Summer has arrived and, amid a myriad of activities you want to accomplish before the next school year is knocking at the door, there must be room for leisure and relaxation. The five films below have a teacher as their protagonist; some will move you to tears and some will make you laugh, some are a blast from the far past and some are newer, but all will remind you why teaching is your calling.
- For the poet in you: Dead Poets Society
A new English teacher, John Keating, is introduced to an all-boys preparatory school that is known for its ancient traditions and high standards. He uses unorthodox methods to reach out to his students, who face enormous pressures from their parents and the school. With Keating's help, students Neil Perry, Todd Anderson and others learn to break out of their shells, pursue their dreams and seize the day.
- For the fun rebel in you: School of Rock
Down and out rock star Dewey Finn gets fired from his band, and he faces a mountain of debts and depression. He takes a job as a 4th grade substitute teacher at a private school where his attitude and hijinx have a powerful effect on his students. He also meets Zack, a 10-year-old guitar prodigy, who could help Dewey win a "battle of the bands" competition, which would solve his financial problems and put him back in the spotlight.
- For the math whiz in you: Stand and Deliver
Based on a true story, Jaime A. Escalante is a new teacher at James A. Garfield High School determined to change the system and challenge the students to a higher level of excellence. Leaving a steady job for a lowly position as a math teacher and convinced that his students have potential, he adopts unconventional teaching methods help gang members and no-hopers pass the rigorous Advanced Placement exam in calculus.
- For the composer in you: Mr. Holland’s Opus
Glenn Holland is a musician and composer who takes a teaching job to pay the rent while, in his 'spare time', he can strive to achieve his true goal - compose one memorable piece of music to leave his mark on the world. As the years unfold, the joy of sharing his contagious passion for music with his students becomes his new definition of success.
- For the unifying leader in you: Remember the Titans
Suburban Virginia schools have been segregated for generations. One Black and one White high school are closed and the students sent to T.C. Williams High School under federal mandate to integrate. The year is seen through the eyes of the football team where the man hired to coach the Black school is made head coach over the highly successful white coach. Based on the actual events of 1971, the team becomes the unifying symbol for the community as the boys and the adults learn to depend on and trust each other.
Happy days of summer!
Sources
iMDB summaries, please follow the link in each movie title for more information on each.
