Another year, another Teacher Appreciation Week to celebrate those who’ve lead us, taught us, and acted as our mentors.
Many of us know that teachers can be strict in real life, sometimes for the better. However, when things get too rough with the real life instructors, luckily certain fictional characters set the bar high for our educational dreams.
Hit the flip for some favorite television and movie teachers you might have wished strolled in your classroom when school got too hard.
Miss Grotke from Recess
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While Principle Prickly and Miss Finster were always trying to ruin the fun at Third Street Elementary School, Miss Grotke made sure the kids’ mind was open and their chakras aligned. Not to mention, she was the Black feminist professor of a young person’s dreams.
Smh.
T.J., Gretchen and the rest of the Recess crew didn’t know what they had.
Ms. Honey from Matilda
It can be quite the traumatic experience when you start your school day being flung across the courtyard by your pigtails. This was Ms. Trunchbull’s TERRIBLE everyday behavior in the 1996 flick Matilda. Thus, when the sweet Ms. Honey was introduced as Matilda’s teacher, it seemed like the heavens had answered the prayers of hammer thrown kids everywhere. Along with being super nice, Ms. Honey loved to teach, which is all one could ask for in this cold cruel world.
Mr. Hightower from The Steve Harvey Show
Source: Michael Tran / Getty
While a nice teacher can be great, sometimes you need that mentor who strikes the perfect balance of cool, stern and educational. Mr. Hightower played that roll for students like Bullethead and Romeo in the 90s sitcom The Steve Harvey Show. Add in a sense of humor and Mr. Hightower became that teacher you’d visit in between your not-so-fun classes.
Blu Rain from Precious
Let’s keep it a thousand.
Precious’ life was A MESS. The Harlem teen was facing an abusive mother, kids by her abusive father and she was bullied for her size. Her only haven throughout the movie was a teacher named Blu Rain (played by Paula Patton) at an alternative school. Rain helped Precious (played by Gabourey Sidibe) discover her creative side and she even provided safety and housing during an intense moment in the film. This, plus a name that literally sounds like peace, makes Blu Rain an MVP teacher everyone could use.
Dewey Finn from School of Rock
The easiest way to make school exciting is to actually go out and do what you’re being taught. Well Jack Black‘s character from 2003’s School of Rock took this concept to a new level when he decided to start a band with his music class. In the process, the kids competed in a major competition, learned about their talents and gained some much-needed self-esteem. Granted, Dewey Finn had to sneak them around in the process, but everything turned out okay.
