This week is Teacher Appreciation Week! Scholastic LOVES teachers, so we're celebrating all week long. You can read a letter to teachers from our CEO, Dick Robinson, here, and get more resources for celebrating the week here. And be sure to follow Scholastic Teachers on Facebook for teacher spotlights, daily giveaways, and more!
To kick things off, we wanted to combine our love for educators with our love of books with a roundup of some of our bloggers' favorite fictional teachers:
1. Ms. Frizzle (The Magic School Bus series by Joanna Cole, illustrated by Bruce Degan)
Ms. Frizzle was my favorite fictional teacher growing up. She makes learning fun and looking back, Miss Frizzle teaches some really complex topics in understandable, bite-sized pieces that made me like science! And it definitely helped that the Magic School Bus can do just about anything. But the greatest thing about The Frizz is how she encourages us to “take chances, make mistakes, get messy!” which is an important message for kids of all ages. — Josephine D.
She makes learning FUN! And what kid wouldn't want to go on a field trip every day!? — Alex W.
2. Ms. Honey (Matilda by Roald Dahl)
For me, Ms. Jennifer Honey from Matilda by Roald Dahl is the best fictional teacher out there! She exuded a warmth and understanding that not only changed students’ lives, but also made us all remember why teachers are so important in the first place. — Brittany S.
3. Miss Stacy (Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery)
Miss Stacy has always been one of my favorite fictional teachers from the moment she waltzed into Avonlea and changed the lives of all her students. She turns school into a warm, welcoming, encouraging environment for Anne and her peers, and goes the extra mile to encourage all her students to pursue their talents and follow their dreams. It's because of her that Anne herself ends up becoming a teacher! Educators like Miss Stacy who go out of their way to find the strengths in every student are the ones we always remember. — Emily M.
4. Mr. Browne (Wonder by R.J. Palacio)
My favorite fictional teacher is Mr. Browne from R.J. Palacio’s Wonder. Mr. Browne introduces his class to “precepts,” or “anything that helps guide us when making decisions about really important things.” Mr. Browne is the teacher that August needs, to be sure; but he is also the teacher we all need, isn’t he? The teacher who is kind, and smart, and helps us think about the world in new ways. At the end of the chapter in which Mr. Browne is introduced, August says, “As I wrote down Mr. Browne’s September precept, I suddenly realized that I was going to like school. No matter what.” That is the teacher we never forget. — Julia G.
5. Professor Lupin (The Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling)
There are SO many amazing teachers at Hogwarts, so it's hard to choose just one, but I'm going to have to go with Remus Lupin. Though he's only a Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor for one year, Lupin gives his students an amazing experience: He encourages each of them individually, teaches them to conquer their fears (and dementors!), and always has chocolate on him. Without him, we might never know about patronuses! — Emily M.
