Line #96 Main/HippieTeacher


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6	%% This list of examples has been alphabetized. Please add your example in the proper place. Thanks!
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13	[[quoteright:350:[[WesternAnimation/BeavisAndButthead https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/david_vandriessen_1437.jpeg]]]]
14	[[caption-width-right:350:Let's get in touch with our inner-granola, m'kay?]]
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16	->''"Did I ever tell you kids about the sixties?"''
17	-->-- '''Unnamed teacher''', ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''
18
19	The Hippie Teacher eschews traditional academic discipline with [[NewAgeRetroHippie a more laid back, free spirit, peace, love and grooviness]] to their curriculum. May or may not be a good teacher, but ''rarely'' a good disciplinarian. Often let students [[FirstNameBasis call them by their first name]] "''Mr. Hippie'' is my father; you can call me Rod," and [[TheStoner a strange incense can be smelled from their office]].
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21	Definitely TruthInTelevision; while they can be in different areas of the school they tend to be [[GranolaGirl in liberal arts, guidance counselors or other "soft" or "creative" subjects]]. Hard sciences are less common, unless crossed with AbsentMindedProfessor. When portrayed sympathetically, this character is usually a CoolTeacher who is passionate about their students and finds alternative ways to influence the BookDumb. If portrayed unsympathetically, they're either incompetent pushovers who are trying to slide by with minimal effort and hand out A's like candy, or sees their students as an entire generation [[PoliticallyMotivatedTeacher they can program their own counter-culture / anti-authority ideals on]].
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23	May overlap with a SadistTeacher, but more likely to be seen as harmless or a positive influence. {{Foil}} to the SternTeacher. Compare MisplacedKindergartenTeacher and PsychologistTeacher, HippieParents for the parent variant, and LoonyLibrarian.
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26	!!Examples:
27	[[foldercontrol]]
28
29	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
30	* In the ''Manga/MobileSuitGundamTheOrigin'' prequel story ''Casval, 0057'', it's revealed that Char's father Zeon Zum Deikun was originally a politically active university professor before becoming the face of the Space Colony independence movement. Being that he's involved in a car bomb plot against the Federation security bureau and makes overwrought comparisons between Jesus Christ and his newly born son ([[{{Irony}} who will go on]] [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamCharsCounterattack to attempt to blow up the entire Earth]]) Deikun is less NewAgeRetroHippie and more dangerously unhinged Weather Underground hippie.
31	* Although he is too young to be a real hippie, Watanabe Osamu of ''Manga/ThePrinceOfTennis'' fits the mold.
32	* Souma from ''Manga/SoraNoManimani''. He spent most of his twenties travelling all around the world and working for N.G.Os.
33	[[/folder]]
34
35	[[folder:Fan Works]]
36	* In the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' continuum of Creator/AAPessimal, unwary students at the Assassins’ Guild School might briefly think that just because she ''looks'' like the classic Hippie Teacher, their Art Mistress, Miss Gillian Lansbury, is a pushover. Gillian is also a graduate Assassin. She makes her own paints. Even those hues hitherto thought to be harmless are deadly. Pupils annoying her are soon sent to create their own bespoke paintbox and find themselves grinding the pigments for Ubu White (lead), Agatean Yellow (arsenic), Cobalt Blue, Vermilion (mercury salts), Prussic Green (cyanides) and other gloriously colourful pigments such as Death Black and Agent Orange. They might also discover even the linseed oil isn’t harmless if ingested.
37	* Starfire to the new Titans team in the ''Our Own League'' novels. Her class is about applying philosophy to superhero-ing, so it involves a lot of talking about feelings and trust building exercises.
38	[[/folder]]
39
40	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
41	* In ''Film/AnAmericanCarol'' we get this mixed with PoliticallyMotivatedTeacher, [[https://youtu.be/QgEli5zAi0U in song form!]]
42	* In ''Film/AnimalHouse'', Donald Sutherland plays Professor Dave Jennings, a university level version of this. In a slight variation, the film's setting is contemporaneous with the actual hippie movement, making him a CoolTeacher as well. As it turns out, he's just as bored by the subject matter of his lectures as his students are.
