A tragedy befalls to an elementary school, more specifically to a class in one school, and it requires a substitute teacher to fill in the vacant teaching spot. Monsieur Lazhar applies for the post and convinces the school administerator to hire him. It's not easy for Monsieur Lazhar to get accustomed to the rules and regulations of the school, you see as an immigrant, It is very different how teachers interact with students in this new world of his. But what happened to these particular students on one Thursday morning connects him with them as he has a tragedy of his own. The film doesn't try to answer why what happened haopened and I don't think it even tried but how people can heal each other by sharing their experiences and talking to each other regardless of their background or age differences.