Some movie teachers genuinely change not only the characters' lives but our lives as well. Today, we'll be talking about a specific kind of movie character – the teachers from movies that have made a real impact. Here are thirty-two fictional teachers who left their mark, whether on the character or the world.
John Keating (Dead Poets Society)
When I think of the best fictional teachers out there, there is no one better to bring up than John Keating from Dead Poets Society. In one of his best roles, Robin Williams delivered the performance of a lifetime as John Keating and made us all want to have a teacher like him who taught us lessons and inspired us to do more in our lives. To go after what we believed in.
Ms. Frizzle (The Magic School Bus)
As someone who grew up watching The Magic School Bus, there were many days when I wished that Ms. Frizzle was my science teacher or that science was nearly as cool as she made it out to be. With her school bus that seemed to morph into anything for her lessons, Ms. Frizzle was the teacher we all wanted, making teaching look like the adventure of a lifetime.
Ms. Rain (Precious)
Precious is an Academy Award-winning movie about a young woman from a troubled background hoping to reroute her life, and the first person who helps Precious is Ms. Rain. Played by the incredible Paul Patton, Ms. Rain teaches Precious the essentials she needs to know. She has been an encouraging source from day one and helps her through everything. She was sweet, kind, and all Precious needed when it felt like the world had given up on her.
Professor Stromwell (Legally Blonde)
As someone who could spend years watching the best Reese Witherspoon movies, Legally Blonde is most certainly one of them. And the best teacher in that was, hands down, Professor Stromwell. While strict at first, Elle comes to care for Professor Stromwell, as the teacher pushes her to her limits so she can be at her best.
Mr. George Feeny (Boy Meets World)
Out of everyone, we all know Mr. George Feeney in Boy Meets World. While Feeny was a strict man, he had a heart of gold underneath his grumpy exterior and became one of the best mentors. Everyone still tears up when he says in the finale, "I love you all. Class dismissed." Jeez, I'm still getting emotional.
Mr. Miyagi (The Karate Kid)
While not the kind of teacher you would meet in a school, Mr. Miyagi from The Karate Kid franchise is as much of a teacher as anyone else here. Because of his patience, diligence, and skill, he taught Daniel LaRusso the art of karate and truly made him into the man we know all these years later in Cobra Kai. His teachings live on, even if the actor who played him, Pat Morita, passed on in 2005.
Pete Dixon (Room 222)
Room 222 was an ABC series about the life of students and teachers at a Los Angeles high school and focused on Pete Dixon's history class most of the time. Lloyd Hanes played Pete Dixon, the kind, innovative, and educational teacher who always seemed to have the best lessons for his students and viewers, especially on relevant topics at the time. The series lasted five seasons, and Pete Dixon cemented his name in history.
Gabe Kotter (Welcome Back, Kotter)
Sitcoms were some of the biggest television shows in the 1970s and Welcome Back, Kotter was one of them, telling the story of Gabe Kotter (played by Gabe Kaplan). He's a teacher who returns to his alma mater to teach a remedial class of troubled students, but his attitude and teaching methods win him favor with the students. In the end, many of these kids end up doing so well because of him.
Erin Gruwell (Freedom Writers)
I recall watching Freedom Writers as a kid and respecting Erin Gruwell, played by Hilary Swank. As someone who has had a lot of trouble with patience and perseverance, I admired Gruwell's persistence and tenacity to never give up on her students despite them hating her initially and making her feel unwelcome. Ultimately, because of her diligence, everyone was given the chance to graduate and live successful lives.
Mr. Hand (Fast Times At Ridgemont High)
There's something about history and English teachers in movies and T.V. because Mr. Hand, the history teacher from Fast Times at Ridgemont High, is one of the most memorable. While he usually had a frown on his face, he was a softer person underneath that gruff exterior. He will do anything to help his students succeed, even spending time after school to help his kids understand lessons, which I'm sure they appreciate.
Severus Snape (Harry Potter)
As someone who loves the Harry Potter franchise, I couldn't make this list without including Severus Snape, played by Alan Rickman in one of his best roles. While Snape was a bit of a jerk to everyone, there's no denying that underneath that, he was an older man with a lot of trauma and someone who did everything in his power to protect the students and those he cared about. Even in the end, he could give Harry his tears to show him that he always loved Lily, Harry's mother.
Dr. Frank Bryant (Educating Rita)
Michael Caine has delivered some incredible performances over his time in Hollywood, and personally, Dr. Frank Bryant in Educating Rita, is one of my favorites. The story is about a woman going back to university years later, and the movie shows that sometimes, all a teacher needs to rekindle their love for their subject is that one student, and watching how both Bryant leaves his impact on Rita (Susan) and vice versa is lovely to see.
Mr. Collins (The Wonder Years)
The Wonder Years is one of the most iconic sitcoms of the '80s and '90s, and of course, I must mention Mr. Collins. Steven Gilborn played the teacher and worked with the main character, Kevin Arnold, to push him to be the best he could be, never quitting for a single moment. Gilborn was a professor before becoming an actor, making this role more special.
Minerva McGonagall (Harry Potter)
Minerva McGonagall was one of the most impactful teachers in Harry Potter's life in the Harry Potter movies. I mean, not only did she teach him several lessons in magic, but it was because of her that he could do so many things – join the Quidditch team, get him a broomstick, etc. Plus, she did everything she could to protect the students of Hogwarts during the war, consistently putting her life on the line as one of the best witches there.
Coach Fredericks (Freaks And Geeks)
Are there teachers in Freaks and Geeks? Of course, there are, but I have to give this spot to Coach Fredericks, played by Tom Wilson. He starts as a pretty stereotypical bad guy P.E. teacher, but throughout the show's one season, we get to know the teacher and understand who he is as a person.