43	* Miss Lippy, Billy's first grade teacher from ''Film/BillyMadison''.
44	* The teacher in ''Film/DazedAndConfused'' who tells her students that the riot at the 1968 Democratic Convention was the "most bitchin'" time of her life.
45	* Enid's summer school art teacher in ''Film/GhostWorld''.
46	* Played straight with Pauline Fleming in ''{{Film/Heathers}}''.
47	* Mr. White in ''Film/TheLastMimzy''.
48	* In the movie version of the musical ''Film/{{Mame}}'', during the song, "Open a New Window", we see Mame taking her nephew to many different schools with different educational philosophies, but she promptly pulls him out of an all-nude, all-boys' school headed by a nude headmaster.
49	* Creator/JeffBridges in ''Film/TheMenWhoStareAtGoats'', playing a wide-bodied, pony-tailed hippie military officer, a variation on the Dude.
50	* ''Film/TheNewGuy'' has the Guidance Counselor in Diz's first school, who is such a bleeding heart that Diz CantGetInTroubleForNuthin.
51	* Although not exactly a hippie (he's a rock musician), Jack Black's character from ''Film/SchoolOfRock'' fits the bill, especially his "stick it to the Man" diatribes and very liberal views on discipline.
52	* ''Film/RiversEdge'': Interestingly zigzagged with Mr. Burkewaite who appears in this film twice.
53	** First in the beginning he delivers a speech about the progress made by the US society due to the 60's Civil rights movement in 60's.
54	** Then it the ending he somewhat too energetically reprimands the students for not caring about the death of their mate. He reproaches both those students who did not report the murderer as well as the rest the class. He finishes his diatribe with the remark than all pupils do not care about the death of their classmate as if they did they'd be out on the street hunting down John. Thus becoming a proponent of vigilantism and posses no less.
55	* Ms. Tebbit, the drama teacher in ''Film/WereTheWorldMine''. Although it's implied that she may actually be a fairy in disguise.
56	* ''Film/YouAreSoNotInvitedToMyBatMitzvah'': Rabbi Rebecca is pretty spacey and dresses like a hippie, even having a Music/GratefulDead kippah.
57	[[/folder]]
58
59	[[folder:Literature]]
60	* The music teacher, Miss Edmunds, in ''Literature/BridgeToTerabithia'' is a literal hippie as the book takes place not soon after the UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar. She stands out like a sore thumb in the small town she lives in due to this. She's considered weird because she wears pants and a lot of the adults complain about her. Jess however has a PrecociousCrush on her and thinks she's a breath of fresh air amongst his [[SmallTownBoredom boring peers]].
61	* Barbara Finney from ''Literature/TheCatAteMyGymsuit'' was the first person to help insecure Marcy Lewis break out of her shell. Her controversial teaching methods has also caused an uproar from a large portion of the school faculty.
62	%%* Firenze the centaur in ''Literature/HarryPotter''.
63	* Ms Partridge, Bigmac's social worker in the ''Literature/JohnnyMaxwellTrilogy'' used to be like this, before dealing with Bigmac wore her down:
64	-->When she'd started the job, less than a year ago, she'd firmly believed that everything that was wrong with the world was the fault of Big Business and the Government. She believed even more firmly now that it was all the fault of Bigmac.
65	* [[MeaningfulName Mr. Freeman]], the art teacher from the YA book ''Literature/{{Speak}}'' (although the narrator takes pains to point out that he's ''not'' an ineffectual disciplinarian; he has different rules than the other teachers, but he does make people follow them).
66	* Although not actually hippie-ish, Madame Frout, headmistress of the Frout Academy of Learning Through Play in the ''Literature/ThiefOfTime'', has invented a method of teaching that doesn't involve discipline because she wasn't any good at it. Her best teacher, [[SternTeacher Susan Sto Helit]], completely ignores it.
67	* Mrs. Hiolet in ''Literature/ToughMagic'' is described as being bubbly, overly-bright and friendly, with strict views against corporal punishment.
