Crisp autumn air full of red and yellow leaves swirling down from trees is just around the corner. As the swimming pools begin to close and summer barbeques turn off the grills one last time, pumpkin patches and corn mazes look to open and hot apple cider starts to brew. Students and teachers alike begin returning to those hollowed hallways of learning, ready (or not) for the next academic year ahead. Whether it’s kindergarten or college, or somewhere in between, teachers serve as the foundation blocks for the rest of a child’s life, and the same is true for the teachers that we see on the silver screen. Some of our favorite films center on the classroom, with memorable teachers that hope to inspire their students both in and outside of class. And some other teachers are remembered for reasons that wouldn’t exactly earn a gold star. As we head back to school, here’s our picks for the best (and worst) teachers in movies.
The Best
Indiana Jones (Indiana Jones franchise, 1981-2023)
Dr. Henry Jones Jr., better known as “Indiana” or “Indy,” is one of those characters that we would consider not only one of the best teachers, but one of the best movie characters ever created, full stop. He’s witty and sarcastic, incredibly smart, and fearless (except for snakes), and, oh yeah, he’s played by the one and only Harrison Ford. Indy’s a professor of archaeology, and although we seldom see him in the classroom, we’ll give him a pass because he’s just that cool, and he leaves to travel around the globe for a good cause. What other teacher do you know of that can keep the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail from falling into the wrong hands, or knows how to use a bullwhip? None. We rest our case.
John Keating (Dead Poets Society, 1989)
O’ Captain! My Captain! Of course one of the best teachers that has ever graced the screen would have to be played by Robin Williams. An English teacher at the elite Welton Academy, Mr. Keating has unorthodox methods of teaching poetry, encouraging his students to rip apart the traditional school-approved guidelines on rating poetry, and to instead broaden their individual perspectives. Keating’s students stand on top of desks and learn “carpe diem”, to “seize the day”, a lesson that extends far beyond the classroom and into the everyday lives of each student. With Keating’s guidance, the students all learn to try new things they were previously either too afraid of doing, or that others would look down on them for. Things might not go perfectly – actually, they’re pretty heartbreaking – but Mr. Keating is an excellent reminder that success goes far beyond academics in the classroom, and instead about living life to the fullest.
Miss Honey (Matilda, 1996)
If you were looking to describe the perfect teacher, Miss Honey (Embeth Davidtz) would easily be at the top of the list. Miss Honey is as sweet as her name is, and she’s in stark contrast to the tyrannical and nasty principal of Crunchem Hall Elementary School, Miss Trunchball. While Trunchball literally locks students away in torture devices – and these are just little elementary students, not that it would be any better if the kids were in high school, but come on, they’re a bunch of six-year-olds – Miss Honey helps them in any way she possibly can. Even with a horrible past, Miss Honey remains a shining light for her young students, helping them not only academically, but even with taking care of themselves and saving them from Trunchball’s cruelty. Miss Honey’s love and care for her students extends further than any teacher’s, going so far as to adopt Matilda from her neglectful family and into a home full of love.
Professor X (X-Men franchise, 2000-2020)
Depending on who you ask, Charles Xavier (played by both Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy) might end up on either side of the best teacher or worst teacher debate. On one hand, he opens and operates Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters to house displaced mutant children that are unwelcome and unwanted elsewhere in society. These children (and adults too) often have nowhere safe to go and are otherwise targeted by many that try to experiment on them – or worse. He’s a brilliantly smart teacher and headmaster, well-versed in genetics, and ensures his students are learning traditional school subjects while also helping them with their mutant abilities. But on the other hand, maybe it’s not the best thing in the world to take those same children and have them fight in battles in search of a peaceful co-existence between mutants and humankind. But oh well. Nobody’s perfect. Maybe Magneto raised some fair points after all.
Katherine Ann Watson (Mona Lisa Smile, 2003)
Often overlooked, Mona Lisa Smile shares similar themes with Dead Poets Society, but rather than centering around poetry at an all-boys school, Professor Katherine Watson (Julia Roberts) teaches art history at the all-women Wellesley College in 1953. The historical context of the film plays a large part in its themes and the importance of Katherine’s lessons, occurring just before the Women’s Liberation Movement of the late 1960s, at a time when many believed that the greatest achievement in a woman’s life was marriage. Katherine’s students have been taught their whole lives to not ask questions and to go along with what is expected – whether it be how to behave in society, or only interpreting artworks in one single way. Going beyond traditional art history, the progressive Katherine introduces modern artists such as Jackson Pollock to her students. She invites her students to question for the first time in their lives, challenging tradition both in art and in life.
