Teachers have it so damn easy. Picture books, snack time, and four square all day long, right? American Teacher, produced by Dave Eggers, aims to shatter this stereotype of the laidback (or just plain lazy) teacher by weaving together profiles of hard-working, heartfelt, and heartbreaking educators. Stuck in a vicious circle of students’ demands outweighing state and school funding, these committed teachers make heavy sacrifices to keep afloat in a society that has placed their field of work at the bottom of the career food chain. Narrated by Matt Damon, this eye-opening doc hits a necessary nerve—and makes you want to write thank you notes to every teacher you ever had. by Alex Zielinski