I am a teacher and I absolutely love my job. Don’t get me wrong, teaching is not always the easiest gig. There are some very rough days. One of the things that gets me through difficult times is my sense of humor. When things are tough, I have to laugh. Quoting movies is one of the things that gets me giggling every time.
Now my humor is not magical. When I make fun, I don’t bring my students and join them in an exciting school group hug to start singing “Kum Ba Yah”. Not another person. But I like it more: when things are tough or I’m facing a challenge, I look funny, my students look at me, I laugh, then I forget the mistake. Humor is my greatest self-distraction.
One of my comedysta-bys is the film’s use of timelessness and irony. There is no limit to the number of comments, questions, or brilliant comments that students can come up with, and almost all of them can be found with the film.
If you’re like me and need something to laugh at, then check out my top 10 movie quotes and educational situations to help you through.
1. Movie Quotes: “You are very sad too. Shut up.”
From: The Princess Bride
Use it with: There are times when you mess up. Until someone creates a whiteboard or chalk for spelling, words like necessary, necessary, necessary, necessary, necessary badly. When the student took time out of his/her morning to inform me that I was wrong, I am grateful that the student paid attention, but I was still a little upset. This is when you use this movie and say “You’re so smart. Shut up.” This place is best when followed up with “Just Kidding.”
2. Movie Quotes: “No. Don’t try. Do… or don’t. There’s no trying.”
Ex: The Empire Strikes Back
Use it with: Students are a lot like Luke Skywalker. Their future is in their hands, yet until they find out who their fathers are believe in themselves, they will never achieve their potential. Yoda knew this too. For this reason, Luke said, he is trying to preserve a profound, but grammatically incorrect, matter. When you ask a student to do something and they try to tell you, go read Yoda at them with their best movie ever.
3. Movie Quotes “The Force is with you, young Skywalker, but you are not yet a Jedi.”
Ex: The Empire Strikes Back
How to use it: After you encourage your students to be Yodaness (if Yoda can untangle his arses, I can say Yodaness), some of them will impress you and get the job done. But don’t be too cocky. It’s best to check them out with a well-placed Vader-ism. Your student may be good, but he is not good.
4. Movie Quotes “I have five lessons to teach. The lessons they learn are all about them.”
From: Nanny McPhee
Use it with: The great thing about this movie is that there’s a really good chance that students have never heard of it. In fact, if you know this record, you and I are the only ones who have seen this movie. The film’s authorship is based on parent teacher conferences and principal observations. On the surface it sounds very deep, but when you look closer, it still sounds pretty deep.
5. Movie Quote: “Show me the money”
From: Jerry Maguire
It should be used with: One by one, the students turn in homework. I have heard that it is very serious. When it does, praise this movie at the top of your lungs and do a happy dance.
6. Movie Quotes: “Flesh Wound”
From: Monty Python and the Holy Grail
I use it with: I ask for help every day. Sometimes a paper cut student actually has some blood, but usually not. When I first ask for help with jewelry, I always say this is the place to be in the best British accent. Often laughing at me for a while, the student knows that listening to my joke is more pain then cut the paper and got back to work.
8. Movie Quotes: “Here’s an idea: When you tell these stories, you have a point! This makes it easier for the listener!”
From: Planes, Vehicles and Automobiles
Use it with: Students have a story about every situation. If they worked as hard on their work as they did on coming up with reasons why they couldn’t do their work, they got the job done (which sounds a bit Yoda-ish, don’t you think). This place is best used in a very calm and cool voice. A heavy, lethal sound is present. This is also movie text followed very well with “Just Kidding”
9. Movie Quotes: “But some people talk a lot without brains…don’t they?”
From: The Wizard of Oz
Use it with: Look at the number. Follow up again with “Just Kidding”.
10. Movie Quotes: “Never give up! Never give up!”
From: Galaxy Quest
To use it: This authority has two primary purposes.
1) Use this movie to sometimes forget how amazing the student is.
2) Use this movie any time a student doesn’t feel as amazing as they really are. Until then, that’s a great title.
If you are a teacher, thank you for your work. If you’re not a teacher and you’re still reading this, thank one of your teachers.