The Worst
Mr. Hand (Fast Times at Ridgemont High, 1982)
Ah, the lives and times of high school students in the 1980s. Set in San Fernando Valley, the students of Ridgemont High School balance fast food jobs, boring science classes, and plenty of messy teenage relationships. And of course, the teachers are out to get them and ruin all their carefree fun. The stereotypical stoner and surfer Spicoli – who totally rocks the long, blonde hair – receives the brunt of history teacher Mr. Hand’s (Ray Walston) challenges, which doesn’t stop at the school doors. What could be worse than the end of the year school dance being ruined by a teacher? Well, that would be if said teacher ruins the dance by showing up at your own doorstep and teaching a history lesson in your house instead of letting you go out and party all night with friends. That’s exactly the cruel punishment that Spicoli gets after spending the year showing up to class late, or not showing up at all, or ordering a pizza in the middle of class. It’s one thing if Mr. Hand just decided to fail Spicoli, but showing up at his house and teaching during the school dance? Not cool, man. So not cool.
Vice Principal Vernon (The Breakfast Club, 1985)
Don’t mess with the bull at Shermer High School. Or you just might see yourself spending your entire Saturday with your vice principal. As if a Saturday detention isn’t bad enough, Richard Vernon (Paul Gleason), believing that kids today behave way worse and with far less respect than when he was their age, assigns the five students with a thousand-word essay about who they are – because that’s definitely a question that every teenager knows the answer to. Of course, the students don’t have any plans at all to tackle that paper, except for perhaps the most iconic letter ever to the vice principal penned by Brian, letting Vernon know that they are all so much more than the little boxes that he wants to fit his students into. Way to stick it to the man, Brian.
Ms. Perky (10 Things I Hate About You, 1999)
Ms. Perky (Allison Janney) may not have many scenes as Padua High School’s guidance counselor, but the ones she has certainly are memorable – which may or may not be a good thing. She’s one of those faculty members that will make you wonder how she was even hired in the first place, considering she openly curses with makes remarks that aren’t exactly appropriate for their dynamic. She’s hilariously uncomfortable and cringe-worthy and would much rather spend her hours on the job writing erotic fiction instead of helping students with classes, college applications, or life at all. Ms. Perky has no shame in asking fellow faculty members or even students for assistance with her writing, hoping they can offer up helpful synonyms for words to better spice up her story.
Professor Umbridge (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, 2007)
Not even magical schools can have perfect teachers. If there’s one thing everyone can universally agree on, it’s that Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton) should never have been a teacher at all. She’s easily the worst professor that Hogwarts has ever had, and that’s saying a lot, given how fast the school rotates through Defense Against the Dark Arts instructors. Umbridge refuses to teach anything useful in defending against dark spells in her class, so students aren’t learning the expected curriculum or even anything useful for life. She’s physically violent towards students and other professors, despising others for their race and blood status, and even punishes Harry by forcing him to write lines with an enchanted quill that scars him in the process. Honestly, Umbridge might even be worse than Lord Voldemort. At least Voldemort doesn’t try to hide his evil authoritarian desires behind a façade of pink, fluffy kittens.
Elizabeth Halsey (Bad Teacher, 2011)
Teaching middle schoolers is not for the faint of heart, and Elizabeth Halsey (Cameron Diaz) doesn’t even pretend to enjoy it. It’s all in the title with this one. If you walked into your kid’s class one day and saw Elizabeth as their teacher, you would probably collapse. She’s guilty of everything that a teacher shouldn’t do: drinking, cursing, smoking, and sleeping. All in the middle of the school day. And Elizabeth’s bad deeds don’t stop there. She even manipulates the student’s carwash fundraiser for her own not-so-charitable desire of cosmetic surgery, rather than school supplies, helps her students cheat on tests, and gets a co-worker fired even though Elizabeth herself is the one at fault. Elizabeth supposedly learns the errors of her ways by the time the next school year rolls around – she’ll now be a guidance counselor this time – but we’re not so convinced that it’s all uphill from here. Really, all Elizabeth learns is how to not get caught, which isn’t exactly the best school lesson to be teaching impressionable young minds.
