone at first." "Of course, it was only a matter of time before the chemo became obvious, so..." "Is she gonna be ok?" "Heather just loves your class." "She can't wait to get to school every day." "And..." "I'd be grateful if you kept her secret a little longer." "I just don't want her to be singled out." "yeah. - thanks." " Hi, baby girl." "Let's go." "Oh-oh." "What do you think, what do you think?" "I already have that one." " What?" " Looks great on you, though." "Hey, what's wrong?" " Oh, nothing, I'm just focusing on the school stuff." "Can you focus on me for a minute?" " Sorry." "Hey, try this one on." "It'll make you feel better." "Yes!" " Really?" " Oh, my Goodness, this suits you." "More than you know." "I've decided it's time to go for my Master's degree." "Wow!" "Does that mean you'll be going away?" "No, I'll go locally." "Anyhow, I'll have to pass the entrance test to graduate school first, so..." "Oh, wait." "Isn't it like the SATs?" "Do you have to take that in a big room with a lot of people?" "They said I could have a room all to myself." "Good." " Tourette's does have its privileges." "Would it bother you if I did go away?" "Of course it would, are you kidding?" "Get out of here!" "Come here, I wanna show you something." " Crazy!" "Next!" " Hi...." "Brad Cohen." " Brad cohen?" "You're Mr cohen." "All right, I need you to take this package and I need you to go right in there for me." "Oh." "I' supposed to have special accomodations." "I don't have any notation of that." "And everybody does the test on the same conditions today." "Yeah, but I called and they said ...they said that I could have a spage to myslef." "You know what, I need you to talk to the administrator about that." "His office is right over there." "I can't make an exception." "We are not set up that way." "They promised, and I have the right to special testing accomodations." " Listen, I'm sorry about your disability, but there isn't anything that I can do." "If you want to take the test, you'll have to go in there now." "Look at me!" "How can anyone possibly concentrate, if I'm in that room?" " Listen, I have to start the exam now." "Do you need me to call you a doctor?" "Isn't there anyone you could call for help?" "Brad, calm down, I can't understand you." "They said you could take it alone?" "Ok, all right, no problem." "I'll be right there." " Has something happened?" "You can take the test." "And you'll have a room to yourself." "What did you say to them?" " The magic word." "Lawsuit." "I gotta get to work" "Hey, Dad." " Yeah?" " Thanks." " Good luck on the test." "As it turned out, I needed more than just Dad's "Good luck"." "I needed time." "With the clock and my Tourette's ticking away, I failed to get all the way through the test." "Good job, guys!" "Thomas, I'm so proud of you." " Thank you, Mr Cohen." "Wow, look at that turkey, Heather." " Thank you." "So, are you gonna have a big Thanksgiving this year?" "Aha." "Mom says all my grandparents are gonna come." " Well, taht sounds special." "Except when they cry." "They try to hide it, but I always see them." "Can I pet Waffle?" " You bet you can pet Waffle." "Are you gonna have a good Thanksgiving, Mr Cohen?" "Yes, I am." "Me and Waffle are gonna take a little trip to see my Mom, in St Louis." "I know where that is." "That is super, Heather." "That's exactly where it is." "Now do me a favor, will you?" "And I'm gonna trust you to take a good care of my friend Waffle, all right?" " Sure." "And I will be right back." "Hi Amanda." "Shouldn't you be in your class?" "All right." "Come on, I'll walk you to your room." "Why can't I be in your class, Mr Cohen?" " Well, your father had to do what's best for you, Amanda." "And you know what?" "You've got a great teacher." " Ok." "See you later, Mr Cohen." "Bastard." " Where did you learn those words, Thomas?" "You know you're not supposed to leave the calssroom without asking?" "Well, you're gonna clean that up." "And you're on detention." "No recess." "But you do get an A for spelling." "You can't read it if you don't open it, Thomas." " I hate reading." "So do I." " You do?" " Yeah." "Reading is really hard for me." "It's not hard for you." "You're the teacher." "You wanna bet?" "Let's play a game." "You'll be Mr Cohen trying to read, and I'll be Tourette syndrome." "Ok?" "Read this page." "Once upon - wha-wha!" "Keep reading." "...upon a time there was a..." " That itches!" " Does that itch a little bit?" "All right, keep reading." " There was