Teachers on TV

Teachers have quite the reputation to uphold. They must meet standards, inspire minds, earn respect, increase competencies, of 30 students in 9 months. Teachers also battle students' competing interests (dating, internet, sports, etc.) when asking for focus and assignments. Everyone agrees that it is tough to teach. So why does it feel like television is trying to make it harder? The common teachers portrayed in television are authoritarian, self-interested, and immoral, or sheepish, overly-sensitive, and weak. Let's take a look at a few well-known examples of teachers in TV shows.

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Characters:

Ms. Othmar, Charlie Brown

Ms. Krabappel, The Simpsons

Mr. Simmons, Hey Arnold

Mrs. Garrison, South Park

Ms. Frizzle, Magic School Bus

Mr. Feeny, Boy Meets World

Story-Lines:

Ms. Othmar, Charlie Brown:

This is one of the first TV teachers that comes to my mind. She teaches Linus's class, and the only words we ever hear coming out of her mouth are: mrah mrah mumble mrah indiscernable babbling. I'm not sure I've ever heard her say something motivating or kind (and when I say heard, I mean had-explained-to-me-by-the-other-characters-interpreting, of course). Teachers in the real world do not speak in incomprehensible gibberish, and Ms. Othmar will not encourage students to closely adhere to any teacher's words. Ms. Othmar tells viewers that teachers do not have anything valuable to say, and that questioning learning and using creativity are unwanted in the classroom. I want my students to tune-in to my voice, and to be ready to challenge what they hear. Linus certainly isn't developing his confidence to strive for learning, and he isn't letting his teacher help him, either.

Ms. Krabappel, The Simpsons:

Edna Krabappel is the epitome of your unfulfilled, cranky teacher. When she is not hooking up with the principal in the broom closet, Ms. Krabappel is invariably smoking and/or tossing mean-spirited sass back at the students. Obviously unfulfilled, Edna's main concern is finding her way out of her poor relationship with Mr. Skinner and into the arms of a hunky true love. I've got nothing against true love, of course, but I would love to see Ms. Krabappel excited about strengthening young mind (although Bart Simpson would make that difficult for anyone to enjoy). Students may generalize Ms. Krabappel's demeanor to then assume that all people who teach do so for the 'meager-pay' rather than the joy of teaching. The Simpsons is popular, a caricature of US society. How does the normal teacher of our society play into this extreme example? And why do people develop the idea that people turn to teaching for any reason other than loving education? All I know is that I certainly hope that I do not end up like her. How will I prevent this? By becoming a teacher who is excited about the process of teaching and who keeps the necessary boundaries between private and school life, and hopefully not having an affair with the principal, of course.

Mr. Simmons, Hey Arnold:

Mr. Simmons would not be a bad teacher to emulate. He comes into the classroom with a balding, sweater-vest appearance and progressive beliefs about teaching: Each person is a unique individual, and students should never stop asking why. But his methods are not received well; the class decides to get rid of the "touchy-feely geek" with the usual pranks. Dropping pencils, switching names, etc. Essentially, the teacher loses his grip and deserts the classroom. Only after the students face Lieutenant Major Goose (authoritative, demanding, and cold) do they realize that Mr. Simmons's teaching style is innovative and deserving of respect. They go to his home and beg him to come back. Luckily, they finally prove themselves worthy of his skill by sharing their truthful feelings. Mr. Simmons tells students that respect for teachers can be conditional. While it does have a positive ending, it is unlikely that real classrooms would switch from a clearly talented teacher to a military authoritarian in order to teach the students a lesson. Students won't always see a teacher's quality by way of a direct comparison. What about accepting a caring teacher at face value?

