When we think of our "first teacher," we typically picture a person standing at the front of a classroom—chalk in hand, glasses perched on a nose, a ruler tapping a blackboard. We think of ABCs, multiplication tables, and the difference between a noun and a verb. But if I am brutally honest with myself, my real first teacher did not own a piece of chalk. My first teacher lived inside a glowing box in the corner of the living room. My first teacher was entertainment content and popular media.

Try this:

In more recent decades, shows like Glee or Abbott Elementary have popularized the teacher who is just as flawed and human as the students. They are underpaid, overstressed, but deeply invested. This shift in media reflects a growing respect for the humanity of educators, moving away from the "savior" myth and toward a more realistic portrayal of the job's difficulties.

It taught us empathy by allowing us to walk a mile in a fictional character’s shoes. It taught us bravery by showing us heroes who were afraid. It taught us that the world is huge, diverse, and strange—and that we have a place in it.