10 Inspiring Teacher Movies to Watch as Your Kids Head Back to School

School kids are heading back to class—an event that can be both exciting and scary for students and parents.

Burgeoning class sizes, educational cutbacks and escalating violence makes many schools more stressful than ever before. Filmmaker Davis Guggenheim addressed these failings in his 2011 documentary Waiting for Superman. While the film deals mostly with inner city schools, it also reveals some disturbing statistics from across the country. Understandably it may leave parents feeling more than a little discouraged about the education system.

However Hollywood also offers some more inspiring depictions of teachers who are truly trying to make a difference in the lives of their students. Check out our Best Teacher Movies for some back to school films you can share with your family.

And whether or not you are a fan of cross-country running, you can add McFarland, USA to the list of best teacher movies. Based on the true story of Jim White, the script follows a high teacher and coach who took on the role of mentor to a group of predominantly Hispanic students in McFarland, California in the 1980s. Although the climax of the film is the California State Cross-Country competition, the heart of this movie is White’s life-changing relationship with the boys he coaches.