68	* ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse'':
69	** Earth Mother (Amanda Chulkris), who [[FormerTeenRebel in her youth]] had been the counter-culture superheroine Flower Child. She teaches magic and has plants growing out of her body.
70	** Mr. Kennedy, one of the history teachers, who admitted to fellow spirit medium Jimmy T. that much of his drug-taking in the 1960s was simply to drown out the incessant chatter of the ghosts around him.
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73	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
74	* Miss Claymore, the ceramics teacher in ''Series/OneHundredThingsToDoBeforeHighSchool''. She spends a lot of time talking abut auras and healing energy.
75	* Valerie on ''Series/{{Awkward}}'', who is more of a CloudCuckoolander than a hippie, but fits the mold by being a horrible disciplinarian and treating the kids (especially Jenna, her favorite) like they're her friends.
76	* On ''Series/BrooklynNineNine'', Detective Jake Peralta's mom, [[Recap/BrooklynNineNineS3E14KarenPeralta Karen]], is a mellower version of this, teaching art classes and sporting a hippie-influenced fashion sense, including round glasses and beads. She even appears to be the right age to have grown up in the 1960s.
77	* Ms. Dawes of ''Series/{{Degrassi\|TheNextGeneration}}'' is this, she is the art teacher. She also happens to [[LiveActionRolePlay LARP]] in her spare time.
78	* Mr. Rosso on ''Series/FreaksAndGeeks'' is a Hippie Guidance Counselor.
79	** Interestingly enough, while he still fits the classic trope, he's also a well-rounded enough character to be legitimately helpful at times and be thoroughly capable of discipline.
80	-->'''Rosso''' (driving up to Lindsay and Nick who are skipping school): '''Guess''' ''who's in trouble!''
81	** Though he may be more disciplinary than most trope examples, the legacy of his time as a hippy does occasionally disadvantage him. For example, in an episode when then Vice President UsefulNotes/GeorgeHWBush came to visit the school, despite his political differences he tied back his hair and put on his best air of respectability. However, he is turned away by a secret service agent (played by Creator/BenStiller) due to his name being on some subversive mailing lists back in TheSixties.
82	* Frankie of ''Series/GraceAndFrankie'' teaches art class for convicts, or "society's outcasts", and is an avid fan of drugs.
83	* Mr Bill "Scruffy" [=McGuffey=] of ''Series/{{Grange Hill}}''.
84	* Lily on ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'' is one of these to her kindergarten class. Somewhat justified since pre-schoolers really don't respond very well to a SternTeacher.
85	* ''Series/ICarly'': Mr. Henning. He loves nature, disproves of modern methods (or rather just major energy wasting ones), and takes students on a root and berry retreat.
86	-->'''Spencer''': You know, when I was at Ridgeway, I had a teacher who was such a loser! He's a freaky weirdo and smells like rotten wood...\
87	'''Mr. Henning''': Spencer? That's me.\
88	'''Spencer''': What? (pauses) Oh.
89	** Henning seems to use the root and berry retreat as a form of CoolAndUnusualPunishment on his students. While he himself enjoys it, he knows his students don't and uses it as a threat to make them try their best on their projects (failing grades can only be made up by going on the trip with him).
90	* J.D. becomes a bit like this in ''Series/{{Scrubs}}: Med School'' (season 9). "Let's gather round the Teaching Tree!"
91	* Mr. Donovan of ''Series/SquarePegs'', who dressed conservatively but would hark back to his nostalgic days of sit-ins and experimental theater.
92	* Mr. Jellineck from ''Series/StrangersWithCandy'', in sharp contrast to his [[SadistTeacher secret lover]].
93	** [[WordOfGod According to Paul Dinello]], Jellineck (a totally insecure loser) was based on Hippie Teachers who in real life are often considered kind of creepy by their students, who don't really ''want'' a forty-year-old man giving them advice on problems he shouldn't even know about and insisting that he "gets" them all the time.
94	* Another one of Schneider's shows, ''Series/{{Victorious}}'', has Mr. Sikowitz. He's a [[BunnyEarsLawyer very good]], but very laid-back teacher who goes barefoot.
