13 Inspiring Teacher Movies for your Binge-Watching Pleasure

Teacher movies have a reputation for being syrupy, predictable, and clichéd. A typical plot is that of an idealistic young teacher who takes on a class of unruly students and “saves” them by using tough love and encouragement. These are often feel good movies designed to evoke strong emotions and be inspiring.

Teaching is a difficult job, and at times, we all need some inspiration.  Teacher movies offer inspiration, but if you watch carefully, you will also learn things about the importance of building relationships, effective teaching strategies, and how to manage accountability while holding high standards.

We offer 13 of our favorite teacher movies for your binge-watching pleasure:

Dead Poet’s Society

Robin Williams is genius in his portrayal of a prep school teacher Mr. Keating, who is out to inspire his students to think and live differently. Watch this to see what a passionate teacher looks and acts like. This movie was nominated for many awards and won an Academy Award for Best Screenwriting. Carpe Diem!

Stand and Deliver

A math teacher is a struggling school manages to inspire his apathetic students to math greatness by giving them both skills and desire to achieve.  Tragically, the students, who are mostly poor and Latino, are accused of cheating.  Mr. Escalante is a master at getting attention.  Watch the scene where he slices an apple with a cleaver or when he connects mathematical principals to the Mayan heritage of the students. You’ll learn how to make learning relevant and be inspired to connect with students.

Mr. Holland’s Opus

Richard Dreyfus stars as Mr. Holland, a wannabe composer who takes a job as a music teacher.  The job is more difficult than he imagined, and he is often frustrated and feels ineffective.  All teachers have these feelings.  Based on a true story, this movie is a testament to the power of a teacher to affect students in powerful ways and reminds us that we, too, may be affecting our students in ways we don’t even know about.

Dangerous Minds

Dangerous Minds is another movie based on a true story. LouAnne Johnson is an ex-marine who takes on a class full of troubled high school students and manages to both bribe and inspire them into achieving.  Her real method, however is building connections with students, which is the ultimate strategy to win them over.

Freedom Writers

Also based on a true story, idealistic new teacher Ms. Gruell takes a job in inner-city Los Angeles.  A fish out of water, the pearl wearing Gruell does not immediately connect with her highly diverse, at-risk students. When she begins to discuss racism, they gradually open up.  This leads to a writing project which helps to change the student’s lives. Though the world may try to beat the idealism out of you, this movie teaches you to hold fast to your dreams.

School of Rock

This is an unusual choice, since character Dewey Finn, played by Jack Black, is not a real teacher.  In addition to being entertaining, it is the story of a surprisingly effective teacher. Finn, who does not always use ethical methods, turns his fourth- grade classroom in a rock band.  He uses some good teaching techniques and demonstrates a clear understanding of how to motivate students.  His best strategy is to understand who his students are and to use their strengths to help them find success.

Lean On Me

Morgan Freeman stars as Joe Clarke, a tough guy principal who takes on a gang and violence ridden New York City school.  His methods are unorthodox; he wanders the halls with a baseball bat and instantly expels troublemakers. He manages to raise standards and ultimately, turn around the school. The message here is that we CAN change things in education that aren’t working.

To Sir With Love

This classic 1967 movie stars the superb Sidney Poitier as a black engineer forced by discrimination to take a job as a teacher in London’s rough East End.  At first he is both shocked and appalled at the behavior he sees.  He challenges the students to act more respectfully, which accounts for his new title as “Sir.”  Gradually, he wins them over and changes how they see themselves and their future.

Goodbye Mr. Chips

This is another classic movie, which won Robert Donant an Academy Award in 1939 for best actor, beating out Clarke Gable in Gone With the Wind.  The film is about an aging headmaster who tells the story of his teaching career through flashbacks from his past.  The delight in this movie is watching Mr. Chips transform from a young, ineffective teacher, into a master educator.  If you study how he changed as he learned through the years you will have a guide from an excellent mentor.

Music of the Heart

Meryl Streep stars as a middle-aged woman who takes a job as a music teacher in Harlem when her husband abandons her.  With no experience, she struggles in the job, but hangs in there and keeps trying. She gradually has a positive effect on her students and on the school community. The teacher who perseveres wins, which teaches us that you can get better at your job and ultimately, make a difference.

Front of the Class

This is the story of a young boy with Tourette’s Syndrome.  He is tortured and bullied as a child, but refuses to let his condition hold him down. He ultimately becomes a successful teacher.  This movie will help you understand Tourette’s syndrome as you root for the underdog.  By the time he gets a teaching job, you believe that he will accomplish anything he sets his mind to, including being an effective teacher.

The Ron Clark Story

This is the true story of Clark, who is now leads his own school and has written extensively about education. Clarke leaves his successful job in a suburban school in North Carolina and heads for New York City where he hopes to tackles the challenges of the inner city and raise test scores despite all odds. This movie will lead you to challenge yourself rather than accept mediocrity and complacency.

Akeelah and the Bee

This is a story about the power of education in transforming a life. Akeelah is a bright but unmotivated eleven-year-old. Akeelah’s environment, with its low expectations, gangs and apathy towards education threatens to destroy her.  Faced with detentions for her many absences, she gets involved with a spelling bee and wins.  She is sent to train with an English professor, whose methods involve deeply understanding your content and believing in your inner power.

We hope you relax and enjoy some of these teacher movies over your break from school.  Also, we’d love to hear your favorite teacher movies.  What teacher movies do you recommend? Just let us know in the comments below.

Happy watching,

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