Draco Malfoy might be nasty and vindictive to Harry and the gang, but to his teachers, he is perhaps the smarmiest brownnoser ever to walk the halls of Hogwarts. Plus, his dad takes the cake as the wizarding world’s ultimate bulldozer parent, bribing and threatening school officials to ensure that his family gets their way.
Have you ever had a student whose poor behavior, no matter what you do, is the same on the last day of school as it was the first day they walked into your classroom? That’s how Moe is. From his very first frame to the end of Calvin and Hobbes’ run, he threatens, bullies, and steals from poor Calvin, seemingly without provocation.
At the tender age of 8 years old, Lucy van Pelt is convinced that she should run the world — and anyone who disagrees is sure to get an earful. Vain, whiny, and easily provoked, Lucy has trouble controlling her own ego and emotions, and yet has no problem doling out advice and orders to her more weak-willed peers.
Lump is one of those kids who manages to make the worst of an already-bad situation. Camp Green Lake is a terribly abusive juvenile detention facility, and even among troubled kids, Lump makes himself particularly deplorable by bullying newcomers and demanding bribes to use the rec room.
Ramona Quimby can’t wait to grow up — and therein lies her biggest flaw. Most teachers have probably had a student like this — the type who’s overly eager to volunteer and who takes on responsibilities they can’t handle yet, leading to extra headaches and trouble despite the student’s well-meaning intentions.
In some ways, Scout Finch could be considered a model student: She learns how to read before she even starts school, she’s extremely confident and well-spoken, and she cares deeply about justice. But those good traits don’t keep her from causing mischief. Outspoken and prone to breaking social conventions, she sometimes exasperates her teachers with her blunt statements and well-meaning bouts of violence.
Chris Hargensen is an especially vicious kind of bully, going after the most neglected and outcast of her classmates in often brutal ways. In addition to relentlessly teasing and pranking Carrie White, Chris calls her teachers vile names and even almost blew the toes off of a former classmate when she hid a firecracker in the other girl’s shoe.
Pretty, shallow, and materialistic, Lana Weinberger relentlessly teases Mia Thermopolis based solely on the latter’s appearance. In the movie, Lana butters up her victim when she finds out Mia is a princess and senses a chance for attention and fame. In the books, Lana is given a chance at redemption when she and Mia eventually form a genuine, though uneasy, friendship.
In some ways, Scout Finch could be considered a model student: She learns how to read before she even starts school, she’s extremely confident and well-spoken, and she cares deeply about justice. But those good traits don’t keep her from causing mischief. Outspoken and prone to breaking social conventions, she sometimes exasperates her teachers with her blunt statements and well-meaning bouts of violence.
If Pippi Goes to School (1998) is any indication, Pippi Longstocking would likely be a challenging student at best. Showing up late, refusing to work on subjects that don’t interest her, and drawing on the floor — those are just the start of this loveable redhead’s academic antics.
Let’s face it: Kids can be cruel sometimes. And Jill Brenner is a poster child for such cruelty. Jill joins other fifth-grade girls in mercilessly bullying their overweight classmate, Linda. You’d think Jill would learn her lesson and apologize to Linda after undergoing some bullying herself, but alas, the book does not suggest any meaningful or long-lasting redemption.
Ever had a student who has so much energy, it seems that no amount of play or recess time can expend it? That’s Max from Where the Wild Things Are. As the king of the Wild Things, Max is always ready for a good romp and is known to break a few things when he’s really riled up.
Some kids want to live up to their responsibilities but just have a tough time doing so. Peter Pan is not one of those kids. In fact, Peter is determined to never grow up or worry about anything resembling adult life. We never see Peter in a classroom setting, and probably for good reason — he’d likely climb out the window and fly off to Neverland as soon as his teacher’s back was turned.
We’ve all had students who have seen sides of the world that are darker than we ever could have imagined. Dallas Winston is one of those kids — abused and neglected by his dad, drawn into gang life, and arrested for the first time at age 10. As much as you hope for the best for these students, sometimes the tethers of a rough community are too much for even the best support system to overcome.
If you’ve ever stood in front of a class and gotten the prickly feeling that at least one student was watching your every move, just waiting to pounce and criticize — well, that student would be Holden Caulfield. Wrapped in teenage angst and having failed out of four schools, Holden would be a tough nut to crack for even the most determined teacher.
Sometimes, you can peg how a student will act based on their parents’ behavior. That’s the story of Veruca Salt. After declaring that she wants a golden ticket, her father buys thousands of chocolate bars and tasks his entire workforce with finding one for her. It’s no wonder that she’s astonished when Willy Wonka doesn’t bend to her every whim — even going so far as to label her a “bad nut” (or “bad egg,” in the movie version).