Mark Thackeray (To Sir, With Love)
Starring Sidney Poitier, To Sir, With Love is a British drama film about Mark Thackeray, an immigrant who takes a teaching position despite never teaching before, to find some income where he is told to teach delinquents who have been rejected from other schools. And through his teaching ability, he wins over the class, treating them more like adults than children, trying to reach them on a different level.
Miss Honey (Matilda)
Whether you watch the 1990s version of Matilda or you check out the underrated Netflix musical version, Miss Honey in both is the kind of teacher that we hear about in fairytales. Not only is she sweet as honey and teaches her children so many things, but she takes it upon herself to raise Matilda at the end of both films because she cares that much about the girl, giving her the life she always wanted.
Lydia Grant (Fame)
I'm one of the biggest fans of the best dance movies, but watching dance on television is also a great pastime, and Fame gave me that and more. In Fame, a show about high school students at a performing arts school in NYC, we meet Lydia Grant, a dance teacher. Indeed, her moves and teaching style are memorable, keeping her kids in a tight line and making sure they were the best they could be.
LouAnne Johnson (Dangerous Minds)
Michelle Pfeiffer is LouAnne Johnson in Dangerous Minds, the story of a former marine who takes on a teaching position where she must handle a classroom of low-income, challenging teenagers involved in gangs and drugs. I think what makes Johnson such a great teacher is that she goes out of her way to teach with unconventional methods, such as giving everyone an A that they must maintain or using the lyrics of Bob Marley to get into poetry. That's what makes her extraordinary.
Mr Chips (Goodbye, Mr. Chips)
Goodbye, Mr. Chips is a movie from the classic period of Hollywood and stars Robert Donat as Mr. Chips, an aging teacher who reflects on his life through the decades. There's too much here to say how Mr. Chips was a great teacher, as he impacted not only one student's life but many over several years.
Remus Lupin (Harry Potter)
Harry Potter had some great teachers, and one that most certainly comes to mind is Remus Lupin, one of the best Defense Against the Dark Arts Teachers in the series. While his time as the teacher only lasted for a year (as is tradition with most teachers there), Lupin left his mark on Harry as the kindest DADA teacher he had and taught him one of the most valuable charms there is – the Patronus charm.
Jaime Escalante (Stand And Deliver)
Starring Edward James Olmos, Stand and Deliver is all about Jaime Escalante, who becomes the math teacher at a high school in East Los Angeles and has a class full of Latino students. Through his teaching methods, he can make them achieve great things in calculus and stand up for them when no one else will.
Joe Clark (Lean On Me)
Joe Clark in Lean On Me, played by Morgan Freeman, is a teacher who does not mess around with his students. The movie is based on a true story about a teacher named Joe Clark, who becomes the principal and uses his past and much more to bring his school up to standards. While radical at first, the students grow to care for him in all that he does, both in the school and outside.
Ms. Norbury (Mean Girls)
Mean Girls is more of a comedy than anything else, but Ms. Norbury, played by Tina Fey, is a great teacher. She's one of the few who stands up for Cady, and in the end, she still stands by her side despite what Cady wrote about her in the Burn Book, leading to Norbury being investigated as a drug dealer.
Mr. Medina (Gilmore Girls)
Gilmore Girls had plenty of grown-up characters, but Mr. Medina, played by Scott Cohen, was one of the most prominent. He was Rory's beloved English teacher, who taught her many valuable lessons and ended up getting romantically involved with Lorelai.
Dr. Larabee (Akeelah And The Bee)
Akeelah and the Bee stars Keke Palmer and Laurence Fishburne, and this film focuses on the relationship between Akeelah and her mentor, Dr. Joshua Larabee. And while their partnership at first is tenuous, they grow because of each other and truly leave an impact.
Manish Kulkarni (Never Have I Ever)
Never Have I Ever is a hilarious Netflix teen romance series; Devi's English teacher is a great part of that. He is the definition of an excellent and honest teacher who sugarcoats nothing – and what's even better is that he winds up dating Devi's cousin later anyway.
Dewey Finn (School Of Rock)
While he initially faked his way into the role, having no teaching experience, Dewey Finn left his impact on his students in School of Rock, so much so that a new program was created for students for music. It's undoubtedly one of Jack Black's best films.
Annalise Keating (How To Get Away With Murder)
Played by the talented Viola Davis, How To Get Away With Murder introduced audiences to Annalise Keating, a law professor and criminal defense attorney, who not only leaves her mark on her students but works with them to solve a murder case together. And through it all, she aims to keep them safe and sound despite everything turning upside down.
Sister Mary Clarence (Sister Act 2: Back In The Habit)
Sister Act 2 saw Whoopi Goldberg return as Sister Mary Clarence, now serving as a choir teacher who takes a group of students from a failing school and turns them into a choir that could knock the socks off of anyone out there.
Miss Bliss (Good Morning, Miss Bliss)
Many people know Saved By The Bell, which was a spinoff of Good Morning, Miss Bliss. The one-season Disney Channel series is all about Miss Bliss, a junior high teacher who is a great educator and a source of calmness and delight to her students, who often turn to her for the problems they face.
Glenn Holland (Mr. Holland's Opus)
Starring Richard Dreyfuss, Mr. Holland's Opus is the definition of a movie teacher that left an impact. The movie follows a high school music teacher who makes his music, but throughout the film, we see how much his dedication to his craft has impacted his students. Guaranteed, you will cry.
We could talk about many excellent teachers in movies and on TV, but these truly stand out as some of the best. Now, I need a movie and a T.V. marathon to appreciate them again—time to grab a box of tissues.
