Teachers Who Never Really Were, 2nd period Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The importance of music education in public schools underlies which 1995 movie about a high school music teacher who composes his own orchestral work?

Answer: Mr. Holland's Opus

Richard Dreyfus won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Glenn Holland, a music teacher at John F. Kennedy High School in Portland, Oregon. Forced into early retirement by Philistine cuts to the "elective" subjects budget, Mister Holland despairs, until his former students show their love and appreciation in a moving ('tho sappy) denouement.

2. In "Our Miss Brooks" (on the radio 1948-1957, television 1952-1956 and the movie in 1956) who was Connie Brooks' fellow-teacher love interest?

Answer: Philip Boynton

Mister Boynton was first played on radio by action-adventure actor Jeff Chandler. He was replaced on radio by Robert Rockwell, who also played Mr. Boynton on television. Chandler was billed under his birth name, Ira Grossel. Boynton was the shy and innocent biology teacher at Madison High School who failed to recognize and respond to Miss Brooks' overt romantic intentions.

3. In the coming-of-age movie "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" (1982), who is the history teacher who conflicts with Sean Penn's character, Jeff Spicoli?

Answer: Mister Hand

Author Cameron Crowe went undercover at the real Clairemont High School in San Diego, California, to write his 1981 book "Fast Times at Ridgemont High." This book was the basis for the motion picture. The cast is filled with young actors who went on to have significant careers. Jeff Spicoli, a dope-smoking surfer, locks horns with his history teacher, Mr. Hand, played by Ray Walston, to comedic effect.

In the epilogue, Spicoli saves Brooke Shields from drowning and hires Van Halen to play at his birthday party with the reward money while Mr. Hand remains convinced that all of his students are dope addicts.

4. Before there was "Saved by the Bell," there was a series with many of the same characters set at John F. Kennedy Junior High School in Indianapolis, Indiana. Who was the teacher played by Hayley Mills?

Answer: Miss Bliss

The programme "Good Morning, Miss Bliss" was produced by NBC for the Disney Network. It aired for only one season (1988-1989) and produced only 13 episodes before morphing into "Saved by the Bell." The show moved to Bayside, California, and took Zack Morris (Mark-Paul Gosselaar), Lisa Turtle (Lark Voorhies), Samuel "Screech" Powers (Dustin Diamond) and the principal Mister Richard Belding (Dennis Haskins) with it.

5. Edward James Olmos was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his fictionalized portrayal of which real-life high-school maths teacher in "Stand and Deliver"?

Answer: Jaime Escalante

Based on a true story, Olmos portrays Jaime Escalante, a math teacher at James A. Garfield High School in East Los Angeles. The film is especially inspirational in that it demonstrates how a single dedicated teacher can inspire students to achieve potential unrecognized by others. The real-life Jaime Alfonso Escalante Gutierrez was born in Bolivia in 1930 and died of cancer in California in 2010.

6. On NBC radio (1950-1952) and then CBS TV (1954-1955), Ronald Coleman and Benita Hume starred as a college president and his wife, a former British musical-comedy star. What was their last name on the show?

Answer: Hall

"The Halls of Ivy" centered on the lives of William Todhunter Hall, the president of Ivy College and his beautiful wife Victoria. Coleman and Hume were actual husband and wife, who played well together on "The Jack Benny Program" as Jack's neighbours. The show was created by Don Quinn, who wrote "Fibber McGee & Molly" for many years. The radio programme was sponsored by the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company and the television programme alternated between International Harvester and Nabisco.

7. Among the teachers at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, who is the half-blood, Professor of Transfiguration, Head of Gryffindor House, who became headmistress?

Answer: Minerva McGonagall

Herself a graduate of Hogwarts, Minerva McGonagall worked first for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement before becoming a faculty member. Her Animagus is a silver tabby cat. In the films, she was played by Maggie Smith.

8. In Oscar Wilde's play "The Importance of Being Earnest," who is the governess, with romantic intentions toward the vicar, Dr. Chasuble, and an inflated vocabulary, calculated to impress?

Answer: Laetitia Prism

Responsible for the education of Cecily, Miss Prism is more interested in marrying Dr. Chasuble. She wrote a three-volume novel as a youngster and uses language (some of it invented) to show off. She is anything but nurturing; no Mary Poppins here.

9. A high-school swimming champion goes to the U.S. Coast Guard's Aviation Survival Technician (rescue swimmer) school and encounters a tough Senior Chief Petty Officer in which 2006 action-adventure movie?

Answer: The Guardian

There is a legend shared by many who go down to the sea in ships that there is a presence in the water which preserves the lives of those at risk in the deep. This benign presence is known as "the Guardian" and is credited with lifting people to the surface and keeping them afloat until rescue arrives. Ashton Kutcher and Kevin Costner portray the young student and the old teacher in this (slightly corny but) engaging film.

10. Imagine a school bus -- a rather magical school bus -- driven by a teacher with a pet lizard named Liz. Who is this pedagogue?

Answer: Ms. Frizzle

"The Magic School Bus" began as a series of books by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen. It was adapted as a Canadian-American animated television programme in 1994. Its popularity in the US was prompted by its inclusion in PBS' line-up. It is/was seen internationally. Lily Tomlin won the 1995 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program for her portrayal of Ms. Frizzle. She is well remembered for her immortal catchphrase "Take chances, make mistakes, and get messy!"

Source: Author FatherSteve

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor agony before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Teachers Who Never Really Were, 2nd period Quiz

Everyone remembers a favourite teacher but how many of these fictional educators, instructors, preceptors, professors, dons, mentors and pedagogues can you sort?

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>