In her spy notebook, Harriet M. Welsch observes that Marion Hawthorne is destined to grow up to be “lady Hitler.” This observation, though perhaps unkind, turns out to be justified when Marion snoops through Harriet’s notebook and launches a relentless counterassault: She recruits her classmates to form a “Spy Catcher Club” specifically dedicated to planning ways to terrorize Harriet.
In some ways, Scout Finch could be considered a model student: She learns how to read before she even starts school, she’s extremely confident and well-spoken, and she cares deeply about justice. But those good traits don’t keep her from causing mischief. Outspoken and prone to breaking social conventions, she sometimes exasperates her teachers with her blunt statements and well-meaning bouts of violence.
Anti-cheating and plagiarism measures were invented because of students like Biff Tannen. He bullies and intimidates his peers to do his homework for him or help him cheat his way through tests. However, when confronted with authority figures like Mr. Strickland, Biff turns out to not be as tough as he comes off when his gang is around.
When you advise students that the best thing you can do with a bully is stand up to them, Scott “Scut” Farkus is your case in point. Though you certainly wouldn’t recommend Ralphie’s method for making Scut back down, this mischief-maker’s rise and fall lends credence to the idea that the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
Have you ever had a student whose artistic exploits or STEM projects are just a little…creepy? Then you know what it’s like to teach Sid Philips. Though his Frankenstein-style toy experiments certainly show some creativity, he’s also a poster child for the need for some SEL in your curriculum.
Most educators understand the challenges of teaching a kid who’s been held back a grade. Well, Roger Klotz has had to repeat sixth grade not once, but at least three times, making him a teenager trapped in a world of tweens. Unfortunately, he uses his superior age and size to bully those around him rather than trying to pull up his grades.
Ferris Bueller isn’t necessarily a bad kid; he just thinks of school as being more “optional” than his parents and teachers do. However, when Dean of Students Ed Rooney makes it his life’s business to catch Ferris in his truancy, Ferris manages to become the educator’s worst nightmare.
Jeff Spicoli is the truant-hating Mr. Hand’s worst nightmare. Jeff doesn’t necessarily set out to drive Mr. Hand insane; he just cares more about surfing and getting stoned than he does about anything school-related. Mr. Hand, however, doesn’t seem to know anything about authentic learning or engaging students based on their interests; instead, he spends most of the movie trying to force Jeff into learning history his way.
Sometimes the student who’s prickliest on the surface is actually masking a deep fear of vulnerability and past pain. That’s certainly the case with John Bender, the bad boy whose hard exterior may just melt over the course of a long Saturday locked in the school library with a group of loveable misfits.
“Hurt people hurt people.” Teachers have seen this pattern play out too many times in their classroom. Billy Hargrove is a prime example of this truism. He suffers abuse at his father’s hands and then turns around and does the same to others, until an encounter with true evil wakes him up to his destructive patterns and he stands up for the greater good.
In some ways, Scout Finch could be considered a model student: She learns how to read before she even starts school, she’s extremely confident and well-spoken, and she cares deeply about justice. But those good traits don’t keep her from causing mischief. Outspoken and prone to breaking social conventions, she sometimes exasperates her teachers with her blunt statements and well-meaning bouts of violence.
Tough, sarcastic, and bossy on the outside and sensitive on the inside, Helga Pataki would likely be a rewarding challenge for any teacher. Although she can be short-tempered and bullying toward her peers, she also shows high academic aptitude and a unique gift for poetry — when she’s willing to let her guard down.
Whether you teach kindergarteners or high schoolers, you’ve watched the same dynamic play out: One student has a natural gift for leadership, but thanks to their immaturity, their sway over other kids quickly turns from leadership to abuse. Angelica Pickles follows just such a pattern, and because of this, she remains oblivious to her own flaws and foibles (most notably her tone-deaf singing voice).
A perpetual underachiever, Bart Simpson would probably benefit from learning to have a “growth mindset.” When it comes to his bad grades, he declares himself to be “dumb as a post” and is more apt to occupy himself with teaching other students creative insults and rude gestures than trying to reach new academic heights.
If you have to have a bully in your class, Buzz McCallister is the kind you want. Although on the surface, Buzz is impatient and insulting toward his younger brother, deep down he cares about Kevin and is willing to drop his tough-guy persona when it really counts.
