Cartoon teachers often don’t take center stage and are usually the obstacle that gets in the way of their students having fun or causing trouble. However, they are essential in many programs and movies because theyground the stories in reality.Animated shows are often geared toward kids, who have to deal with teachers on a daily basis. It makes sense for a number of these series to feature the student-teacher relationship.
While some teachers try their hardest to teach, others are more concerned about making an impact in their student’s lives. Thebest TV teachers, animated or not, do both. They not only teach their lessons successfully butleave their students hungry to learn more.Even though some animated teachers aren’t the best at their job, they are certainly memorable. The role of the teacher isn’t usually an exciting one in animation, but these educators have left their mark on television history.
10Ms. Bitters
Invader Zim
Invader Zimcreated a bleak version of reality, and Zim’s teacher Ms. Bitters certainly added to the grim world presented in the show. Ms. Bitters does not care at all about any of the children in her classroom,especially Zim and Dib.She often says her students are doomed and tries to prepare them for the cruel world that awaits them outside the Skool. She shows no mercy regarding punishments or sending kids to the nurse. At parent-teacher night, Ms. Bitters tells her former studentsshe knew they would amount to nothing as adults.
Ms. Bitters' voice actress, Lucille Bliss, voiced Anastasia Tremaine (one of the stepsisters) in Walt Disney’s Cinderella (1950).
In other words,Ms. Bitters would be a nightmare to have as a teacher, but if viewers can embrace the show’s dark tone, she’s actually hilarious— and probably beloved by real-life teachers who wish they could say the vitriolic comments she does. It’s also not clear whether Ms. Bitters knows that Zim is an alien. There’s a chance she knows about Zim’s true nature but is too disaffected to care. On top of that, theInvader Zimcomics confirmed that Ms. Bitters isn’t human. In the comics, readers can see the nihilistic teacher take her true form.
Cast
Invader Zim is an animated Sci-Fi television series created by Jhonen Vasquez. Spanning two seasons, the premise followed a bumbling alien sent to conquer the Earth and featured voices from Richard Steven Horvitz and Andy Berman.
9Muriel Finster
Recess
Miss Muriel Finster is not a beloved teacher in Disney’sRecess, as she is only interested in creating a school environment where kids are well-behaved. Finster uses her commanding presence and authoritarian nature to keep kids in line.If there’s one thing that she cares about above all else, it’s law and order.Given her background as a Navy commodore in the 1950s, Miss Finster’s militancy makes sense. She also frequently talks about her fond memories of Guam.
Recess Dark Theory: All The Children Are Actually Dead
Recess followed the adventures of six friends at Third Street Elementary School, but there’s a very dark theory that suggests they’re all dead.
However, like many of the beloved characters in the beloved ’90s cartoon, the assistant teacher does have a softer side.She offers advice and compassion to her students, especially Spinelli. Miss Finster also protects her students from any sort of physical harm. Although she might have a rough exterior, Miss Finster is an understanding teacher who truly cares for her students deep down.
Recess is an animated series following six fourth-grade friends at Third Street Elementary School. Set against the backdrop of their school playground, the series explores themes of childhood innocence and authority challenges as the group embarks on playful adventures while navigating the complexities of adolescence.
8Mr. Garrison
South Park
Much like Ms. Bitters, Mr. Garrison does not care about his students at South Park Elementary. He’s often content to teach them sitcom trivia or aboutGame of Thronesplotlines. Mr. Garrison is one of themost prolific characters inSouth Parkhistory. He’s had two gender-affirming surgery operations, invented a new mode of transportation, and even ran the country.But, at his core, Mr. Garrison is quite possiblySouth Park’s most eccentric character, and that’s a high benchmark.
Do you think South Park focuses on real-life events too much?
Especially in recent years, South Park has based several storylines on events from the real world. Mr. Garrison’s Trump, for example. Although the creators have said that the next season won’t focus on the recent election, this doesn’t mean they won’t pick another real-life story to use as inspiration. While I enjoy these plotlines, I much prefer the older seasons when South Park’s stories were generally fictional.
In the first few seasons ofSouth Park,Mr. Garrison chiefly expressed himself through his puppet, Mr. Hat.Even through Mr. Hat, Garrison could still roast all the kids in his class, especially the four main boys.The puppet left in later seasons of the show, but the teacher never lost his appeal. He’s become a parody of Donald Trump in theSouth ParkWorld, but in more recent seasons, Mr. Garrison returned to the halls of South Park Elementary with Mr. Hat in tow.
