A big part of your childhood is mainly spent in school, interacting with classmates, learning skills and discovering the world around them. One of the most important parts of a good school experience is also having a great teacher. Surely we can name at least one teacher who made a difference in our lives and someone we can never forget.
Here are a few fictional characters that have stood out for being memorable and exceptional teachers who have had a big impact on their students’ lives.
Remus Lupin — Harry Potter series
The Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling has many brilliant teachers, and some not so great ones too, but Remus Lupin is perhaps one of best teachers the Hogwarts School for Withcraft and Wizardry has ever had. He made his classes fun, kept the rivalry between Slytherin and Gryffindor at bay and more importantly he was one of the few defense against the dark arts teachers who actually taught them useful skills. Not to mention, he was like a father figure to Harry as well, helping him master the famous spell “Expecto Patronum”.
Mr. Falker — Thank You, Mr. Falker
This book by Patricia Polacco is about a young girl named Trisha who struggles with learning how to read and is teased by her classmates, causing her to believe that she is not smart. Enter Mr. Falkner, her teacher who sees through Trisha’s despair and discovers that she doesn’t know how to read. He is willing to give her the help she needs to overcome this challenge that seems unconquerable, changing the whole course of Trisha’s life. With his guidance, Tricia learns that she is smart and he opens up the world of reading to her after which she becomes so enchanted with words and stories that she becomes a writer. Trisha is Patricia Polacco in real life and it is the writer’s inability to read that forms the crux of the story.
Miss Stacy — Anne of Green Gables
Miss Stacy, in Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery, first appeared as a new teacher who replaced the "boring and crude Mr Teddy Philips" at the local school in the small fictional town of Avonlea. Her warm and sympathetic nature appeals to her students, but the town’s conservative parents disapprove of her liberal teaching methods. She forms a special relationship with Anne, who views her as a mentor. Miss Stacy encourages Anne to develop her character and intellect and helps prepare her for the entrance exam at Queen's Academy, where she finishes in a tie for first with Gilbert Blythe.
Ms. Frizzle — The Magic School Bus series
The Magic School Bus series by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen has perhaps one of the coolest fictional teachers to exist, Ms. Valerie Frizzle. Who wouldn’t want a teacher that takes her class on magical field trips into outer space, the past or through the arteries of the heart? Ms. Frizzle is quirky, eccentric and she uses a variety of unusual magic devices to teach her class scientific concepts. The most notable of these is her magical school bus, a shape-shifting vehicle that seems to have a mind of its own sometimes, and takes Ms. Frizzle’s class on fun filled adventurous trips to unusual locations to learn more about the world.
Miss Honey — Matilda
Miss Honey, in the popular children’s classic Matilda by Roald Dahl, is a gentle and kind teacher. She is caring, supportive and encourages Matilda with her special abilities. She is also empathetic towards the children who suffered under the scary headmistress, Agatha Trunchbull. Miss Honey was not only a teacher but also like a friend to Matilda, and is astonished by her intellectual abilities and tries her best to move Matilda into a higher class. Miss Honey modelled herself as the adult that unfortunate and special students like Matilda could depend on.
