The Role Of The Teacher In Ferris Bueller's Day Off

For decades, teachers have been depicted in movies and television shows. Everyone can mention a type of teacher that they have seen on a screen, whether the teacher was strict, boring, influential, or saw a teacher that did absolutely nothing. Limited depictions of teachers in television categorizes them into being either good or bad, a hero or a villain. Viewers who witness bad teaching in television shows will stray from the occupation, while viewers who witness good teaching will want to pursue it. In the attempt to pursue the teaching occupation to emulate the virtuous teachers people saw on television, viewers will soon realize the many aspects of teaching that is hidden in television. The job of teachers seems effortless on television,

however there is an abundance of detail not shown in the ninety minutes of a movie that show the unending effort of good teachers. This is problematic because fictional narratives of teachers are misleading a generation of future teachers to think that teaching is effortless. Because of the immense prevalence of fictional teachers, people will go into teaching because of the powerful narrative influence, and as a result, become struck with the realities of teaching, and will be inept to be the passionate teacher that society expects.
There is no denying the popularity of movies and television shows that host fictional narratives of teachers, but there is one film that is famous for showing the compelling way in which teachers can have an effect on students. The 1988 movie, Dead Poets Society, depicts two peculiar types of teachers. There is Mr. John Keating who is shown as a passionate teacher who influences his students to think for themselves through an unconventional way of teaching. Throughout the movie, viewers can see the continuous impact that Mr. Keating has on his students. An example is when Mr. Keating forces a student named Todd to create a poem instantaneously, closing Todd’s eyes and directing Todd to say thoughts that come immediately into his head.
There is also Mr. Nolan, who is a strict and authoritative dean and teacher in the film that takes the school’s prestigious value of discipline to maximum levels. He shows no empathy and refuses to allow any form of entertainment to the students unless it is academically related. Mr. Nolan shows disinterest in the influential style of learning that Mr. Keating uses, and personally spanks one of the students for writing an article that goes against school policy. By virtue watching this film, it illustrates a contrast in the type of teachers that students have during schooling.
Another portrayal of an unfavorable teacher is in the 1986 John Hughes classic comedy film, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, the economics teacher played by Ben Stein is portrayed as a dull, monotone, and boring teacher.

While lecturing about the actions that led to Voodoo Economics, students can be seen staring blankly into the board. The teacher consistently asks, “anyone, anyone?” to request student participation, but due to his monotone and unenthusiastic method of teaching, all of the students are uninterested in learning. This film makes it evident to viewers that a boring teacher creates a failing learning environment.

Lastly, in the 2011 film Bad Teacher, the protagonist of the film is a teacher whose desire to teach is all but favorable. The teacher, Ms. Hasley, views teaching as a means to earn a solid salary with minimal effort and to have a summer vacation. In the first minutes of the film, Ms. Hasley puts the movie Stand And Deliver into the television set and then proceeds wrap her sweater around her face, place her head down, and cover her ears. In this film, students desire to learn, but due to the lack of effort by Ms. Hasley, their learning is

compromised.
These fictional narratives represent more than simply a depiction of a teacher, but the effect that these teachers have on their student’s. The confidence and power that Todd gained through an exercise by his teacher reveals to viewers that teachers are powerful figures in their student’s lives, and that they can have an everlasting impression on them. This depiction of a teacher being able to influence a student is however considerably misleading. This is not to say that impactful teachers do not exist in society, but it is dangerous for viewers to be influenced to want to teach because of such a scene. Viewers will not ponder on the amount of training and education that was required for Mr. Keating to have such an effect on his students. Thus, viewers who are heavily influenced by this scene to be become a teacher will face the reality of the occupation when it is too late. The viewer will realize that not every student is respectful, well behaved, and intelligent as those in Mr. Keating’s classroom. There are piles of homework, quizzes, and tests to grade, and on top of that, the viewer must attempt to create an environment that reflects the one that they saw in the film. The viewer must face the amount of politics that go between teachers and administrators, and must face the unsatisfactory working conditions that many teachers must face. All of these are draining actions that teachers must do in order to begin to influence their students. And this assumes that a teacher will have the correct classroom to have an opportunity to influence students. A teacher must have client cooperation, a group of students that are will to learn, must attempt to be emotionally connected with students, and must face the problem of being in an isolated environment.
Another aspect that fictional narratives add to the assumption of teachers is a dangerous. Viewers of a teacher in a film like Bad Teacher will watch and think that there are teachers who do absolutely nothing, and to imagine that there are some teachers that provide no aspect of what their title implies to their students would lead viewers to think that teaching is an effortless occupation. In addition, the perception that someone as inactive in the class as Ms. Hasley can be a teacher would leave viewers to question to prestige of a teacher in society. If a viewer was to only have watched Bad Teacher as their only form of information for teachers, then proceeded to meet a teacher minutes later, the viewer would think that this teacher is obtaining a salary for doing practically nothing besides placing a film into a television set. But the effect of viewers seeing great or dreadful teachers further influences their ambition to want to teach. A student that has had a Ms. Hasley as an actual school teacher for example, may watch Dead Poets Society and contemplate about influencing students unlike Ms. Hasley did. The amount of fictional narratives of teachers reinforces the view that students have on their actual teachers. If a student has a new teacher that immediately starts the class with a monotone voice, then the student would connect the teacher to that in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, which leads the student to assume that the class will be boring.
Perhaps viewers may be well-informed and understand that there are many other types of teachers that exist, but fictional narratives of teachers continues to conceals the amount of work a teacher must put to be successful.

Imagine a viewer who has seen all the aforementioned movies. This viewer would be so moved and determined to not be a boring, strict, and effortless teacher because of the powerful influence of Mr. Keating. The viewer would think that he or she can defy stereotypes besides Mr. Keating as a teacher, and move students in such a way that would not have them staring cluelessly into chalkboard or a window. However it is a result of the powerful influence that Mr. Keating can have on a viewer that aspires to become a teacher that leads them into becoming misinformed of the demands of teachers. As a result of this misguidance, they are now teachers performing to best of their ability with all the stress and responsibility that a teacher has. But this performance could be lackluster. Their best could be the best of Ben Stein. Or their best with irritating students could force them to become Mr. Nolan. Or their best due to lack of passion and desire to teach will let them become Ms. Hasley, and put movies on a television for their students to

learn.
Films and their fictional narratives of teaching are incredible stories that reveal many types of stereotypical teachers that exist in society. Fictional narratives are influencing viewers to become teachers, which is not an issue. Society would love to have more teachers. The issue is that these teachers influenced by films are not aware of the effort needed to be as passionate as a Mr. Keating. By virtue of becoming a teacher, and having to realize the amount of effort needed to be a passionate teacher, a viewer that has already become a teacher will become an unfavorable teacher for his or her students.