EduPop! will explore various representations of teachers and educators as they appear in media: novels, movies, television shows, music, etc. Some representations are wonderful, some terrible but all are presented for fun!
Mark Thackeray
To Sir With Love
1967
Mark Thackeray, the main character in the 1967 film To Sir With Love follows a fairly typical arc for a fictional teacher: he takes his position as a back up to something better that he is sure will come along, finds he is passionate and discovers his students need him. In his work at North Quay Secondary School he uncovers the fact that the majority of students there have been rejected from other schools and have landed in his charge because of issues in their lives outside school. Through a series of encounters, Thackeray becomes convinced that he has to leave education. He is not cut out for the work and he is not making a difference. Of course, when he receives a note addressed “to sir, with love” he understands the impact he is making and dedicates his life to teaching.
Wouldn’t we all like a teacher like Sidney Poitier?