Half Nelson is about a teacher named Dan Dunn, who teaches history at Junior High and coaches a girls basketball team. It conflicts with the curriculum principle. Dan is a rebellious teacher, who teaches his history lesson in his own way. He also has a drug problem. He likes to party and do drugs at night and then teach during the day. Drey is one of his students in his class. Drey is a key guy. His mother works as an EMT. He works a lot of double shifts, so he doesn't stay at home much. His mother doesn't know exactly what happens to Drey because of his long hours at work. Drey has a brother named Michael, who is in prison on drug charges. Michael has a friend named Frank, who helps the family while Michael is in prison. Dan had already participated in a drug program, where he met his ex-girlfriend Rachel. Dan discovers that Rachel is engaged to another man. Rachel moves on with her life but Dan doesn't. The program hasn't worked for Dan. He continues to do drugs while teaching history to middle school students and coaching girls' basketball. One day, after basketball practice, Dan goes to the locker room to make sure all the girls have left. He then enters one of the bathrooms and lights the cocaine pipe. While smoking he hears someone enter the bathroom. One of his students, named Drey, opens the bathroom door and asks: Is there anyone in there? Drey looks at Dan and sees him with a pipe and lighter. He says "oh sorry". Dan says, "Okay." "I am sorry." Dan asks Drey to help him up. Drey asks him if he's okay. Drey takes a wet paper towel and wipes his face. Dan gives her a ride home and asks "see you tomorrow?" Dan says "yes". The next day in class Dan is very nervous. He walks up and down the floor, rubbing...half of the paper...the offering. Frank convinces Drey to start working for him delivering drugs to people. Then one night, to show Drey the downside of business, he sends her to a motel room where Dan, her teacher, is partying. Frank does this to make Dan look bad in Drey's eyes. But Drey already knows about Dan's drug addiction. Drey enters the motel room where he realizes that Dan is the buyer. It's at that moment that Drey realizes that Dan needs his help. Dan also realizes that Drey needs his help to get away from the drug scene. This film shows how both Drey and Dan are similar in the following ways. Dan and Drey are both lenders and want someone to take care of. During their journey into the world of drugs they realize that they need each other to survive. They both navigate the drug world in different ways, which brings them together and a friendship is born..