95	* Art Cooney on ''Series/TheWedge''. He is of the "Call me Art" mould, and has zero respect from his students.
96	[[/folder]]
97
98	[[folder:Radio]]
99	* In ''The Train At Platform 4'' episode "Bag", a horde of noisy children descend on the train, take over the quiet carriage because the teacher allowed them to book their own tickets since it enourages a sense of responsibilty, and proceed to write on the windows and crawl into the luggage racks while she does absolutely nothing except talk about creativity and exploring boundaries. She thinks that "we don't believe in schedules" is an appropriate response to being told the train is leaving in two minutes, and says she doesn't think of them as children, except chronologically. She also ruthlessly monitors the kids' diets (asking the snack trolley to be taken away before they see it) and won't let them have mobile phones, and apparently sees no contradiction there.
100	[[/folder]]
101
102	[[folder:Video Games]]
103	* Professor Potsdam in ''VisualNovel/MagicalDiary'', although she can be [[BadAssTeacher terrifyingly competent]] when the need calls for it. All while calling you and the other students such things as "starshines" and various diminuitives for plant and animal offsprings.
104	* Mr. Edogawa in ''VideoGame/Persona3'' is the school nurse and a substitute teacher. He has a scruffy appearance, a casual style of dress, [[ComicallyIneptHealing messes around with various concoctions that have weird effects]], and [[ChekhovsClassroom offers lessons on esoteric subjects that are probably outside of the standard curriculum]].
105	[[/folder]]
106
107	[[folder:Web Comics]]
108	* In ''Webcomic/QuestionableContent'', Sam's entire school is like this, since students can skip class whenever they want, as long as it's for "personal development and life experiences".
109	-->'''Faye''': That is the most ''Pioneer fuckin' Valley'' thing I ever heard.
110	[[/folder]]
111
112	[[folder:Western Animation]]
113	* Steve Small from ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'' is the student counselor for Elmore Junior High and ''very'' much a hippie: he wears tie-dye and sandals, holds interpretive dance classes, and tried to subsist on a diet of sunlight and meditation. [[SubvertedTrope Beneath that however]], he strongly diverges from the type as he shows himself to be violently bipolar, impatient, and often quite mean to his students--he once smashed an old painting with a club and burned it for being a "relic of convention", acted as a DrillSergeantNasty at ''cheerleading try outs'', and when two students have trouble with when to tell the truth or lie he eventually decides to just scare them into never talking again. He also admitted to only being a vegan so he can feel superior to everyone else and in another was willing to eat the Wattersons when he led a raider gang of students and neighbors.
114	* Sun Park from ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDragonJakeLong'' is a high school teacher who doesn't like being called "Ms. Park", says words like "groovy", and believes that violence is for the weak and cowardly.
115	* Mr. Van Driessen on ''WesternAnimation/BeavisAndButtHead'' (pictured), a literal hippie who embodies pretty much every stereotype associated with the 60's counter-culture. His teaching methods and easy going nature makes him fairly popular with the students, but are unfortunately completely wasted on the main characters. Supposedly based on a real teacher Creator/MikeJudge had in high school.
116	* Calypso from ''WesternAnimation/{{Bluey}}'', the kids call her by her [[FirstNameBasis first name]] and her approach to teaching is very laid-back and focused on play, introspection, emotional intelligence, and appreciation for nature. Justified in that Calypso works at a Waldorf/Steiner school, where this kind of teaching method is the entire point.
117	* Mr. O' Neill on ''WesternAnimation/{{Daria}}'', who is [[{{Expy}} scarily similar]] to Mr. Van Driessen save for the fact that he's not overtly a hippie. When Daria and Jane come to visit his apartment in one episode, it's filled with new age-y paraphernalia, and he offers them tea with a gem tincture.
118	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Doug}}'''s school counselor Mr. Shellacky straddles this and MisplacedKindergartenTeacher. As that he is always suggesting "Hugs" and other "Make Love" solutions to problems and his office is plastered with feel-good posters.
