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!
Jessica Day
New Girl
Fox | 2011 – 2018
Jessica Day (played by Zooey Deschanel) in the sitcom New Girl was a delightfully quirky and energetic teacher who was creative, passionate and willing to share of herself in the most real and authentic ways. Completely unabashed, Ms. Day would chat with her students about what was truly on their minds, would let them into her personal life and would make them feel special. She was inventive and in control of her classroom at all times and, even when she was laid off from a teaching job, she knew the work was in her blood. Securing a new position she was later promoted to Assistant Principal and then Principal. Upon accepting her principalship, she said “I am going to be a principal for the kids” and so all principals should be!
New Girl was a very underrated show and Jessica Day is an under-the-radar EduPop! hero!