Mrs. Garrison, South Park:

I can't decide if Mrs. Garrison gives much or little hope to queer teachers aiming to gain respect in the classroom. Her private life often enters the classroom, which we can all agree is inappropriate for any school environment. Mrs. Garrison lets her prejudices take center stage while teaching, and is in general seen as completely unfit to teach. The students get away with anything in her classroom, too. In the ninth season, Mrs. Garrison undergoes sexual reassignment surgery, and reemerges as beautiful Mrs. Garrison. Amazingly, her transition is generally accepted in the classroom, although completely undermined with the dolphin-oplasty of Stan's father. This is why I can't decide if she is a hopeful or hopeless case. She succeeds at being a force for diversity, yet is still portrayed as a little too extreme for a classroom. Mrs. Garrison tells viewers that teachers who come from diverse backgrounds are inherently flawed, a spectacle, even. Of course, this is completely in the comedic vein of South Park and we cannot ignore the fact that South Park was made for the comedic effect of rudeness. But, we also cannot ignore the fact that minority teachers face challenges wherever they are, be it a minority of race, class, gender, sexual orientation, or intellectual practices. I hope that my queer identity does not cause me to face unneeded challenges in the classroom.

Ms. Frizzle, Magic School Bus:

Ms. Frizzle takes science education to an entirely new level. Need to learn about space? No problem, let's go to Pluto! Need to learn about the body's defenses against illness? No problem, let's go inside of a student's body. With Ms. Frizzle, you never need to worry about not finding the practical implications of knowledge. But where are those parental permission slips? She is unpredictable, enthusiastic, and bizarre. But her students learn; and so does the audience. What does Ms. Frizzle tell us about teachers? Perhaps that we have to be amazingly exciting and out-of-the-box to make an impact? Or that we have no rules or standards to follow? Maybe Ms. Frizzle sets the bar too high? However, The Magic School Bus was made as an educational tool rather than simply a form of entertainment. Is this why Ms. Frizzle lacks the unattractive qualities of our other TV teachers? I think that this has both positive and negative consequences. Students will learn from the show while being entertained, but may develop unrealistic expectations for what will actually occur in the classroom. I don't mean that students will think that they can hop on a yellow bus and shrink down Alice-in-Wonderland style. I mean that they will feel let down when we give them tattered schoolbooks and "teach to the test" as is so often expected. But maybe we can still view this show once in a while to get good ideas for 'practical' applications.

Mr. Feeny, Boy Meets World:

Finally, a teacher that I can totally admire. Mr. Feeny shows us just how much a teacher can impact his students. Of course, most students are not lucky enough to have the same outstanding teacher throughout their entire education. That is perhaps one of the few flaws with Mr. Feeny's character; he is too present, too unending. We get nine months with students, he gets twelve years. One other possible flaw is that he does not seem to have a personal life. We do see him outside of the classroom but it is only in his front garden; does he have a family? Pets? He is the completely devoted teacher, constantly present for his students. Another role-model and support for all of life's challenges. This is what we strive to be as teachers. But we will not always be able (or willing) to sacrifice our outside lives to achieve this. However, Mr. Feeny's amazing teaching ability is admirable. He practically raises Cory, Shawn, Topanga and the rest into respectable, responsible adults. This show is aimed at older kids who have generally had a least a few years of schooling. How might Mr. Feeny affect how his viewers perceive teachers? He may set the bar too high, but he may also set the bar just high enough.

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All right, after looking in depth at these characters, I realize that I'm working with a mixed bag of portrayals. Teachers are often portrayed in television as idiotic, passive, overly-demanding, and unqualified. But we do have a few positive examples to work off of, like Ms. Frizzle and Mr. Feeny. Plus, Mrs. Garrison gives us an interesting look at minority teachers, too. But then there is Ms. Othmar and Ms. Krabappel who give us little to look forward to. So we are left considering how the media will impact our students. Which TV teachers will they use to inform their concept of a teacher? If children begin watching television before they enter school, many of these teacher prototypes will influence how they approach their own classroom teachers. Even if these shows appear later in life, they generally are not apt to create respect towards teachers. Comic relief is one thing, degrading people in an occupation that we should be elevating is another. Yes, television is for entertainment. But it as some might say, "stereotypes are often based in some thread of truth." What truth is there to these teachers? And in the end, let's look towards Feeny while we work to soothe Krabappel's rough life, and work for qualified, respected teachers for all students.