portraits

Teachers in Fiction

View essay

Ms. Frizzle

Eccentric. Odd. Good. Iconic. Created by writer Joanna Cole and illustrator Bruce Degan, Ms. Frizzle is the adventurous and fabulous teacher of The Magic School Bus, a series of books and a show that continues to influence and inspire teachers, students, and has produced many pedagogical innovations. Read this PECE essay on Ms. Frizzle and the Magic School Bus to explore why. 

Jack Black on Teaching

A scene from the movie School of Rock (2003) fronted by Jack Black. A proverb for those who dismiss teaching as a second-rate profession. It shows how ideals of meritocracy undermine the intellectual and cultural work that teachers do. 

Robin Williams on being a teacher

Robin Williams portrays dedicated, mission-oriented teacher John Keating who suffuses a cohort of high school students with his love of poetry. He is up against a schooling system that stifles creativity for efficiency. 

Subscribe to portraits