South Park follows the irreverent misadventures of four grade-schoolers—Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny—that take place in the quiet, dysfunctional town of South Park, Colorado. The animated series explores various social and political issues through its characters' humorous and often absurd escapades.
7Mr. Crocker
The Fairly OddParents
If there’s one thing Mr. Crocker is known for it’s thathe isobsessed with exposing fairies, especially Cosmo and Wanda.Because of Crocker’s preoccupation, his teaching style isn’t effective, and he seems content to let the children stare at the wall until it’s time for lunch. To be fair, Timmy Turner isn’t a good student, which probably explains why Mr. Crocker is constantly giving him failing grades.
Mr. Crocker is based on Eugene Levy’s character Walter Kornbluth fromSplash, who is obsessed with proving the existence of mermaids.
It’s clear that Mr. Crocker has both a troubled past and a less-than-stellar present. When he was a child, he actually had Fairy godparents, but he tragically lost them and has spent the rest of his lifetrying to prove to the world that fairies exist. In the present, Mr. Crocker lives with his mother in a decrepit house. In thenewFairly OddParentsshow,The Fairly OddParents: A New Wish,he’s still hellbent on proving the existence of fairies.
Nickelodeon’s Fairly OddParents, conceived by Danny Phantom creator Butch Hartman, revolves around teenage boy Timmy Turner’s adventures with his fairy godparents Cosmo and Wanda, his friendship with classmates AJ and Chester, and his attempts to escape his mean babysitter Vicky and his cruel teacher Denzel Crocker. It aired from 2001 to 2017 with 10 seasons and 172 episodes.
6Ms. Keane
The Powerpuff Girls
Ms. Keane not only serves as Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup’s teacher but also as a mother figurein their lives. She teaches kindness and teamwork right along with their ABCs. She even has a brief fling with their father, Professor Utonium.Ms. Keane is strict about putting education first, as she takes issue with the Powerpuff Girls sleeping in class and leaving the school to fight crime. However, she is devoted to helping all the kids in her kindergarten class, not just Townsville’s beloved heroes.
Ms. Keane is compassionate to all her students, but she is not opposed to tough love
Ms. Keane is compassionate to all her students, but she is not opposed to tough love, as she insists thatButtercup apologize after making fun of Elmer.EvenPowerpuff Girlsvillainslike The Gangreen Gang have a place in Ms. Keane’s classroom. But don’t mess with her because Keane is keen to hit someone with a dodgeball when their back is turned.
Powerpuff Girls
The Powerpuff Girls is an animated comedy series that chronicles the adventures of three super-powered little girls created by a professor in an accidental lab experiment. Setting out to make his own little girl, Professor Utonium’s experiment goes awry and creates Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup, each with unique powers. The three girls are then asked by the mayor and other citizens to help protect the city, all while attending kindergarten and trying to live an everyday life.
5Ms. Krabappel
The Simpsons
The Simpsons' Ms. Krabappel is one of the most iconic teachers in animation history, likely because audiences had nearly 25 years to get to know her. Anyone who even makes an attempt to teach the troublemaking Bart Simpson deserves love and respect, especially because she was once full of bubbly optimism before her bad apple — orappel— students wore her down . Known for herblunt laugh, cynicism, and penitent for cigarettes,Ms. Krabappel is an integral part of Springfield Elementary.
Ms. Krabappel was written out ofThe Simpsonsafter her voice actress, Marcia Wallace, passed away.
Ms. K, also referred to as Edna by adults, is interesting enough to have been the star of multiple storylines. InThe Simpsons,Miss K.opened a bakery, led the teacher’s strike, and fell in love with Ned Flanders.She’s an accomplished Springfieldian, and in a sea of side characters, that’s no small feat.
4Mr. Ratburn
Arthur
Initially starting as a teacher who struck fear into the hearts of students at Lakewood Elementary, Mr. Ratburn quickly became one of the most beloved characters inArthur.He is happy to give his students many assessments and even sings about his love for assigning homework. However,Mr. Ratburn’s devotion to his students is unflappable. He tries to broaden their perspectives and encourages teamwork. He’s the one who, through pairing up Arthur and Francine in a group project, sparked their friendship.