119	* Mr. Burkenbake (Mr. Burken'''bake'''. [[MeaningfulName Niiiiceeee]]) on ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'', literally a Hippie Teacher. Also the substitute teacher Mrs. Sunshine in "No Substitute for Crazy" [[spoiler:until Timmy wishes her into Mr Crocker's job, and she reveals herself [[EvilTeacher to be a scarily competent Fairy Hunter]] whose professional name is Miss Doombringer]].
120	* ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' had an episode where Chris is in danger of failing history because of his SternTeacher (and just being plain dumb). Stewie and Brian attempt to help him learn the material via a time-travel adventure, but with very little success, until they arrive back home, and discover that Chris's original teacher no longer exists due to them accidentally causing his ancestor to drown on the Titanic. He has been replaced by a hippie named Teacher Doug who "doesn't believe in tests".
121	* Mr. Simmons in ''WesternAnimation/HeyArnold''; like Mr. Mackey he's more well-dressed than a stereotypical hippie, but definitely has the attitude.
122	* ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill'': Hank Hill has locked horns with his share of this trope over the years.
123	* Mr. Mandrill from ''WesternAnimation/MyGymPartnersAMonkey'', another hippie school counselor.
124	* ''WesternAnimation/PixelPinkie'': Nina's mum, Fern, who is already a hippie, automatically becomes this for one episode when she substituted for a teacher that Nina accidentally wished for to be on vacation.
125	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Recess}}'': Ms. Grotke is the most obvious example, but according to TheMovie, Principal Prickly and Ms. Finster were Hippie Teachers back in the sixties.
126	** This would make Ms.Grotke a new age hippie seen often in the 90s. But an episode has the kids going through old year books and they see Ms.Finster as a much younger teacher. The year book praises the young teacher for positive, progressive new ways of teaching.
127	* In ''WesternAnimation/TheReplacements'' episode "Cheer Pressure", Riley replaces the cheerleading coach with a hippie teacher. HilarityEnsues.
128	* ''WesternAnimation/RickAndMorty'' used the trope in TheStinger of "Lawnmower Dog", where the stern teacher in Scary Terry's nightmare gets replaced by "[[ThemeNaming Scary]] Mr. Johnston", who then corrects himself, using the "that's my dad's name" line and telling the class to call him "Scary Glenn."
129	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'':
130	** Springfield Elementary has one -- he's just a background character, but he usually shows up when there's a group of teachers onscreen. When all the textbooks were stolen and the teachers had to improvise their lessons, he sat cross-legged on his desk and asked, "Did I ever tell you kids about the '60s?"
131	** Skinner dates one in "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS22E11FlamingMoe Flaming Moe]]", the substitute music teacher Calliope.
132	** "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS13E16WeekendAtBurnsies Weekend At Burnsie's]]": When Homer starts medicating upstairs, Lisa sniffs the air and remarks "It smells like the art teacher's office."
133	* Miracle from ''WesternAnimation/SitDownShutUp''. Ironically, despite her fitting this trope, ''politically'' she's actually a hard right conservative.
134	* Mr. Mackey, the school counselor on ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'', is almost a CaptainErsatz for Mr. Van Driessen, since he is constantly using the catchphrase "Mmmkay?" He doesn't quite fit the profile visually with his tightly-tied tie and short haircut, but he is a lot more "empathetic" toward the children than teacher Mr. Garrison (who often loses his temper when the students get unruly). His DayInTheLimelight episode also has him briefly take up drugs and embrace an overtly hippie lifestyle, although of course [[StatusQuoIsGod he gives up both by the end of the episode]].
135	[[/folder]]
136
137	[[folder:Real Life]]
138	* TruthInTelevision: Being a hippie is essentially a prerequisite for a professorship at [[InsistentTerminology The Evergreen State College]], an "alternative" institute of higher learning in Olympia, WA, which does away with, among other things, ''grades''.
139	* If someone was a 20-year-old college student in the 1960s, then today they'd be old enough to retire. Which means many, if not most of them likely entered the workforce after graduating college. Thanks to the Draft being a big part of the 60's and 70's as well, it's entirely possible for one of your teachers to have been a Hippie Teacher ''and'' a RetiredBadass VeteranInstructor.
140	[[/folder]]

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