Despite his nickname, Dennis Mitchell rarely sets out to be a bad kid. Usually, he starts out wanting to help, but his enthusiasm, distractibility, or plain old misunderstanding leads to disaster for the adults in his life, especially poor Mr. Wilson.
Johnny Lawrence is a tough example of what can happen when a talented kid falls under bad mentorship. Under Sensei Kreese’s tutelage, Johnny learns to use his strength and karate skills to harm others and ruthlessly pursue victory in the big All-Valley Karate Tournament. Luckily, Johnny reforms his ways and later redeems the Cobra Kai dojo.
The ultimate “mean girl,” Regina George manages to bully every girl in her school — plus some of her teachers. Most educators have witnessed the destructive power of name-calling, cliques, and impossible beauty standards, but Regina manages to wield these common problems in a way that drives most of the females in her grade to physical violence.
Cruel, aggressive, bigoted, and violent, Fred O’Bannion takes pride in being an upperclassman — not because of his academic accomplishments, but because he now feels empowered to hunt down and beat up incoming freshmen. In fact, he’s excited to fail and repeat his senior year because it allows him to keep up his reign of terror two years in a row.
In some ways, Scout Finch could be considered a model student: She learns how to read before she even starts school, she’s extremely confident and well-spoken, and she cares deeply about justice. But those good traits don’t keep her from causing mischief. Outspoken and prone to breaking social conventions, she sometimes exasperates her teachers with her blunt statements and well-meaning bouts of violence.
Draco Malfoy might be nasty and vindictive to Harry and the gang, but to his teachers, he is perhaps the smarmiest brownnoser ever to walk the halls of Hogwarts. Plus, his dad takes the cake as the wizarding world’s ultimate bulldozer parent, bribing and threatening school officials to ensure that his family gets their way.
At the tender age of 8 years old, Lucy van Pelt is convinced that she should run the world — and anyone who disagrees is sure to get an earful. Vain, whiny, and easily provoked, Lucy has trouble controlling her own ego and emotions, and yet has no problem doling out advice and orders to her more weak-willed peers.
In some ways, Scout Finch could be considered a model student: She learns how to read before she even starts school, she’s extremely confident and well-spoken, and she cares deeply about justice. But those good traits don’t keep her from causing mischief. Outspoken and prone to breaking social conventions, she sometimes exasperates her teachers with her blunt statements and well-meaning bouts of violence.
Pretty, shallow, and materialistic, Lana Weinberger relentlessly teases Mia Thermopolis based solely on the latter’s appearance. In the movie, Lana butters up her victim when she finds out Mia is a princess and senses a chance for attention and fame. In the books, Lana is given a chance at redemption when she and Mia eventually form a genuine, though uneasy, friendship.
In some ways, Scout Finch could be considered a model student: She learns how to read before she even starts school, she’s extremely confident and well-spoken, and she cares deeply about justice. But those good traits don’t keep her from causing mischief. Outspoken and prone to breaking social conventions, she sometimes exasperates her teachers with her blunt statements and well-meaning bouts of violence.
If Pippi Goes to School (1998) is any indication, Pippi Longstocking would likely be a challenging student at best. Showing up late, refusing to work on subjects that don’t interest her, and drawing on the floor — those are just the start of this loveable redhead’s academic antics.
Some kids want to live up to their responsibilities but just have a tough time doing so. Peter Pan is not one of those kids. In fact, Peter is determined to never grow up or worry about anything resembling adult life. We never see Peter in a classroom setting, and probably for good reason — he’d likely climb out the window and fly off to Neverland as soon as his teacher’s back was turned.
We’ve all had students who have seen sides of the world that are darker than we ever could have imagined. Dallas Winston is one of those kids — abused and neglected by his dad, drawn into gang life, and arrested for the first time at age 10. As much as you hope for the best for these students, sometimes the tethers of a rough community are too much for even the best support system to overcome.
Sometimes, you can peg how a student will act based on their parents’ behavior. That’s the story of Veruca Salt. After declaring that she wants a golden ticket, her father buys thousands of chocolate bars and tasks his entire workforce with finding one for her. It’s no wonder that she’s astonished when Willy Wonka doesn’t bend to her every whim — even going so far as to label her a “bad nut” (or “bad egg,” in the movie version).
In some ways, Scout Finch could be considered a model student: She learns how to read before she even starts school, she’s extremely confident and well-spoken, and she cares deeply about justice. But those good traits don’t keep her from causing mischief. Outspoken and prone to breaking social conventions, she sometimes exasperates her teachers with her blunt statements and well-meaning bouts of violence.