Mr. Ratburn is also known for his love of baked goods, particularly cakes. He even visited Arthur’s home in the hopes that his student’s caterer father would whip up some sweets. But, themost groundbreaking moment in Mr. Ratburn’s life — andArthurhistory— wasn’t about his students. No, he finally married his boyfriend, Patrick, and the fact that Patrick is a chocolatier makes Mr. Ratburn’s love plot extra sweet.
Arthur is a popular ’90s animated series based on Marc Brown’s series of books. Arthur Read, an anthropomorphic aardvark originally voiced by Michael Yarmush, is the main character of the series, who navigates life as a third-grader while dealing with his sassy sister DW. The popular PBS series lasted for 25 seasons but was canceled in 2021.
3Mrs. Puff
SpongeBob SquarePants
Few teachers have been through hell like Mrs. Puff has. She’s been SpongeBob’s driving instructor for over 25 years and the beloved sponge has yet to obtain his boating license. Maybe Mrs. Puff isn’t an effective teacher. However, it’s more reasonable to think that SpongeBob isn’t meant to cruise the underwater streets of Bikini Bottom in a Boatmobile.
Mrs. Puff even tries to forge a passing grade for SpongeBob just to get him out of her hair. But her best-laid plans eventually fail as she can’t, in good conscience, allow such a menace on the road.Her choice to fail SpongeBob again proves that she does care about the community’s safety like a good driving instructor should. Mrs. Puff has also lived a storied life outside of SpongeBob’s antics as well. She’s been to prison, dated Mr. Krabs, and even took on Patrick as a student. Few cartoon teachers have lived as much of a life as Mrs. Puff.
Spongebob Squarepants is an animated comedy created by Stephen Hillenburg and starring voices from Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakke, and Rodger Bumpass. The series revolves around a sea sponge that goes on many misadventures with his friends Patrick, Squidward, and Sandy Cheeks in the lands of Bikini Bottom and the surrounding sea.
2Ms. Frizzle
The Magic School Bus
Of course, every student in Ms. Frizzle’s class loves her — except maybe Arnold. Voiced by Lily Tomlin ofGrace and Frankiefame, Ms. Frizzle is the queen of quirkiness and encourages her students to express themselves. Ms. Frizzle is also the one who spearheads all of the class excursions onThe Magic School Bus.Sure,one could argue that she is putting her students in danger by taking them on adventures, but she always keeps a watchful eye on her studentsand they always make it back home in one piece.
Miss Frizzle is also concerned with the educational value of each trip, which is admirable. Her teaching methods are certainly effective, if not unconventional, as viewers learn right alongside her students. It’s no wonder Miss Frizzle is one of the most iconic teachers in cartoon history.
The Magic School Bus is an educational animated series that follows Ms. Frizzle and her class on adventurous field trips aboard a magical bus. Each episode focuses on a different scientific topic, combining entertainment and education to make learning fun for children. The series aims to inspire curiosity about science and the natural world among its young audience.
1Mr. Simmons
Hey Arnold!
He’s perhaps a surprising choice for animation’s best teacher, but Mr. Simmons surely earns his ranking. He’s from one ofthe best 90’s Nicktoonsand there have seldom been teachers like Mr. Simmons in any medium, let alone animation. The teacher isconstantly telling his students that they are special and emphasizes self-expression. Mr. Simmons encourages Helga to express herself via creative writing, which proves to be an excellent outlet for her.
But it’s not just Helga whom Mr. Simmons has inspired, as he’s left an impact on all his students at P.S. 118. He put on a heartbreaking Thanksgiving play that depicted the holiday celebration he wished he had. After visiting Mr. Simmons' home, Arnold and Helga see the grim reality of his family life. The characters and the audience realize that Mr. Simmons is a dreamer and an optimist, which is exactly the kind of influence that fourth-grade students need.
Whether it’s producingRomeo and Juliet,saving the kids from a flood, or keeping the peace mission to San Lorenzo, Mr. Simmons cares about his students more than anything. He’s the nurturing, encouraging teacher everyone wishes they had.
Hey Arnold! Is a Nickelodeon animated comedy/drama series that follows a group of kids and adults living in New York. Arnold, the “football head” shaped protagonist, lives with his eccentric grandparents, who seem to get into more mischief than he does, and attends P.S. 118. Along with his best friend Gerald, Arnold interacts with several other unique students, which includes frenemy Helga – who secretly harbors feelings for him. The show tackles various topics relevant to growing kids and teens, such as poverty, loss, romance, jealousy, and more, and eventually went on to have a feature film.
