Happy World Teachers Day! We’re celebrating the work of teachers everywhere.
Teaching is a great job, it’s a wonderful feeling when you know you have been influential in a student’s learning or you help them to understand a concept that they have preciously found difficult. Time spent in the classroom can bring many surprises and you need to be flexible, inspirational and have a good sense of humour to deal with situations that may arise. The fictional teachers that we have chosen on World Teachers Day need patience and humour when teaching their students and are all inspirational in their own way.
One of our favourite picture book teachers is Miss Cluck who is Boris’ kind and supportive teacher. Despite the fact that her classroom and many of its resources are unsuitable for a large bear she does her best to include him in activities and is there to help him when things go wrong. We particularly love her inspirational classroom wall displays in Boris Saves the Show by Carrie Weston and Tim Warnes.
Mrs Pepperpot has a very unusual teacher in Mrs Pepperpot Learns to Swim by Alf Prøysen and Hilda Owen. When she shrinks while trying to swim in the local pond she is rescued by a pompous frog who teaches her how to swim before she grows again.
In Cactus Annie by Melanie Williamson Miss Tumbleweed needs to have a lot of patience on Cactus Annie’s first day at school as Cactus Annie is not a natural cowgirl. However, when Cactus Annie singlehandedly saves the school’s cows from the pesky rats Miss Tumbleweed is very happy to give her a medal for bravery.
Otter becomes a teacher in Otter Goes to School by Sam Garton. She soon finds that teaching can be a challenge and must find a way to help Teddy who thinks he isn’t any good at anything!
School for Dads by Charlotte and Adam Guillain and Ada Grey takes an amusing look at what happens when children become teachers to try and improve their fathers’ behaviour and show them what is important to them. By the end of the day the children realise that it isn’t easy being a grown up and that, despite some shortcomings, all their fathers have qualities that should be celebrated.
In Matilda by Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake Matilda’s teacher, Miss Honey, is a kind and friendly advocate when she comes up against her new headteacher, the forbidding Miss Trunchbull. Miss Honey is so kind and caring that Matilda eventually leaves her unsupportive family and goes to live with her.
Although he has some slightly unorthodox teaching methods I love Hagrid’s classes in J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter stories. He is such an unconventional teacher and I’m amused by some of the dangerous creatures (which he considers harmless!) that he uses in his Care of Magical Creatures classes. Do you have a favourite Hogwarts teacher?
We would love to hear about your favourite fictional teachers in the comments.
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