Personally speaking, I’ve already mentioned, elsewhere in the blog, two very influential English male teachers in grades 11-12 who were funny and very much into literature; they were models and first revealed a potential career in teaching high school English, something I eventually did for 30 years.
But I was, simultaneously, influenced by a popular mid-’60s American tv show which revealed how interesting an English teacher’s life and job might be: Mr. Novak, starring the handsome James Franciscus (who died much too young at 57). He was another role model and was a hero of sorts in a Los Angeles high school.
Many famous stars like Eddie Albert (as a Frost character), Dean Jagger and Burgess Meredith (the principals), Martin Landau, Edward Asner, and many others were regulars and guests in this landmark two season series (1963-65). Highly recommended viewing for any teachers or people interested in glimpses into middle-class North American life of the 1960s.