a.." "Heeeyy, Thomas!" "All right, that's hard, isn't it?" "It's hard to concentrate." "That's how hard reading is for me." "It's not that hard for you, is it?" "No, it's easy for me." "But how can you be a teacher if you hate books?" "Hate books?" "I don't hate books." "Everything in the world is in books, I just have to work extra hard to get it out." "I'm not gonna give up on you, buddy." "Ok?" "And I'm not gonna let you give up on yourself." "Now, keep reading, right here." "Once upon a time, there was a mage..mage..." " Magician. - a magician, who met a small boy." "The small boy was trying to pull a big sword of a big rock." "Weird." "Why would a sword be in a rock?" "Well, I don't know. but if you keep reading, you might just find out." "The magician told the small boy that whoever could pulll the sword out of the rock, wold be the true king." "Cool." "Keep going, what happens next?" "Hey, what's wrong?" " I'm so nervous." "What's there to be nervous about?" "You're just gonna meet my Mom." "Thank you." "That's helpful. - and Jeff." "And my aunts and uncles." "And anybody I've ever loved in my entire life." "Prepare yourself." "This is big." "That's right." "Prepare yourself." "Oh, you're here!" "Oh, hii!" "I can't believe I'm finally seeing you." "Nancy!" "You're even prettier than I thought." "Brad has told me so much about you, Mrs Cohen." " Ellen." "That's more than he tells me about you." "What?" "I tell you all about Nancy." " Oh, you never tell me the real stuff." "Come on, Nancy." "Bobo, get the bag, honey." " Yes, Bobo, get on that." "So, are you exhausted?" "Because we have a pedicure appointment in an hour." "This is Nancy, who I was telling you about." "And...wait." "Janice, come on, meet Nancy." " Hello, it's nice to meet you." "Mom is going a little overboard trying to make Nancy feel like family." "Is there a possibility her being family?" "I don't know." "I mean, you know..." "I know, but I don't..." "I don't..." "Oh, that's serious." "Has she met Dad?" " No. nonononono..." "Well, what are you waiting for?" "Hey, back off, will you?" "And then he hit his head straight against the curb." "Gave himslef a concussion." "Will you excuse me?" "Nancy is needed in the kitchen." "I'm just gonna steal her for one second." " Needed in the kitchen..." "Are you rescuing me?" "Cause I don't need rescuing." " I do." "What's going on?" " How was your pedicure?" "If you're wondering what your Mom and I talked about - we talked about you." "And us." "Something wrong?" " I was just wondering if I told you..." "I love you." "I mean..." "It jsut scares me." "Right?" "I never thought about it before." "I never dared to think about it." "Brad." "She understands about your noises." "She doesn't care." "You make her happy." "She told me that, Bard." "You make her laugh." "Well, what if one day she stops laughing?" "What is one day she gets fed up of living with someone who..." "I just..." "I don't wanna hurt her, Mom." "Maybe, you don't wanna get hurt." "The only thing that can hurt either of you is if you let Tourette's drive her away from you." "If you let it win." "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." " Wow, look at this table." "Looks very good." "Oh, this looks great over here." "The news we'd always been dreading came a few weeks later." "Sir!" "They are about to start the service." " You go ahead." "Mr Cohen." "Aren't you coming in?" "I'm sorry." "I thought I could, but I..." "I think I'd be too disruptive." "You made such a huge difference in Heater's life." "You were her favorite teacher." "Please, don't leave without saying good bye to her." "Ok, Thomas, what is your team's word?" " Weird." "Weird." "Anybody not on Thomas's team knows what that word means?" "Strange." " Creepy." " Scary." "Very good." "Who can use the word "weird" in a sentence?" "Me, me!" " Twenty five, thirty, thirty five, forty" " Gailain!" "I like weird movies." "Sorry, Mr cohen, I know you can't go to them, 'cause you get thrown out of the movie theatre." "Well, that' ok, Gailain, 'cause I can rent movies." "And I also like weird movies." "So - weird is a good word, right?" "But what if someone comes up to you and they say" "Hey, you!" "Yeah, I'm talking to you - you're weird!" "Is it still a good word?" " No!" "What's that?" " Ok, everyone, stay in your seat." "It's Maxine, on her Big Red!" "Mr Cohen, can we go see them?" "Ok, but everyone - inside voices." "No running." "Exactly." "Heely, get in there, man, all right?" "But be careful." "So, what do