The 10 Most Inspirational Movie Teachers & Principals, Ranked

Teachers help shape people, and thus they also shape the world. With power like that, it is no wonder a lot of films have teachers either as their main characters or as mentors to help protagonists on their journey.

While there are a lot of memorable teachers, a smaller few can be called inspirational. These are teachers in film that went the extra mile for their students, have quotes still repeated to this day, and are characters we wish we had as teachers when we were kids. Here are ten inspirational teachers from film.

10 John Kimble From Kindergarten Cop

This comedy out of 1990 starred Arnold Schwarzenegger as an undercover police detective as a kindergarten teacher. It is pretty hilarious, but also has a lot of heart. Schwarzenegger’s character, John Kimble, begins to enjoy his role as teacher.

He even uses his pet ferret as the class mascot. He uses positive reinforcement and becomes a very loved and respected teacher by his students. He even deals with a case of child abuse, which is pretty dark for its comedy genre.

9 Sean Maguire From Good Will Hunting

Played by Robin Williams, Sean Maguire is a professor of psychology and part-time counselor at Bunker Hill Community College. He is memorable for being joyful, honest, and intelligent. While he is dealing with Will Hunting, who is math smart, he offers him wisdom to overcome deep psychological issues.

Sean has a romantic worldview and has a talent for passing that view to others. He cares deeply for Will, who could be a genius but rejects all opportunities.

8 Sharon Norbury From Mean Girls

It is not easy to survive the North Shore High School in Mean Girls, and that goes for both students and teachers. Calculus Teacher Sharon Norbury is tough and even holds multiple jobs to stay afloat. Besides teaching, she is a bartender.

She is witty and sarcastic and often says that the audience is already thinking. She is also smart enough to see through Cady’s lies of failing her math tests and offers great words of wisdom like, “I know having a boyfriend might seem like the only thing important to you right now, but you don’t have to dumb yourself down in order for a guy to like you.”

7 Dumbledore From Harry Potter

It would be utter madness to not include a character out of Harry Potter on this list. There are a lot of inspirational and memorable teachers in the series, but none quite as fascinating as the Headmaster himself.

Dumbledore is a perfect teacher meets old wizard scenario. He is shrouded in mystery, offers great wisdom, and also sometimes surprises the audience with simple childish reactions. He is the kind of Headmaster you would want to earn respect from. So why isn’t he higher? Well, he has done some awful things as a teacher too.

6 Mr. Miyagi From The Karate Kid

The cultural impact of this 1984 film was great enough that you can partly thank it for Karate being popular in the United States.

Mr. Miyagi was one of, is not the most memorable character of the famous film. He was an Okinawan Karate Master. He is on this list because he is both a badass but also has a kind heart. He defends the weak, such as kids who get attacked by bullies. He is also creative, turning simple house chores into a lesson of combat.

5 Dewey Finn From The School Of Rock

Mr. Finn is a fun teacher. He was kicked out of his own rock band due to his stage diving and solo stealing antics. He is a major music nerd and is the kind of teacher who can get his own students to also feel that passion.

Rather than following the rules, he teaches students to be rebels when it comes to their love of music. Skip school to play at the Battle of the Bands? Dewey Finn approves.

4 John Keating From Dead Poet’s Society

Another inspirational teacher played by Robin Williams, John Keating is a teacher that is not afraid to teach his students acts of rebellion. He is also incredibly animated, making himself a teacher that is hard to ignore. He goes as far as standing on desks and ripping pages out of books. He encourages students to stand up for themselves, and even goes as far as to tell them to stand up to their own parents.

He may have been fired at the end of the film, but students all saluted him, grateful for all he taught them.

3 Charles Xavier From X-Men

Also known as Professor X, Charles was the founder for the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters. This is a big deal, as it was for mutants who are often rejected by society and have nowhere to go. It is a place for youth to learn to control their powers and use them for good. He is working towards a major goal, peace between humans and mutants.

He is also a genius and expert at telepathy, so that definitely gets him some points.

2 Yoda From Star Wars

Even those who are not fans of Star Wars knows of Yoda and even some of his quotes. He is a Jedi Master and was a teacher to Luke Skywalker. He is small, old, and stoic. Age and size hides the fact that he is incredibly powerful.

His quote, “Do or do not, there is no try,” is often still used today by both parents and teachers alike.

1 Miss Honey From Matilda

Miss Honey is number one of this list because she becomes way more than just a teacher to Matilda. At the end of the film, she adopts her.

She may not be the Headmaster of a wizard school, founder of a mutant academy, or be a Jedi Master, but she is a teacher full of kindness. Matlida even trusts Miss Honey enough to tell her about her superpowers, and Miss Honey does not betray that trust.

She is number one because if all the teachers on this list gathered in a room and were asked who they thought was the best, it would be Miss Honey. They would value kindness above all else, and Miss Honey was the one adult in her film that was a good person.

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