Carry On, Teachers! Representations of the Teaching Profession in Screen Culture

Abstract

Review of Susan Ellsmore, Carry On, Teachers! Representations of Teaching Profession in Screen Culture, Trentham Books, Stoke on Trent, UK and Sterling, USA, 2005, ISBN 1 85856 359 3There is strong and continuing tradition of cinematic representations of work of educators, some of it memorable and inspiring. The most recent of these viewed by reviewers was Julie Walters' superlative performance in television Ahead of Class (ITV, 2005). Walters portrayed Dame Marie Stubbs, who came out of retirement to lead St George's Roman Catholic Secondary School in London, at whose gates previous headteacher had been murdered and which was threatened with closure by English Office for Standards in Education. Partly by dint of her powerful personality and partly through enforcement of what some might see as traditional behaviour such as courtesy and punctuality, she succeeded in taking school from having been threatened with closure to being lauded as national example of good pedagogical practice.In Carry On, Teachers! Representations of Teaching Profession in Screen Culture, Susan Ellsmore, sixth form teacher and university lecturer from Bournemouth in United Kingdom, explores in considerable depth character and significance of cinematic performances such as Julie Walters'. Her analysis is based on 16 films and three television series, which were viewed by and discussed with two groups of volunteer teachers, with 17 in one group watching six films and 13 in other group watching episodes from Channel 4 series Teachers. Ellsmore combines interpretation of participants' responses to selected cinematic texts with her own emotional and intellectual engagement with those texts, from which she elaborates what she terms a four-fold typology of charismatic teacher film (p. xv).Chapter One of book provides an historical overview of changes to British teaching profession between mid 1940s and mid 1990s, encapsulated in what Ellsmore considers two most significant Education Acts in Britain in 20th century: those implemented by Rab Butler in 1944 and by Kenneth Baker in 1988. The chapter also identifies first of four types elaborated by author - [e]ccentric charismatic teachers (p. 19) - as portrayed in films like Carry On Teacher (1959) and Clockwise (1986).In Chapter Two, Ellsmore traces changes to British teaching profession under New Labour government of Tony Blair, juxtaposed with commentary on three television drama series of that period: Hearts and Minds, Hope and Glory and Teachers. Chapter Three outlines second type identified by Ellsmore - the enduring charismatic teacher film (p. 39) - as demonstrated by Mr Chipping in Goodbye, Mr Chips (1939) and Mr Holland in Mr Holland's Opus (1995).Chapter Four discusses 10 films about charismatic from second half of 20th century, beginning with Blackboard Jungle (1955) and finishing with Mona Lisa Smile (2003). …