The Expression Hub

Genre: Drama

Number of episodes:16

Presented by: MBC

” A teacher’s job is to take a bunch of live wires and see that they are well-groomed.”

-Darwin D. Martin

Since the end of the month is near, let’s wrap up the series dedicated to the ones who shape the future of human beings in a style. And this week’s pick,I personally feel is a great pick to conclude about the same. So, let’s dive in without any delay and try to find out more. After all, it will be after a year that we will be exploring these wonderful yet impactful human beings. And who knows the picks for the next year will be more interesting? If you have any picks, you want me to explore, you can recommend me about the same in the comments section. I would definitely love to take time to explore the same and end up writing about the same.

What would you do if you encountered a person who is trying to shape you into a better person but does it by putting a stern system in place? Will you rebel against the same or will you give in to the demands of the person?

Synopsis: Queen’s Classroom revolves around the lives of students of the sixth grade students and their newly hired class teacher Ma Yeo Jin whom the students refer to as the Witch. The reason she is referred to as the Witch is because she is strict about everything she does from the way she dresses to the way she interacts with her students which makes her appear cold and intimidating . It is not only the students who find her weird but also her fellow teachers. There is however only one exception who appreciates her personality as well as her unique way of teaching and that is the principal of the school who hired her. She has a unique way of teaching which is her way to prepare her students to face the real world. She gives concessions to the students who score well on their tests while the students that are bad in their tests are given punishments as well as elected the Class Presidents. The students get the shock of their lives when they get to know that their parents instead of disapproving of their class teacher appreciate the way she functions. But will the so-called Witch get her way and be able to teach her students real-world skills? Or will the students end up having another teacher ? Also, will the students be able to conform to the techniques of the witch teacher?Or will they end up rebelling against her ?

Assessment: This is a show that deals with a lot of topics which children tend to face in their school lives. For instance, the show showcases the issue of bullying which is a very serious problem faced by students in the school. It also highlights issues like of how some students manipulate other students to assert their dominance or how some students are treated as outcasts which can lead to children facing issues of inferiority complex or give them anxiety attacks for life. It also showcases how parents consider their children as their assets and put pressure on them to perform better for a better future. I , as a person thought that such a system existed in our country but it did give me a bit of shock that it existed in other parts of the world, especially in a country like South Korea. It also highlights the social disparity that existed between the rich and the poor sections of society and how some people are exploited by others. Corruption in the education sector is another topic which has been highlighted in the show.

Teacher Ma could have intervened in the problems faced by the students of her class as she is a person who loves to keep things in control. But instead, she allows the students to find solutions for their own problems thus teaching them how whatever actions one undertakes has its own consequences. Apart from this, she also teaches them why it is important to study and why students should not end up wasting their time on matters which seem attractive but do not have any value to them. Fantastic acting by Go Hyun Jung who portrays the role of Teacher Ma as well as the four main characters of the show who act as rebels against the teacher. Apart from this, the show through the four characters tries to give various messages like that of hope, resilience, optimism and how one should stand for what they believe is right even though the person in front of them tries to prove them wrong.

Though, you do feel a lot of anger for Teacher Ma a lot of times especially when she metes out her punishment but when you look at the big picture, there always seems to be a lesson hidden beneath it.

The only drawback is that the duration of the show is too long with each episode being 1 hour long which makes it difficult for people who are short on time really feel annoyed a lot of times as they have to literally squeeze time out of their busy schedules to finish the show.

The View: Though it can be a bit disturbing a lot of times, this one is a show that actually gives you a lot of lessons. Along with that, it also has great acting chops, a great story line and some harsh realities which one faces in life. But it also provides a silver lining by underlining the fact that no matter how tough times are there is always a solution to the problem or challenge faced. You do feel that there is a need of such teachers in today’s time who do love their students from the bottom of their hearts but do not show the same on their faces.

Baap Dialogue: “Pure curiosity about the world, that every human has the process of resolving that curiosity, is what studying is. You may think that studying is an obligation you don’t like to do, but studying  the highest privilege only humans are entitled to.” ( Teacher Ma to her students).

Rating: ****

Que: What is the name of Oh Dong Gu’s mother?

a. Miss Emily

b. Miss Choi

c. Miss Rosa

d. Miss Hana