10 Best Teacher Movies And TV Shows To Rekindle Inspiration!

Let’s talk about something that hits close to home: being the true unsung heroes in our society. Yep, that’s us—teachers, the everyday magicians shaping the minds of tomorrow!

Picture this, we’re in the education arena, battling the challenge of educating the future, armed with our wits, knowledge, and a sprinkle of magic dust. Often, we’re in the ring without a full cheer squad or the right props, but that doesn’t stop us from giving it our all. We’re like the superhero squad of the classroom, ensuring our young learners get the A-grade training they deserve for the epic adventure that lies ahead.

best movies and TV shows about teachers

Today, we’re diving into something awesome—teacher movies and TV shows that beam a spotlight on why we should don our capes and be celebrated. These on-screen tales capture the essence of the amazingness we teachers bring to the table daily! Let’s roll and get inspired!

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So sit back, relax, and get yourself a bowl of popcorn (and some tissues too, just in case tears start to fall down!).

10 Best Teacher Movies And TV Shows

1.) Dead Poets Society

Starring Robbie Williams, this 1989 film directed by Peter Wier is about a teacher at an elite private school in 1959 who inspires his students to think independently and break free from the conventions of their norms.

The movie’s plot mainly revolves around a group of students who are inspired by their teacher, Mr. John Keating, to go against the grain of conformity and seek to understand themselves better through art, poetry, and passion for learning.  

This would be a great movie for teachers who want to help their students find their own voices and encourage them to follow their dreams. 

And I think this movie will greatly remind us how teachers can make a difference in our lives. And the characters in the film were all so well written that you can’t help but fall in love with them by the end of the movie!

If you haven’t watched this one yet, I suggest you put this on top of your must-see movies on your next movie night! 

2.) Stand and Deliver

Everybody loves an inspirational movie based on real life, and if inspiration and true story movies are right up your alley, then you’re going to love “Stand and Deliver”.

The movie “Stand and Deliver” is a 1988 film that was based on the story of a real-life math teacher named Jaime Escalante (portrayed by Edward James Olmos). 

The story revolves around the said math teacher and his Latino students at Garfield High School, Los Angeles. He taught his students AP Calculus (one of the hardest classes in high school), and he also got them to pass their GED test under his tutelage. 

His students were mostly from low-income neighborhoods, so most of the time, they didn’t have enough budget and resources for books and supplies, yet all of them still passed with flying colors! 

The movie is also not just about teaching itself; it is also about overcoming poverty and discrimination to achieve success, which was what Jaime’s story was all about. He was an immigrant from Bolivia who then became a teacher in California. 

But before he was one, he had to go through a series of challenges and endure obstacles that would later give him the passion and dedication to teaching students that were once like him. 

The movie really conveys the power education holds as well as hard work and determination—and as we all know, these three elements are crucial for anyone who wants to succeed in life. 

If you’re a math teacher, you have to sit down and have a watch. It’s a very good movie that has everything—an touching story, inspiring characters, and a true tale that will really relate to what teachers are going through even today. 

3.) Freedom Writers

Freedom Writers” is a 2006 movie film starring Hilary Swank. The movie follows the story of an idealistic teacher and her unconventional and inspiring methods to teach a group of disadvantaged students that she was determined to help succeed—no matter what the cost. 

Another great movie inspired by actual events, you’ll be in awe of Erin Gruwell’s (Hilary Swank) determination to never lose hope for her students, who everyone lost hope in. 

In the movie, she taught at-risk teenagers that were seen to have no prospects or any goals in life. Most of them were from low-income families and have also been exposed to violence in their own homes. 

A lot of the movie’s success can be attributed to its subject matter, which is students from low-income communities often benefit from having teachers who also share their own backgrounds and try to understand them better than teachers from middle-class backgrounds do. 

Erin Gruwell’s willingness to take risks also helped to inspire her students. Many of them didn’t like her at first; in fact, many of them disrespected her. But that did not sway her from her goal to gain their trust and bring them back to the path of education again.

She did whatever it took so that her students would be engaged in learning again, slowly but surely. She greatly encouraged them to keep journals and read materials that relate to their own lives. 

She gave extra credits for attending class every day; she asked questions about each student’s life out of class; she also took her students on field trips that included visits to museums and historical sites related to their ethnic heritage; and a lot more. 

This movie displayed how teachers go the extra mile just to make sure that their students receive the education they deserve. And I would highly suggest you see the movie asap if you haven’t yet.

4.) Mr. Holland’s Opus 

“Mr. Holland’s Opus” is a film based on a true story—it’s about a high school music teacher who finds his life changed when he begins teaching in the same school where he was once taught as a student. 

The movie shines a light on Mr. Holland’s effort to be an inspiring teacher to his students, all while juggling the responsibility of being a single parent and dealing with shrinking budgets, and shifting priorities to keep music as a part of his students’ education.

He has helped and touched the lives of generations of students both in and out of the class—as well as everyone around him: his students’ parents, friends, and everyone who encounters him during the course of his journey to teach. 

It doesn’t matter if you’re not into music or are just not very good at it. This movie will make you want to pick up an instrument or even learn one! After you’re done watching, you’ll have no choice but to be inspired by what happens in this moving story about dedication, sacrifice, and love for education!  