When you advise students that the best thing you can do with a bully is stand up to them, Scott “Scut” Farkus is your case in point. Though you certainly wouldn’t recommend Ralphie’s method for making Scut back down, this mischief-maker’s rise and fall lends credence to the idea that the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
Have you ever had a student whose artistic exploits or STEM projects are just a little…creepy? Then you know what it’s like to teach Sid Philips. Though his Frankenstein-style toy experiments certainly show some creativity, he’s also a poster child for the need for some SEL in your curriculum.
Ferris Bueller isn’t necessarily a bad kid; he just thinks of school as being more “optional” than his parents and teachers do. However, when Dean of Students Ed Rooney makes it his life’s business to catch Ferris in his truancy, Ferris manages to become the educator’s worst nightmare.
Sometimes the student who’s prickliest on the surface is actually masking a deep fear of vulnerability and past pain. That’s certainly the case with John Bender, the bad boy whose hard exterior may just melt over the course of a long Saturday locked in the school library with a group of loveable misfits.
In some ways, Scout Finch could be considered a model student: She learns how to read before she even starts school, she’s extremely confident and well-spoken, and she cares deeply about justice. But those good traits don’t keep her from causing mischief. Outspoken and prone to breaking social conventions, she sometimes exasperates her teachers with her blunt statements and well-meaning bouts of violence.
Whether you teach kindergarteners or high schoolers, you’ve watched the same dynamic play out: One student has a natural gift for leadership, but thanks to their immaturity, their sway over other kids quickly turns from leadership to abuse. Angelica Pickles follows just such a pattern, and because of this, she remains oblivious to her own flaws and foibles (most notably her tone-deaf singing voice).
If you have to have a bully in your class, Buzz McCallister is the kind you want. Although on the surface, Buzz is impatient and insulting toward his younger brother, deep down he cares about Kevin and is willing to drop his tough-guy persona when it really counts.
Johnny Lawrence is a tough example of what can happen when a talented kid falls under bad mentorship. Under Sensei Kreese’s tutelage, Johnny learns to use his strength and karate skills to harm others and ruthlessly pursue victory in the big All-Valley Karate Tournament. Luckily, Johnny reforms his ways and later redeems the Cobra Kai dojo.
The ultimate “mean girl,” Regina George manages to bully every girl in her school — plus some of her teachers. Most educators have witnessed the destructive power of name-calling, cliques, and impossible beauty standards, but Regina manages to wield these common problems in a way that drives most of the females in her grade to physical violence.
In some ways, Scout Finch could be considered a model student: She learns how to read before she even starts school, she’s extremely confident and well-spoken, and she cares deeply about justice. But those good traits don’t keep her from causing mischief. Outspoken and prone to breaking social conventions, she sometimes exasperates her teachers with her blunt statements and well-meaning bouts of violence.
Draco Malfoy might be nasty and vindictive to Harry and the gang, but to his teachers, he is perhaps the smarmiest brownnoser ever to walk the halls of Hogwarts. Plus, his dad takes the cake as the wizarding world’s ultimate bulldozer parent, bribing and threatening school officials to ensure that his family gets their way.
In some ways, Scout Finch could be considered a model student: She learns how to read before she even starts school, she’s extremely confident and well-spoken, and she cares deeply about justice. But those good traits don’t keep her from causing mischief. Outspoken and prone to breaking social conventions, she sometimes exasperates her teachers with her blunt statements and well-meaning bouts of violence.
In some ways, Scout Finch could be considered a model student: She learns how to read before she even starts school, she’s extremely confident and well-spoken, and she cares deeply about justice. But those good traits don’t keep her from causing mischief. Outspoken and prone to breaking social conventions, she sometimes exasperates her teachers with her blunt statements and well-meaning bouts of violence.
If Pippi Goes to School (1998) is any indication, Pippi Longstocking would likely be a challenging student at best. Showing up late, refusing to work on subjects that don’t interest her, and drawing on the floor — those are just the start of this loveable redhead’s academic antics.
Sometimes, you can peg how a student will act based on their parents’ behavior. That’s the story of Veruca Salt. After declaring that she wants a golden ticket, her father buys thousands of chocolate bars and tasks his entire workforce with finding one for her. It’s no wonder that she’s astonished when Willy Wonka doesn’t bend to her every whim — even going so far as to label her a “bad nut” (or “bad egg,” in the movie version).
In some ways, Scout Finch could be considered a model student: She learns how to read before she even starts school, she’s extremely confident and well-spoken, and she cares deeply about justice. But those good traits don’t keep her from causing mischief. Outspoken and prone to breaking social conventions, she sometimes exasperates her teachers with her blunt statements and well-meaning bouts of violence.