you think of it?" " Heely!" "What did I tel you?" "All right?" "No pulling horn!" "Sorry, Maxine!" " That's all right." "Kids will be kids!" " Yeah, they will." "They still get along?" " Well, looks like it." " Give them time." "I like Nancy." "She reminds me of your mom when we first met." " They don't look anything alike." "I'm not talking about looks." "I'm talking about that...spark, you know?" "That spirit." "That je ne sais quoi (charm)" "How're things at school?" "You know.." "We got more books that bookcases, roof leaks..." "still worried thay might not ask me back next year." "There's plenty of teachers with a lot more experience than me." "I'm proud of you regardless." " It doesn't feel that way." "Why do I feel like you're still embarrased by me?" "And it's ok, Dad, you can admit it." " You're not trying to start something?" "No." "But, you know, we're talking, and it's good, so let's talk." "I've always been an embarrassment to you." "I have, haven't I?" "Even when you used to come visit me, you used to squirm on all those eye-balls who clicked my way?" "You've never been able to accept it." "You're right." "It is tought being with you sometimes." "I hate it when we go to restaurants and people give you those looks." "Sometimes I wanna just..." "I just feel so helpless." "You know, I've always been a guy who could fix things." "But the one thing I could never fix was the one hurting you most.- I doesn't need fixing!" "Nobody can fix it!" "I know." "I know." "But maybe it's my fault." "Maybe I gave it to you." "I think these babies are done..." "Come on, guys, we onlygot two minutes till the media center closes." "Just hurry up back there." "Stay to the side, guys, stay to the side, what did I tell you?" "Guys in the back, come on, hurry up!" "Dad!" "What are you doing here?" " You said you needed bookshelves, didn't you?" "Your father's built these new bookshelves for the library." " Things are a little slow at the office." "This way, gentlemen." " Oh, I got you something for your collection." "Put it on, Mr Cohen." "A hard hat for an extremely hard head." "Hey, class, that's my Dad." " Hi, Mr Cohen!" " Hi!" " Come on." "And Hillary didn't say what this was about?" " No idea." "We were at recess and she said she needs to see you in the classroom. - I think it might be about next year." "Here he is." "Brad!" "Come over here a minute, please." "Hillary has got an announcement to make." "Some of you may've noticed an observer hanging around school for the last few weeks." "Well, he was here to assess one of our teachers." "Mr Cohen." "And I'm here to announce that our very own Brad Cohen has been chosen from amongst all the new educators in the state of Georgia to be Sally Maze First year Teacher of the Year." "As I looked at my students, I felt like a kid inside." "Because children look at life differently that most adults." "They see the world and say "I will", not "I can't"." "And so did I." "The shirt is too tight, the label is digging into my back." " I cut out the label." "I don't know what you are so nervous about." "You're in front of the crowd every day." " Well, these aren't second graders." "Oh, man." "I wish I was invisible." " That's something you will never have to worry about." "Hold still, hold still!" "I love you." "Come on, Bobo, you can get through this." " Don't worry, he's gonna get through it." "The noise you just heard is the Tourette syndrome I've been living with since I was 6 years old." "I'm standing up here today because the love and support of plenty of people put me up here." "My family." "My school family." "My students." "And all my friends." "I owe this award to all of them." "But I also owe it to the toughest and the most dedicated teacher I ever had." "My constant companion." "My Tourette's." "Now, some of you may thinks that's pretty weird to thank a disability." "And calling it a great teacher - that's really weird." "I mean - what can I possibly learn form a disability?" "Yes, Kewin." " You learned to keep going." "Heely?" " You learned not to let it stop you." "Yes, Thomas." " You learned not to let it win." "That's right." "Coping with my tourette's has taught me the most valuable lesson anyone can ever learn." "and that is: to never let anything stop you from chasing your dream." "From working or playing, falling in love..." "That's right." "Coping with my Tourette's has taught me the most valuable lesson" "Yes, Thomas?" " Can you bring that award to the "Show and Tell" on Monday?" "You bet."