14 Films to Watch If You Want to Become a Teacher

 

Movies exist to make us laugh, cry, and—when they do their job well—inspire us to grow. Films about teaching often fall into this inspirational category, with real-life teachers filling an essential role in every student’s life. Capturing this magic on film is a reminder of the heights these teachers can help their students reach.

The right movie can help a person make a decision, research new ideas or even pursue a new career. Individuals who are curious about teaching are fortunate, as they have plenty of inspirational content to help build excitement toward their new path.

The teaching bug can bite anyone at any time, and, luckily for those who get bitten, there are plenty of movies available to nurture that inspiration. We’ve rounded up 14 favorites that are a mix of educational, eye-opening, motivational and heartwarming. 

Free online resources

Digital apps have revolutionized how we interact with libraries, giving users access to thousands of titles without needing to visit a physical library. Using the code associated with a library card, digital platforms like Hoopla, Kanopy and more provide users with streaming content that is usually accessible with a paid subscription service.

Hoopla

Through Hoopla, library cardholders receive digital access to audiobooks, eBooks, comics, movies, TV, magazines and music. Content syncs across all devices, streamlining content accessibility.

Kanopy

Stream critically acclaimed films and documentaries through Kanopy, which offers thousands of titles across various eras and genres.
 

14 films to watch if you want to become a teacher

While some films can be marketed as inspirational, they can be problematic for perpetuating harmful stereotypes about a group and elevating other groups to heroic status. For example, it's common for inspirational films to rely on the ‘white savior’ trope, which gives credit to the white main character and paints characters of color with broad stereotypes. The popular teacher-focused film Dangerous Minds is an example, which is why it is omitted. Like Dangerous Minds, any film relying on the white savior trope was eliminated from the list we've curated.

Check out our list and be sure to let us know if we've missed any films you'd recommend.    
 

Akeelah and the Bee (2006)

Rent on:
Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, YouTube

When filmmaker Doug Atchison watched the 1994 Scripps National Spelling Bee, he noticed most competitors came from privileged backgrounds. His response was Akeelah and the Bee, a film that highlights the socioeconomic barriers bright students often face. These themes earned Akeelah and the Bee six Black Reel Award nominations, five NAACP Image Award nominations and five Black Movie Award nominations.

The Great Debaters (2007)

Stream on:

Paramount Plus

Rent on:

Apple TV, Google Play Movies

The Denzel Washington film is based on a true story, however, it presents an opportunity to ponder why the actual history was not good enough for Hollywood. In the film, the Wiley College debate team is shown at Harvard, although their historical debate actually took place at the University of Southern California. Additionally, three of the four debate team members in the film were fictional. While these facts are skewed, the racial injustice and academic challenges faced by the movie’s characters are not.

The Real Great Debaters of Wiley College (2008)

Stream on:

FuboTV, Sling, Tubi

Rent on:

Amazon Prime

Follow the fictionalized Great Debaters with facts. The Real Great Debaters of Wiley College is a response to the Denzel Washington movie, with the documentary interviewing actors from the major motion picture, Wiley faculty and administrators, as well as relatives of the original 1935 debate team.

The Holdovers

Stream on:

Kanopy

Rent on:

Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, YouTube

A boarding school student and his ornery teacher make the best of an unsavory situation in this heartwarming film that shows we are more alike than we realize and can find family in the most unexpected places. As the holidays approach, The Holdovers, which takes place over winter break, is a must for the season.

Matilda (1996)

Stream on:

Freeform

Rent on:

Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play Movies

A whimsical reminder of how a teacher’s love has the power to transform lives, Matilda has been so beloved that it was adapted into a musical in 2022. An extraordinary underdog, Matilda lives in a world where she is underappreciated until she is introduced to Miss Honey, a teacher who sees her for the person she is.  

Mona Lisa Smile (2003)

Stream on:

Hulu, Pluto TV

Rent on:

Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube

Julia Roberts leads an ensemble cast as an unconventional teacher who changes the trajectory of her students’ lives. Similarly, the students push their teacher’s idea of feminism and female empowerment, showing her that liberation comes in many forms.

Mr. Holland’s Opus (1995)

Stream on:

Disney+, Hulu

Rent on:

Apple TV, Google Play Movies

A lifetime of teaching is summed up in this tearjerker of a film. Mr. Holland’s expansive 30-year career as a music teacher is the focus, with his hundreds of students reminding him that his legacy is not a brilliant piece of music, but how he showed up for them every day.

