There is an old Chinese proverb that says: "Peaches and plums do not talk, yet a path is formed beneath them." In this saying, both peaches and plums are used as metaphors to show appreciation to those who shared their wisdom among the ancient Chinese people.
In modern times, the Chinese people pay their respects to teachers and educators on Sept 10. Teachers play a pivotal role in our lives, shaping us in one way or another. And since it is Sept 10 again, happy Teachers' Day!
As one of the most respected professions across the world, teaching has been featured in a great number of both domestic and overseas movies and TV series with inspiring teachers as key characters.
Although these people are fictional, their stories have been touching millions of viewers. Let's see some of those beloved screen educators now.
Mark Thackeray (To Sir, with Love, UK, 1967)
Mark Thackeray is a powerful teacher figure in the film To Sir, with Love. After unsuccessfully searching for work as an engineer, Thackeray starts teaching at a rough high school in London. Having been warned about the troubled students he might encounter there by his colleague, Thackeray still enters the classroom unprepared for their insubordination.
Frustrated by his students' lack of manners, Thackeray realizes what his students really need to learn. He throws away the conventional teaching methods, puts away the textbooks, and converses with them on different subjects based on his own real-life experiences. With patience and passion, Thackeray eventually made his pupils learn to respect and even appreciate him by referring to him as "Sir".
John Keating (Dead Poets Society, US, 1989)
John Keating, known by his students in the film as "Captain" or Mr Keating, started serving as an English teacher at Welton Academy in 1959, a conservative and aristocratic academy for boys.
Keating uses poetry to embolden his boarding school students to new heights of self-expression, telling them to get rid of their textbooks, and that poetry must be found within each individual.
Clément Mathieu (The Chorus, France, 2004)
In the film, Clément Mathieu is the first music teacher of Pierre Morhange, who grows to become a wildly successful orchestra conductor.
Back in the late 1940s, young Pierre was sent to a dreary boarding school by his single mother because of his bad behavior. It was at that school where Mathieu organized a choir and led to the discovery of Pierre's musical talents.
Sakuragi Kenji (Dragon Zakura, Japan, 2006)
Sakuragi Kenji is the protagonist of the Japanese drama. A destitute lawyer and one-time member of a motorcycle gang, Kenji became a high school teacher and tried to guide his failing students into Tokyo University, the most prestigious educational institution in Japan.
Apart from revealing essential test taking techniques for students who want to get into Tokyo University, Kenji also teaches his students to pursue a better life.
Ram Shankar Nikumbh (Like Stars on Earth, India, 2007)
In this film, Nikumbh is an art teacher of Ishaan, an eight-year-old boy thought to be a lazy troublemaker.
Nikumbh realized Ishaan was unhappy after asking the whole class to use their imaginations and receiving responses from all the children except him. In order to discover the real problem behind Ishaan's struggles in school, Nikumbh used patience and compassion to help this child find himself.
Eikichi Onizuka (Great Teacher Onizuka, Japan, 2012)
As the protagonist of the GTO series, Eikichi Onizuka was once known as a member of the Oni-Baku — Shonan's strongest fighting duo — together with his best friend, Ryuji Danma.
After helping a high school girl out of trouble, Onizuka decided to become a teacher and started his teaching career at Holy Forest Academy. There, he serves as a homeroom teacher of the troublesome Class 3-4. Onizuka teaches social studies, but is renowned throughout the school for sharing life lessons with his students.
Our nation has just gone through a tough time due to the COVID-19 epidemic. Since the new semester has come and students across China have returned to school, it's even more important to thank our teachers for their hard work, and the positive impact they continue to make during the special period of distance learning.
So which teacher from these films do you prefer? Do you have any other impressive teachers, real or fictional, to share with us? Send a "thank you" message to your teachers and enjoy these movies on their special day!
編輯：張曦
實習生：秦琦
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