5.) Dangerous Minds

Another great movie about teachers that you can watch is “Dangerous Minds”, following the story of a fearless teacher who was herself a former Marine, Louanne Johnson (Michelle Pfeiffer) lands a teaching job in a pilot program for bright but underperforming teenagers at an infamous inner-city highschool filled with gangs, drugs, and violence. 

After her first day of teaching did not go the way she expected, she then decided to throw away decorum out the window because she knew that conventional ways of approaching her students would not work.

She began giving her students assignments to write about what they wanted to be when they grew up, and most of them wrote that they wanted to be gang members—but eventually, she helped them lay new paths and helped them explore new ambitions where she also set herself an example for them. 

This movie tells another story of how dedicated teachers can turn around the lives of their students—and even though they’re one of the most rebellious ones, as long as a teacher is dedicated to winning them over, there surely are inventive ways to make a difference.

6.) To Sir, With love

There are many great movies and TV shows that exalts teachers and their influence on students, and one of the most memorable movies is the most famous “To Sir, With Love”. 

Based on the book by E.R. Braithewaite, it’s a classic movie about a teacher who moved from Barbados to London where Mr. Braithewaite, the teacher, teaches his students about life lessons while also teaching them.

The film’s story focuses on his relationship with his students and how he eventually inspires them to achieve their potential. Halfway into the movie, He quickly learns that he’s in for much more than he bargained for—the students are unruly, the teachers are apathetic, and his own experience is far from sufficient to help him deal with these challenges.

As he grapples with these obstacles, Mr. Braithewaite comes to understand how much he has in common with his students—and how little they can relate to their own parents or guardians. In addition to its accurate portrayal of racial prejudice (both overt and subtle), this movie also explores how life experiences can impact people’s perspectives on education.

7.) Like Stars on Eart

The movie was based on the real-life story of a teacher who teaches a dyslexic boy how to read and write.

At first, the boy was thought to be lazy and a trouble-maker as well. Little did they know that the boy actually has a learning disability, and only the teacher in the movie took the patience and compassion to understand the struggles of why an eight-year-old boy was having trouble in school. 

At the beginning of the movie, the boy and his family are introduced, and it shows that his father is disappointed in him as he cannot do anything right, and even his own mother gets angry at him for not being able to read properly. 

The movie pointed out the real struggle of dyslexic kids and how with proper guidance and support from their teachers, there’s a chance to show their full potential—they just need the right people like dedicated teachers to help them bring out their talents. 

“Like start on Earth” is the highest-rated movie on IMDb about teachers. The film actually got an 8.7/10 rating from over 1,800 users. 

If you love a good tear-jerker movie, I highly recommend watching it soon! You are sure to love it! 

8.) Head of the Class

HBO Max’s reboot of Head of the Class is sure to warm your heart with its highly intelligent and passionately dedicated protagonists that strive hard to deeply inspire their students.

The show’s story revolves around a group of academically gifted students whose life was turned around when their new teacher Alicia Gomez (Isabella Gomez), arrived. 

Their teacher Alicia Gomez provided them with a different approach that they were not used to, which is to not only focus on getting straight A’s but rather to also experience what life is all about and why they should be grateful for it.

It’s a light and heartwarming watch, and it’s actually my comfort show that I love to binge-watch whenever I want to relax and destress after a long day. 

9.) A.P. Bio

If you’re in need of a good laugh after a long tiring week, then you have to check out and watch A.P. Bio. 

A.P. Bio is a comedy series that follows the story of a disgraced Harvard professor names jack griffin and his attempt at redemption. This show is so funny that it makes me truly happy that it exists! 

It’s irreverent, imaginative, and full of heart as well. And you are sure to fall in love in just a few episodes. The characters are absolutely interesting and complex people who have depth beyond their quirky traits. 

There are a lot of recurring jokes and themes on this show, including some references to excellent movies that will just make you laugh out loud (or maybe chuckle silently). You’ll fall in love with the entire cast, but a special mention to Patton Oswalt, who plays the principal, is well deserved for his hilariously bossy and swaggering take on the role. 

If you’re an avid fan of silly comedies with heart, then this might be your next binge-watch! 

10.) Abbott Elementary

One of the best upcoming TV shows about teachers, Abbott Elementary follows a group of teachers at an elementary school in new york city as they deal with their students, their students’ parents, and administrators, all while trying to maintain their sanity (sounds familiar, right?). 

It’s funny, dramatic, and really gives us an insight into what goes on behind the scenes in public education today. 

This show gives us a realistic portrayal of teachers, their struggles, and also the way they interact with each other. It also shows not just their lives within the classroom but also their personal lives as well. 

Abbot Elementary does an excellent job showing us that teachers are real people, too, with real lives, real friends, and real families as well. At some point, this show can be difficult to follow, but that’s actually a good thing. 

Because it means that the who is more sophisticated than your average sitcom. It also takes more time to understand its characters and their motivations which makes watching this show worthwhile.

Here’s a sneak peek of what’s waiting for you at Abbot Elementary! 

Conclusion

Hopefully, you’ve found something binge-worthy on our list today; from hilarious to inspirational, they all feature and depict teachers from all walks of life. Teachers who are passionate and dedicated to what they do and our students. 

These are just some of my picks for today, any favorites of yours? Please comment down below, as I’d love to have the chance to watch them too!

Until our next one!