October Sky (1999)

Stream on:

Peacock

Rent on:

Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Google Play Movies

Based on a true story, October Sky shows how NASA engineer Homer H. Hickman Jr. became interested in rocketry. A great example of how teachers can help their students reach great heights, science teacher Miss Riley recognizes curiosity in her students and breathes oxygen into it. The students not only indulge their passion, but also become local heroes.

School of Rock (2003)

Stream on:

Hulu, Paramount Plus, Disney+, fuboTV, YouTube Primetime

Music is powerful, and School of Rock taps into that power through a musician who unexpectedly changes students’ lives through music. Unprepared for his role as substitute teacher, Dewey Finn quickly learns he has a passion for teaching and uses that passion to engage and uplift his students.

Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993)

Stream on:

Disney+

Rent on:

Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play Movies

This sequel puts Whoopi Goldberg’s Deloris Van Certier in the teacher’s seat, after the first film put her in a convent as part of witness protection. When Deloris learns her old high school needs help, she brings back Sister Mary Clarence and becomes the music teacher. She quickly learns her talented students don’t take her seriously, and she discovers ways to get them excited about their talent.  

TEACH (2013)

Steam on:

Tubi

Rent on:

Amazon Prime, YouTube

Documentary viewers get an up-close-and-personal look at the education system through the eyes of the experts: teachers. Hosted and narrated by Queen Latifah, the film follows four teachers for an entire school year, each one in a different part of the nation.

Teach Us All (2017)

Stream on:

Kanopy, Facing History and Ourselves

This documentary honors the 60th anniversary of the Little Rock Nine, or the first Black students to enroll at Little Rock’s Central High School. The historic event was met with animosity from the state and residents, with the Arkansas National Guard preventing the nine students from entering the school and riots forming outside the school grounds. Teach Us All reminds viewers that this difficult history is not too long ago, and the segregationist attitudes education advocates still face.

To Sir, With Love (1967)

Rent on:

Amazon Prime, AppleTV, Google Play Movies, YouTube

Based on E.R. Braithwaite’s book of the same name, To Sir, With Love stars Sidney Poitier as Mr. Mark Thackeray, a man struggling to find work. To make ends meet, he accepts a teaching job in London as a last resort, having no experience in education. The film showcases Mr. Thackeray’s trial-and-error strategies as he learns human connection is key to his success as a teacher.

Waiting for Superman (2010)

Rent on:

AppleTV, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, Fandago at Home

The documentary pulls the curtain back on the stakes parents face to give their children a high-quality education. Five New York students are the film’s focus, with each one up for a lottery selection to one of the city’s charter schools. Those looking to start a career in education walk away with a deeper understanding of the hurdles students and their families face to receive quality education access.

ParaPreppED makes the most of your time

Are you ready to teach? Becoming a substitute teacher or paraprofessional is a great way for future teachers to get a taste of day-to-day life as an educator. These support roles mirror those of full-time, certified teachers, making learning on the job ideal for training.

ParaPreppED, an NJDOE-funded teacher apprenticeship initiative, has leveraged that on-the-job learning to help districts grow their teaching pool. The program makes becoming a certified teacher accessible to those who already hold a four-year degree. Emphasizing training on the job helps teaching candidates make the most of their time while receiving quality education and mentorship.

Resources from the Teacher Apprenticeship Network provide additional support for Rutgers Graduate School of Education to partner with districts to promote the apprenticeship, establish new USDOL-approved teacher registered teacher apprenticeship programs, and recruit talent.

The program’s format accommodates the unique experiences and needs of substitute teachers and paraprofessionals, making the appropriate channels easy for them to reach.

Overall, the program aims to:

• Increase the number of Registered Teacher Apprenticeships in the state;
• Expand the teacher pipeline, leveraging the existing district talent;
• Address barriers for aspiring teachers through targeted support like Praxis prep; and
• Conduct and disseminate ongoing research on the implementation and impact of the initiative.

ParaPreppED is driven by the expressed interests of district leaders who wish to identify overlooked or hidden teaching talent among eligible paraprofessionals and substitutes the district can support to fill teaching vacancies, including those in Special Education, Science and Math, and English as a Second Language or Bilingual Education.

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If you’re considering following your dream of teaching, Rutgers Alternate Route can offer you the support and training you need to succeed. Be sure to follow Rutgers Alternate Route on Twitter and sign up for Alternate Route’s monthly newsletter for more information and stories from the field of education.