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Ah, the good ’ole days in pop culture, when all teachers were strong and revered figures. |
1950s
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MOVIES
Glenn Ford as Richard Dadier, Blackboard Jungle (1955)
Deborah Kerr Anna Leonowens, The King and I (1956) |
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MUSIC
“Teacher’s Pet,”
Doris Day (1958) |
TV
Eve Arden as Connie Brooks, Our Miss Brooks (1952) |
1960s
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MOVIES
Anne Bancroft Annie Sullivan, The Miracle Worker (1962)
Jerry Lewis Professor Julius Kelp, The Nutty Professor (1963)
Sydney Poitier Mark Thackeray, To Sir With Love (1967)
Sandy Dennis Sylvia Barrett, Up the Down Staircase (1967)
Maggie Smith Jean Brody, The Prime of Miss Jean Brody (1969)
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MUSIC
“To Sir, With Love,” Lulu (1967) |
1970s
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MOVIES
Jon Voight Pat Conroy, Conrack (1974)
Diane Keaton Theresa Dunn, Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977)
Sid Caesar Coach Calhoun, and Eve Arden Principal McGee, Grease (1978)
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MUSIC
“Teacher I Need You,” Elton John (1972)
“School’s Out,” Alice Cooper (1972)
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TV
Gabriel Kaplan Gabe Kotter, Welcome Back, Kotter (1975–79)
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1980s
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MOVIES
Anne Meara Mrs. Sherwood, Fame (1980)
Richard Pryor bus driver Joe Braxton, Bustin’ Loose (1981)
Ray Walston Mr. Hand, Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
Nick Nolte Alex Jurel, Teachers (1984)
John Kapelos Carl the Janitor, The Breakfast Club (1985)
Gene Hackman Coach Norman Dale, Hoosiers (1986)
Ben Stein the economics teacher, and Edie McClurg Grace the secretary, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
Sam Kinison Professor Terguson, Back to School (1986)
Mark Harmon gym teacher Freddy Shoop, Summer School (1987)
Edward James Olmos Jaime A. Escalante, Stand and Deliver (1988)
Robin Williams John Keating, Dead Poets Society (1989)
Morgan Freeman Principal Joe Clark, Lean on Me (1989)
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MUSIC
“Teacher Teacher,” Rockpile (1980)
“Hot for Teacher,” Van Halen (1984)
“Teacher Teacher” 38 special (1984) |
TV
Ann Nelson Gertrude Berg, Debbie Allen Mrs. Grant, and Albert Hague Benjamin Shorofsky, Fame (1982–87)
Jeanetta Arnette Bernadette Meara, Head of the Class (1986–90)
Hayley Mills Miss Bliss, Saved by the Bell (1987–89)
Ben Stein (reprising his role as a boring, monotone speaking teacher) The Wonder Years (1988–93)
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1990s
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MOVIES
Arnold Schwarzenegger as John Kimble, Kindergarten Cop (1990)
Siobhan Fallon as bus driver Dorothy, Forrest Gump (1994)
Richard Dreyfuss as Mr. Holland, Mr. Holland’s Opus (1995)
Michelle Pfeiffer as Louanne Johnson, Dangerous Minds (1995)
Twink Caplan as Toby Geist, and Wallace Shawn Wendell Hall, Clueless (1995)
Bridgette Wilson as Veronica Vaughn, Billy Madison (1995)
Eddie Murphy as Professor Julius Kelp, The Nutty Professor (1996)
Tom Berenger as Jonathan Shale, The Substitute (1996)
Jon Lovitz as Richard Clark, High School High (1996)
Jennifer Lopez as Miss Marquez, and Bill Cosby Lawrence Woodruff, Jack (1996)
Matt Damon as custodian Will Hunting, Good Will Hunting (1997)
Kevin Kline as Howard Brackett, In & Out (1997)
Jon Stewart as Professor Edward Furlong, The Faculty (1998)
Olivia Williams as Rosemary Cross, Rushmore (1998)
Avery Brooks as Dr. Bob Sweeney, American History X (1998)
Meryl Streep as Roberta Guaspari, Music of the Heart (1999)
Helen Mirren as Eve Tingle, Teaching Mrs. Tingle (1999) |
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TV
Dennis Haskins as Mr. Belding, Saved By the Bell (1989–93)
Mrs. Krabapple, Mrs. Hoover, Principal Skinner, Groundskeeper Willie, Otto the Bus Driver, Lunchlady Doris, The Simpsons (late 1989–present)
William Daniels as George Feeney, Boy Meets World (1993–00)
Mr. Adler, Mr. Mackey, Chef, Mr. and Ms. Garrison, South Park (1997–present) |
2000s
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MOVIES
Denzel Washington as Coach Herman Boone, Remember the Titans (2000)
Michael Douglas as Professor Grady Tripp, Wonder Boys (2000)
Kevin Spacey as Eugene Simonet, Pay It Forward (2000)
Robbie Coltrane as Rubeus Hagrid, Richard Harris/Michael Gambon as Albus Dumbledore, and Maggie Smith as Minerva McGonagall, Harry Potter movies
Kevin KlINE as William Hundert, The Emperor’s Club (2002)
Mr. Ray Finding Nemo (2003)
Julia Roberts as Katherine Ann Watson, Mona Lisa Smile (2003)
Jack Black as Dewey Finn, School of Rock (2003)
Gérard Jugnot as Clément Mathieu, The Chorus (2004)
Billy Bob Thornton as Coach Gary Gaines, Friday Night Lights (2004)
Samuel L. Jackson as Coach Ken Carter, Coach Carter (2005)
Ryan Gosling as Dan Dunne, Half Nelson (2006)
Cate Blanchett as Sheba Hart, and Judi Dench as Barbara Covett, Notes on a Scandal (2006)
Matthew Perry as Ron Clark, The Ron Clark Story (2006)
Hilary Swank as Erin Gruwell, Freedom Writers (2007)
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Video Games
Bully (2007)
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MUSIC
“Teacher’s Pet,” B5 (2002)
“The Art Teacher,” Rufus Wainwright (2005)
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TV
Boston Public (2000–04)
Kyle Chandler as Eric Taylor, and Connie Britton as Counselor Tami Taylor, Friday Night Lights (2006)
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Mark Campayno, a music teacher from Sterling, Virginia, is much calmer than frenetic actor Jack Black, but like Black's character in School of Rock, Campayno teaches his students everything from Ozzy Ozbourne and Jimi Hendrix to the Beatles and Oasis. 
Hollywood's overall take on the profession has been a mixed bag, to say the least. For every Dead Poets Society there's a Back to School. The music business has been equally schizophrenic, turning out tunes in which teachers appear either as cool role models or as cruel taskmasters or unprofessional vixens. Even when the teachers portrayed are noble characters, it can be damaging. "The theme that has persisted is the teacher as individual—hero or buffoon—but never collaborative," says Barbara Beyerbach, an NEA member and professor studying teachers in pop culture. 
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