Have you ever had a student whose artistic exploits or STEM projects are just a little…creepy? Then you know what it’s like to teach Sid Philips. Though his Frankenstein-style toy experiments certainly show some creativity, he’s also a poster child for the need for some SEL in your curriculum.
Ferris Bueller isn’t necessarily a bad kid; he just thinks of school as being more “optional” than his parents and teachers do. However, when Dean of Students Ed Rooney makes it his life’s business to catch Ferris in his truancy, Ferris manages to become the educator’s worst nightmare.
In some ways, Scout Finch could be considered a model student: She learns how to read before she even starts school, she’s extremely confident and well-spoken, and she cares deeply about justice. But those good traits don’t keep her from causing mischief. Outspoken and prone to breaking social conventions, she sometimes exasperates her teachers with her blunt statements and well-meaning bouts of violence.
Whether you teach kindergarteners or high schoolers, you’ve watched the same dynamic play out: One student has a natural gift for leadership, but thanks to their immaturity, their sway over other kids quickly turns from leadership to abuse. Angelica Pickles follows just such a pattern, and because of this, she remains oblivious to her own flaws and foibles (most notably her tone-deaf singing voice).
Johnny Lawrence is a tough example of what can happen when a talented kid falls under bad mentorship. Under Sensei Kreese’s tutelage, Johnny learns to use his strength and karate skills to harm others and ruthlessly pursue victory in the big All-Valley Karate Tournament. Luckily, Johnny reforms his ways and later redeems the Cobra Kai dojo.
In some ways, Scout Finch could be considered a model student: She learns how to read before she even starts school, she’s extremely confident and well-spoken, and she cares deeply about justice. But those good traits don’t keep her from causing mischief. Outspoken and prone to breaking social conventions, she sometimes exasperates her teachers with her blunt statements and well-meaning bouts of violence.
In some ways, Scout Finch could be considered a model student: She learns how to read before she even starts school, she’s extremely confident and well-spoken, and she cares deeply about justice. But those good traits don’t keep her from causing mischief. Outspoken and prone to breaking social conventions, she sometimes exasperates her teachers with her blunt statements and well-meaning bouts of violence.
If Pippi Goes to School (1998) is any indication, Pippi Longstocking would likely be a challenging student at best. Showing up late, refusing to work on subjects that don’t interest her, and drawing on the floor — those are just the start of this loveable redhead’s academic antics.
In some ways, Scout Finch could be considered a model student: She learns how to read before she even starts school, she’s extremely confident and well-spoken, and she cares deeply about justice. But those good traits don’t keep her from causing mischief. Outspoken and prone to breaking social conventions, she sometimes exasperates her teachers with her blunt statements and well-meaning bouts of violence.
Ferris Bueller isn’t necessarily a bad kid; he just thinks of school as being more “optional” than his parents and teachers do. However, when Dean of Students Ed Rooney makes it his life’s business to catch Ferris in his truancy, Ferris manages to become the educator’s worst nightmare.
Whether you teach kindergarteners or high schoolers, you’ve watched the same dynamic play out: One student has a natural gift for leadership, but thanks to their immaturity, their sway over other kids quickly turns from leadership to abuse. Angelica Pickles follows just such a pattern, and because of this, she remains oblivious to her own flaws and foibles (most notably her tone-deaf singing voice).
In some ways, Scout Finch could be considered a model student: She learns how to read before she even starts school, she’s extremely confident and well-spoken, and she cares deeply about justice. But those good traits don’t keep her from causing mischief. Outspoken and prone to breaking social conventions, she sometimes exasperates her teachers with her blunt statements and well-meaning bouts of violence.
In some ways, Scout Finch could be considered a model student: She learns how to read before she even starts school, she’s extremely confident and well-spoken, and she cares deeply about justice. But those good traits don’t keep her from causing mischief. Outspoken and prone to breaking social conventions, she sometimes exasperates her teachers with her blunt statements and well-meaning bouts of violence.
Ferris Bueller isn’t necessarily a bad kid; he just thinks of school as being more “optional” than his parents and teachers do. However, when Dean of Students Ed Rooney makes it his life’s business to catch Ferris in his truancy, Ferris manages to become the educator’s worst nightmare.
In some ways, Scout Finch could be considered a model student: She learns how to read before she even starts school, she’s extremely confident and well-spoken, and she cares deeply about justice. But those good traits don’t keep her from causing mischief. Outspoken and prone to breaking social conventions, she sometimes exasperates her teachers with her blunt statements and well-meaning bouts of violence.