Parading Best Teachers!

Yesterday Javier and I saw Boyhood, the critically praised (and truthful, engaging) film by Richard Linklater, following a boy for 12 years of his childhood, 6 to 18.  In the movie the mother (played by Patricia Arquette, the actress I liked so much in Ethan Frome and whom David Foster Wallace did NOT like) goes back to college after being a single mother, marries one of her professors, and eventually becomes an instructor herself.  She tells a young Spanish-speaking worker who's doing a job for her, "You're smart.  You should be in school.  Go to night school at a community college," and in a later scene, he's done just that.  He thanks her for saving his life.  In spite of that, she tells her son "I thought there's be more to life than this."

Hmm.  I find movies about inspirational teachers so depressing because I wasn't one of them.  Why am I the only teacher except for the protagonist in The Browning Version who failed at inspiring and winning the love of all?

In addition to the Boyhood scene, Parade came out with a list and people voted!

Who's the best teacher from TV or film?

John Keating from Dead Poets Society 23.57%  

Mr. Miyagi from The Karate Kid 18.91%  

Miss Frizzle from The Magic School Bus 12.02%  

Jaime A. Escalante from Stand and Deliver 11.76%  

Mr. Holland from Mr. Holland's Opus 8.63%  

Professor Dumbledore from Harry Potter 7.26%  

Professor McGonagall from Harry Potter 5.88%  

Gabe Kotter from Welcome Back Kotter 4.98%  

Charles Xavier from X-Men 3.34%  

Dr. Henry Walton Jones from Indiana Jones 1.64%  

Will Schuester from Glee 1.17%  

Miss Norbury from Mean Girls 1%