My Top 7 Fictional Hero Educators from TV and Movies (in no particular order)
I have probably thought far too long and deeply about this list before committing it to the blogosphere. Some of my choices may seem obvious while others are a little more obscure, but these 7 fictional educators (who all happen to be men [There’s probably a follow-up post in that fact.]) have all left a mark on me as an educator.
1. Walter White (Breaking Bad, 2008-2013): I know you’re thinking trendy and popular, but I learned a really important lesson from Mr. White’s interactions with Jesse Pinkman, particularly in the first two seasons. The lesson was this: you need to meet your students where they are and not where you expect or want them to be. Jesse was clearly no dummy based on his ability to reproduce Walt’s cook with similar accuracy and a myriad of other skills and qualities demonstrated throughout the five seasons. In Seasons 1 and 2, when Walt and Jesse are cooking on the ‘Crystal Ship,’ Walt attempts to engage Jesse in the same way he had in his high school chemistry class with lots of judgement and little shift in his instructional methods. Gradually though, they develop a symbiotic relationship where Walt begins to recognize what Jesse is really capable of after progressively shifting in his fairly rigid teaching methods, culminating in Jesse taking the lead on the methylamine train heist in Season 5. Once Walt had accepted that there was much he could learn from Jesse, their relationship was forever changed. ‘Meeting your students where they are’ is a metaphor for giving the students they type of instruction they need and engaging them in the process of inquiry with you as a co-learner.
2. Jaime Escalante (Stand and Deliver, 1988): I wish that education were a basic universal human right around that world, but the reality is that people continue to fight for their right and access to basic education. Mr. Escalante teaches us that knowledge belongs to everyone regardless of race, background, or socio-economic status. Unfortunately, many have to fight for the right to display and further their knowledge every day. He was not so much transmitting knowledge as igniting the spark inside his students.
3. John Keating (Dead Poets Society, 1989): Again, this may seem like a very cliché choice; however, no matter how times I watch this movie, I can’t help but want to be one of his students. There are so many ways to look at the teaching style of Mr. Keating, but the one that really resonates with me is the idea of embracing the flow moments. Creativity comes to most of us in fits and spurts, but if we allow ourselves to embrace the flow moments we can maximize our learning and outcomes whatever they may be. When I was completing my M.Ed., one of my classmates gave a presentation about ‘Flow Theory’ and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (1990). She used a video clip of Ethan Hawke’s character attempting to create extemporaneous poetry at the front of the class. Pushed well out of his comfort zone, he eventually surrendered to the flow moment and created the poem that had eluded him the day before.
4. Gabe Kotter (Welcome Back Kotter, 1975-1979): I have already written a blog post dedicated to the teaching style of Mr. Kotter; however, I think it bears repeating that he teaches us to stand up for whatever works for our students.
5. Alex Jurel (Teachers, 1984): Even as a teenager and long before I ever considered teaching, Mr. Jurel stood for personal integrity. Now, as an educator, he tells me not to forget who I am, and what I believe. For me, retaining a passion for teaching is intrinsically linked with having a strong sense of personal identity and compass by which to evaluate the ever changing winds of education. When I begin to lose sight of my own identity, I find it difficult to teach with authenticity. I have to believe in what I’m doing whole-heartedly, or it simply won’t work out for me.
6. Dewey Finn/Ed Schneebly (School of Rock, 2003): I adore this movie although I’ve never really wanted to or enjoyed teaching children. For me, it speaks to the idea that sometimes, you just have to wing it, and that sometimes, you can surprise yourself with the results. Some of my best teaching moments have been the result of simply winging something, and then, going with the flow moment. While I don’t do this as a regular practice, I try to remain open to the possibilities and reflect on the results. In his memoir Teacher Man, Frank McCourt (2005) talked about how he began his teaching career exactly this way as he suffered from Brookfield describes as the ‘imposter syndrome.’ (2006, 1995) Even after 16 plus years, there are still moments when I feel like an imposter. I frequently show my higher level students the TED Talk by Amy Cuddy ( where she tells people to “fake it ‘til they become it.” For me, this seems a logical part of a teacher’s journey. Incidentally, I still feel like I’m faking it waiting to feel like a ‘real’ adult. It’s really about being brave enough to expose your authentic self to others.
7. Simon B. Wilder (With Honours, 1994): In this movie, Simon Wilder was a well-educated and articulate homeless man who ultimately shows us that anyone can be teacher. The ability to think critically and ask questions freely is a skill that is sometimes not fostered by all educators. Students need to be able to think for themselves and independently evaluate information. It’s crucial for students to move beyond the lower levels of Bloom’s taxonomy and to think critically for themselves. (Bloom et al, 1956)
I take the lessons learned from all seven of these fictional educators with me into the classroom and into my reflections about who I want and need to be as an educator for my students.
References:
Bloom, B., Englehart, M. Furst, E., Hill, W., & Krathwohl, D. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives: The classification of educational goals. Handbook I: Cognitive domain. New York, NY: Longmans, Green.
Brookfield, S.D. (1995). Becoming a critically reflective teacher. San Francisco: CA: Jossey-Bass.
Brookfield, S.D. (2006). The skillful teacher: On technique, trust, and responsiveness in the classroom (2nd Ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. New York, NY: Harper Perennial.
Cuddy, A. (2012). Your body language shapes who you are. Retrieved from: http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are?language=en
McCourt, F. (2005). Teacher man: A memoir. New York, NY: Scribner.
