The Top 10 Best Movie Teachers

Eye’s Up Front! Today We’re Covering The Top 10 Movie Teachers.

There’s no doubt that teachers don’t get the appreciation they deserve. Unfortunately, there isn’t much a movie review site can do about that, but I can honor the movie teachers that have managed to leave lasting impressions on us over the years. So, this week’s top 10 list is going to honor those big screen educators that really managed to make a difference in their student’s (and the audience’s) lives. They put their blood, sweat, and tears into helping mold the movie minds of tomorrow. It’s a thankless job (well, not for the actors), but someone has to do it. The only rule for this list is that the character has to be a teacher, so no principals or deans—sorry Mr. Strickland, Ed Rooney, Richard Vernon, and others, maybe next time. That being said, I hope you’re ready to take some notes because you’re about to get schooled with the Top 10 Movie Teachers of all time!

10. The Economics Teacher- Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

He wasn’t even on screen long enough for his character to earn a name, but Ben Stein is one of the most memorable parts of the John Hughes classic Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. I’m sure that everyone has had a teacher that oozes charisma like Stein did in the film, and that’s not an exaggeration considering he’s one of the most memorable movie teachers of all time. Still, it would be rough trying to your eyes open in his class, but maybe that’s the whole reason Ferris felt like he needed a day off. Best of all, Ben Stein is a real-world economist so I have a feeling he really nailed the excitement that comes from diving into the real juicy parts of the subject.

9. LouAnne Johnson- Dangerous Minds

Michelle Pfeiffer stars in a movie that feels vaguely familiar to a lot of other teacher-oriented films. She plays a tough ex-Marine who accepts a job teaching troubled youths from the inner city. Now that I think about it, it seems like there are a lot of troubled youths from the inner city who manage to find amazing teachers to help straighten them out. It was a tough call between her and Jonathan Shale of The Substitute, but since she’s actually a qualified teacher it just seemed appropriate to give the slot to her. Of course the fact that she actually tries to change lives rather than end them also gave her a leg up. Either way, LouAnne is truly one of the most memorable movie teachers of all time.

8. Dave Jennings- Animal House

Back in high school, Donald Sutherland’s character in Animal House gave me the hope that all my college professors would invite me back to smoke a doobie with them. He also made me paranoid about college professors stealing my girlfriend… You know, when and if I ever got a girlfriend. Of course, at the time I didn’t understand that in the 70s this kind of behavior was expected from the faculty, and would be generally frowned upon these days. Thanks to Jennings, my whole college experience was a disappointment (and in an odd way, a relief). So, remember kids, don’t do drugs, unless your professor offers them to you.

7. Devey Finn- School of Rock

There is a long cinematic tradition of people pretending to be teachers, but perhaps one of the most lovable is Jack Black in this fun-filled flick. Much like Pfeiffer above, Black is another one of those movie teachers that try to reach out to some disadvantaged children in an elite preparatory school. He soon discovers the power that music has to unite and inspire the young as he teaches them the merits of Rock n’ Roll. O.K., so maybe it isn’t all that touching, but it’s pretty funny and it’s a movie that’s hard not to love. The only problem is that I’m pretty sure those rich little kids have rich parents with very rich lawyers who are happy to sue for child endangerment, but why ruin a wonderful fairy with frivolous lawsuits?

6. Professor Charles Xavier- The X-Men Franchise

To choose between Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy would be like trying to choose between a guy with hair and a guy without. It just can’t simply can’t be done. What can be done, though, is declaring Charles Xavier one of the best movie teachers on the silver screen. Sure it’s hard to point to any specific lecture that solidified his positions as one of the great movie teachers of all time, but the “professor” part of his name definitely implies it. Maybe it’s all the baggage his character brings with him, but I can’t help feeling a sense of nostalgia every time he wheels out on to a scene. It’s not just a nerd bias, though: This guy genuinely cares for all of his students and works tirelessly to mold them… into ruthless fighting machines.