As kids prepare to head back to school each fall, the question weighing on their minds the most is who their new teachers are going to be. More than just a conduit for education, a good teacher can mold your mind and establish what kind of person you become.
Over the years, several TV shows have centered on kids in school trying to learn the ropes and make it out alive. Often, you spend so much time watching kids in the classroom that the teacher characters begin to feel like real people. Here’s a look at some of the teachers TV viewers have loved (or loved to hate) throughout television history.
Boy Meets World – Mr. Feeny
Ask any child of the ’90s who the most memorable TV teacher was and you will get an almost unanimous response. Mr. Feeny, played by actor William Daniels, was the educational stalwart in the coming-of-age sitcom Boy Meets World. Feeny followed Cory Matthews and his friends from middle school all the way up through college (as well as living next door to Cory’s family) and taught them practically everything they knew about life.
A strict but kind teacher who saw unlimited potential in everyone, Feeny struck a cord with kids by being a teacher no one would want to cross but whom everyone wanted to learn from. While it has been off the air for years, reruns of Boy Meets World are still shown constantly on ABC Family, and a spinoff show featuring the next generation of Matthews kids is set to air on the Disney Channel starting in 2014 (Feeny has been confirmed as a guest star in the new series). Check with your local satellite TV provider or online services like DIRECTV, about how you can receive these channels.
Saved by the Bell – Mr. Belding
Mr. Belding (Dennis Haskins) didn’t know what he was in for when he first started facing off against Zack Morris and his friends on Saved by the Bell. Belding was Morris’ frequent nemesis on the show, but it was obvious that they had a sort of mutual respect for one another. Belding was one of the few characters to remain with the Saved by the Bell franchise all the way through its conclusion in 2000.
Glee – Mr. Schuester and Coach Sylvester
If Mr. Schuester (Matthew Morrison) is the teacher who thinks his students are capable of anything when they dream big, Coach Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) is his ultimate foil. The two constantly battle it out on the musical comedy show Glee.
Schuester is the director of the New Directions, the high school glee club, and he goes above and beyond to make sure his students succeed. Sylvester, however, is usually the more interesting character. While her hijinks are often mean-spirited, it is revealed in several episodes that she has a heart, which she insists on concealing behind her nasty façade.
Welcome Back, Kotter – Mr. Kotter
In the 1970s, Gabe Kaplan starred as Mr. Kotter, a wisecracking teacher who comes back to his Brooklyn high school to teach a remedial class of students known as the “Sweathogs.” Kotter, who had been in the same class himself as a teenager, recognized the potential in each of his students and did his best to connect with them while helping them reach their full potential.
The Magic School Bus – Miss Frizzle
Every child who watched The Magic School Bus in the 1990s wished they could have been in Miss Frizzle’s (voiced by Lily Tomlin) class. The redheaded teacher would surprise her students daily with field trips to places where no kids had ever gone before—with the help of a school bus that had very interesting powers. Frizzle’s class got to go to outer space, inside the human body, and even back in time to meet the dinosaurs. It was the epitome of hands-on learning.
Charlie Brown – “Wah wah wah wah wah”
While not a character who would ever appear on screen, Charlie Brown’s teacher had a very memorable presence nonetheless. Voiced by a trombone, the teacher would spout her angry tirades at Charlie Brown and his friends. Unfortunately, like most bad teachers, everything she said sounded like nonsense.
Whether good, bad, or just plain memorable, TV’s teachers have had a profound effect on some of history’s greatest shows. As the coming school year approaches, take a look at some of these examples for ideas about the kinds of teachers you would love to have or dread getting.
Charlotte Button is a self-confessed television addict. When she’s not staring at the small screen, she’s writing about it online.