Teaching Profession

11 Scenes From ‘Abbott Elementary’ That Connected With Real Educators

By Hayley Hardison — April 12, 2022 1 min read
ABC's "Abbott Elementary" stars Quinta Brunson as Janine.
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

ABC’s workplace comedy, “Abbott Elementary,” has offered educators moments of relatability and laughter throughout the 2021-22 school year, which proved to be especially stressful and draining for those running the nation’s schools.

The mockumentary-style sitcom follows an ambitious new educator inside a fictional West Philadelphia public school. Earlier this year, Education Week reporter Ileana Najarro sat down with the show’s creator and star, Quinta Brunson, who shared her inspirations for “Abbott Elementary”—including her mother, who also taught in Philadelphia—as well as what she hopes educators take from the show. Throughout its first season, teachers on social media vocalized their responses to the new comedy.

“Teachers like Janine mean everything to kids,” shared Brunson in her Q&A with Education Week. “They change their worlds and change what they think the world can be and what life can be for them.”

With the show’s first season coming to a highly anticipated close this week, teachers across Twitter shared their connections to and appreciation for “Abbott Elementary.”

Here are 11 moments from the fictional show that resonated with real educators.

Related Tags:

Events

School & District Management K-12 Essentials Forum Principals, Lead Stronger in the New School Year
Join this free virtual event for a deep dive on the skills and motivation you need to put your best foot forward in the new year.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Privacy & Security Webinar
Navigating Modern Data Protection & Privacy in Education
Explore the modern landscape of data loss prevention in education and learn actionable strategies to protect sensitive data.
Content provided by  Symantec & Carahsoft
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Student Well-Being Webinar
Attend to the Whole Child: Non-Academic Factors within MTSS
Learn strategies for proactively identifying and addressing non-academic barriers to student success within an MTSS framework.
Content provided by Renaissance

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Teaching Profession Teachers' Favorite Reads This Summer
Teachers shared some of their summer book selections, with a wide variety of subject matter and genres.
2 min read
Woman reading book in hammock
Liz Yap/Education Week and iStock/Getty
Teaching Profession The Truth About Teachers' Summers
Teachers endure many misperceptions about their jobs. Perhaps the most egregious has to do with their summer break.
5 min read
Orange sandals by a pool.
iStock/Getty
Teaching Profession In Their Own Words How This 'Goofy Science Teacher' Made It to the U.S. Open in Golf
High school science teacher and golf coach Colin Prater just played in one of the world's most prestigious golf tournaments.
6 min read
Colin Prater hits his tee shot on the 10th hole during a practice round for the U.S. Open golf tournament on June 12, 2024, in Pinehurst, N.C.
Colin Prater hits his tee shot on the 10th hole during a practice round for the U.S. Open golf tournament on June 12, 2024, in Pinehurst, N.C.
Frank Franklin II/AP
Teaching Profession Teachers: Start Your School Supplies Shopping Now With These Discounts
As teachers start back-to-school shopping, Education Week compiled a list of educator discounts that can reduce costs.
3 min read
Photo of school supplies.
iStock