Super Screen Stories

In Human Development, this afternoon, we digressed into a discussion of good teacher movies.  Here is my (in progress) list:

Super Awesome Teacher Movies: A List by SJ

Title                                                  Lead Actor(s)                                                     Lesson/What Made the Teacher Super
School of Life                                  Ryan Reynolds & David Paymer                       Passionate about Life
The Bells of St. Mary's                   Ingrid Bergman & Bing Crosby                            Cared for Students
Renaissance Man                            Danny DeVito                                                      Believed in Students
Kindergarten Cop                           Arnold Schwartzenegger                               Developmental Instincts
That's What I Am                           Ed Harris                                                              "That's What I Am"
School of Rock                                  Jack Black                                                         Learned from Students
The Ron Clark Story~                     Matthew Perry                                           Innovative Teaching Methods
Dead Poets Society                           Robin Williams                                             Love Poetry, Seize the Day
Dangerous Minds~                           Michelle Pffiefer                                             Connected with Students
To Sir, With Love                              Sidney Portier                                                    Made Students THINK
Arranged                                           Zoe Lister Jones & Francis Benhamou            Find common ground
Stand and Deliver~                           Edward James Olmos                           Teaches Calculus to "Special Ed"
Sister Act 2                                        Whoopi Goldberg                                   Teaches Respect through Work

Krippendorf's Tribe                          Richard Dreyfuss                                   Creative College Prof. :o)
Freedom Writers*~                           Hilary Swank                       Motivates Students to Share their stories
Take the Lead~                                   Antonio Banderas                         Teaches Respect through Dancing
The Karate Kid                                   Pat Morita & Ralph Macchio                   Teaches Self Confidence
In & Out                                               Kevin Kline                                                         Acceptance
X-Men                                                   Patrick Stewart & Hugh Jackman                    Super Powers!
The Trouble with Angels ~                  Hayley Mills & Rosalind Russell     Patience in the face of Hijinks
Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows!   Rosalind Russell & Stella Stevens       Plucky Spirits

Teacher Movies I've Seen, but don't really remember if they were good

Mr. Holland's Opus
Mona Lisa Smile
The Man Without a Face
To Be and To Have (Documentary)

Teacher Movies I've been told I have to see

The Marva Collins Story~
Lean on Me~
A Beautiful Mind~
Music of the Heart
October Sky
Children of a Lesser God
Teachers
Half Nelson
Blackboard Jungle
The Principal
The Emperor's Club
Akeelah and the Bee
Up the Down Staircase
Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
Goodbye, Mr. Chips
The Great Debaters
Chalk
Bad Teacher


~Based on a True Story

*The movie is great and the book is well written, however, it bugs me that this teacher has only ever taught one class of students.  It's wonderful that she did something amazing once, but it bugs me because other really awesome teachers do much the same thing over and over and over again and don't get all the accolades that she does.


Bonus Features:

Three Teacher Books I Love

I am a Pencil by Sam Swope

Learn Me Good by John Pearson

The Essential 55 by Ron Clark