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!
Mr. Kotter
Welcome Back, Kotter
1975 – 1979
I loved Mr. Kotter. Early in my career, I was Mr. Kotter having returned to my alma mater to teach.
Gabe Kotter was a young teacher coming back to a school he barely recognized. He was young, idealistic, newly married and dedicated to his students. For four seasons, he struggled with what it meant to be a teacher, what it meant to be a role model and what it meant to care far more about his charges than he ever thought possible.
While Welcome Back, Kotter was never the most realistic show about teaching, it had amazing heart. Heart is what we need in education and what inspires our students!
Welcome back, Kotter! We missed you!