Film’s most inspiring teachers

Teachers can make or break any subject, either drilling us down with dates or facts or being one of those people that we learn so much more than what is required to pass and who stay with us long after they’ve forgotten us. Christine Wong shows us her choice of inspiring teachers from the vast universe of films dedicated to showing what a teacher could be; they’re not always the central figures of the plot, as in, say, the Harry Potter series, but nonetheless, play a key role in crafting the protagonist. And who of us hasn’t seen Dead Poets Society and not memorised John Keating’s words: carpe diem… 

Minerva McGonagall – Harry Potter series

Forget Albus Dumbledore – McGonagall is where it’s at. Throughout the Harry Potter series, she maintains a strict and disciplined classroom while still managing to impart some much needed sass to her students. It is mainly the latter films in the series that I must focus on – her constant standing up to Dolores Umbridge in The Order of the Phoenix showed the sheer contrast of the two characters and how much McGonagall cared not just about the school and its students, but about doing what was right without sacrificing dignity or trust in the process (again, looking at you, Dumbledore).

But it is her behaviour in Deathly Hallows where she truly inspires. Her defence of the castle walls through enchanted armour is a wonderful moment where both her pride and her bravery shine through, as well as her giving permission to Neville Longbottom and Seamus Finnigan to blow things up – “Boom!”. Maggie Smith is stunning in this role (literally, at some points!) and to be as brave and dignified as Minerva McGonagall would be a great thing.

John Keating – Dead Poets Society

Was there ever such a teacher in film with a way with words like Keating? Robin Williams’ performance of this part seems particularly heartening in hindsight, but even without that aspect John Keating is a fantastic and exuberant teacher who refuses to abide by the stuffy old standards of Welton Academy. From his first lesson, where he encourages the boys to rip out a poetry essay from their books and evokes a sense of passion and excitement among the boys not
just for poetry but for life. “Carpe diem!” is the life lesson he imparts to his students – seize the day, live life to the fullest. Any student – whether they like poetry or not – would be moved by his words and his actions, and would be proud to have him as their captain.

Dewey Finn – School of Rock

I know what you’re thinking. Seriously? A comic character played by Jack Black – how could he possibly be truly inspiring? Well, in fact, in a similar manner to the above-mentioned Keating he brings a sense of life and excitement to a school where the students have little to no passion. He is unorthodox, he is wild, and admittedly he has his flaws – like the fact that he posed as Mr. Schneebly in the first place – but one important aspect of learning is to have fun while you do it, to do what you love and do it well. Also, to think out of the box and to let your hair down once in a while is not a bad thing. Dewey Finn, for all his faults, gives the students something that they need to learn – how to be unafraid
of enjoying things.

Mark Thackeray – To Sir With Love

Here we have the exact opposite – a teacher trying to make the best out of his rowdy students. Here, the students are rejects from other schools, people who have only ever known how to misbehave. But with the magic power of treating them like actual almost-adult human beings, he wins the majority of them over fairly quickly and he is inspirational because of this. He reminds teachers everywhere that students are people too, but also reminds students that teachers are people as well. He teaches his students about life and love and basic living skills. He teaches them “truths, my truths”. He is honest with his students and fair, and Poitier’s performance is as sincere as they come.

Erin Gruwell – Freedom Writers 

Erin Gruwell is not only inspirational in the film, but also as a real life person that the film is based on. She is inspirational because she actually exists! Hilary Swank portrays her and we see her attempts, much like Thackeray as mentioned above, to understand her students as real people and not as the castoffs they have been previously treated as. She teaches them with kindness, and she teaches them understanding. Knowing that Gruwell exists in real life and that she actually did manage to improve these kids’ lives, however much they previously gave up on themselves – that makes her extremely inspirational indeed.

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