Movies About Teachers

Movies About Teachers

Teaching is one of the rare professions in which success can be measured by the impact you have on the lives of others. As a teacher, you gain new insight into your students every day, and you have the opportunity to inspire them in ways that will encourage them to gain a lifelong love of learning.

If you aspire to be the kind of teacher who makes a lasting impression on your students, you are not alone. Passion about your subject matter and a desire to see your students succeed will certainly get you started. And these inspiring movies about teachers may give you ideas to keep you going. How many of these movies about teachers have you seen? Which are your personal favorites, and what do they show us about the art of teaching?

My Fair Lady (1964)
Directed by George Cukor, Starring Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison

Movies about teachers can sometimes go beyond the classroom. In the case of My Fair Lady, noted British linguist, Henry Higgins, accepts a bet to instruct a working-class, cockney flower seller, Eliza Doolittle, in both language and manners until she can pass for a member of British high society. At first a stubborn student, she ultimately wins the affection of numerous members of the British aristocracy. This touching yet humorous musical is a must-see for tutors, speech language pathologists and adult education teachers.

Dead Poets Society (1989)
Directed by Peter Weir, Starring Robin Williams

Some movies about teachers are instant classics. Such is the case with Dead Poets Society. In it, John Keating and his unorthodox teaching methods change the lives of the students in a New England prep school English class. The teacher's outrageous actions inspire his students to "think outside the box" and pursue their own dreams, even in the face of the seemingly insurmountable force of conformity. After tragedy strikes, the headmaster accuses Mr. Keating of causing a student's suicide and he is fired from the school. But the boys continue to support him in this dramatic coming-of-age movie.

Mr. Holland's Opus (1995)
Directed by Stephen Herek, Starring Richard Dreyfuss

There are movies about teachers, and then there are movies like Mr. Holland's Opus. Aiming to become a composer, professional musician Glenn Holland takes a day job as a high school music teacher. The job becomes his passion and life's work as he lets go of his artistic dreams, while trying to come to terms with his son's deafness. When his school cuts its music program, he begins to question his value until his students put together a going-away celebration in his honor. Art and music teachers, as well as American sign language teachers, will find this movie especially inspiring.

Precious (2009), Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire
Directed by Lee Daniels, Starring Gabourey Sidibe

Claireece "Precious" Jones is an illiterate teen from a dysfunctional family in Harlem who is pregnant again and living in a dream world. She enrolls in an alternative school where her new teacher, Miss Rain, shows a personal interest in her, teaching her to read and write, and inspiring her to improve her life for her own benefit...and for the sake of her children. An emotional tale, Precious makes audiences aware of the impact that teachers can sometimes have on their students. Precious is one of the best movies about teachers of the past decade.