History Main / HippieTeacher

May or may not be a good teacher, but ''never'' a good disciplinarian. Often let students [[FirstNameBasis call them by their first name]] ("''Mr.'' Hippie Teacher is my father; you can call me Rod"). Definitely TruthInTelevision; many people had art teachers like this. While in fiction they can teach any subject, art teachers, guidance counselors and other teachers of "soft" or "creative" subjects tend to predominate with hard sciences being less common unless crossed with AbsentMindedProfessor. When portrayed sympathetically, this character is usually a CoolTeacher. If portrayed unsympathetically, they're well-meaning but ultimately incompetent pushovers who are viewed as A factories by students at best and arrogant, passive-aggressive moralists who hand out As to anyone who agrees with them at worst.

Contrast with the SadistTeacher. Compare MisplacedKindergartenTeacher and PsychologistTeacher, and HippieParents for the parent variant.

* 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 Mike Judge had in high school.

[[quoteright:212:[[WesternAnimation/BeavisAndButthead https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/DavidVanDriessen.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:212:Let's get in touch with our inner-granola, m'kay?]]

* 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.

* Enid's summer school art teacher in ''ComicBook/GhostWorld'' fits this to a T.

* The teacher in ''Film/DazedaAndConfused''who tells her students that the riot at the 1968 Democratic Convention was the "most bitchin'" time of her life.

* The teacher in ''Film/DazedaAndConfused''who tells her students that the riot at the 1968 Democratic Convention was the "most bitchin'" time of her life[[/folder]]

[[/folder]]

* Earth Mother (her codename), one of the Magical Arts instructors at Whateley Academy in the Literature/WhateleyUniverse. She was a 'flower power' superheroine in the 60's.

* Garth/Tempest to the new Titans team in the ''Our Own League'' novels. His class is about applying philosophy to superhero-ing, so it involves a lot of talking about feelings and trust building exercises.

* 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.

* Barbara Finney from ''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.

* Steve Small from ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'' is the student counselor for Elmore Junior High and ''very'' much a hippie: he wears tie-die 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 lead a raider gang of students and neighbors.

* [[MeaningfulName Mr. Freeman]], the art teacher from the YA book ''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).

[[folder: Anime And Manga]]

[[folder: Live Action TV]]

* 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 Mike Judge had in high school.
* 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 DayInTheSpotlight 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]].

* Mr. Burkenbake (Mr. Burken'''bake'''. [[MeaningfulName Niiiiceeee]]) on ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddparents'', literally a Hippie Teacher. Also 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]].

* WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill: Hank Hill has locked horns with his share of this trope over the years.

* Lily on ''HowIMetYourMother'' is one of these to her kindergarten class. Somewhat justified since pre-schoolers really don't respond very well to a SternTeacher.

* 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."

-->'''Rosso''' (driving up to Lindsay and Daniel who are skipping school): '''Guess''' ''who's in trouble!''

* Art Cooney on ''Series/TheWedge''. He is of the "Call me Art" mould, and has zero respect from his students.

* Lily on ''HowIMetYourMother'' is one of these to her kindergarten class. Somewhat justified since pre-schoolers really dont respond very well to a SternTeacher.

* Steve Small from ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'' is the student counselor for Elmore Junior High and ''very'' much a hippie: he wears tie-die 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 superiour to everyone else and in another was willing to eat the Wattersons when he lead a raider gang of students and neighbors.
* ''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 accidently causing his ancestor to drown on the Titanic. He has been replaced by a HippieTeacher who "doesnt belive in tests".

* 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.

* JeffBridges in ''Film/TheMenWhoStareAtGoats'', playing a wide-bodied, pony-tailed hippie military officer, a variation on the Dude.

* Steve Small from ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'' is the student counselor for Elmore Junior High and ''very'' much a hippie: he wears tie-die 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.

* 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 unfortunatly completely wasted on the main characters. Supposedly based on a real teacher Mike Judge had in high school.

* ''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, his office is plastered with feel-good posters, and he looks vaguely like a caricature of Music/BobDylan in an ugly sweater.

* Earth Mother (her codename), one of the Magical Arts instructors at Whateley Academy in the WhateleyUniverse. She was a 'flower power' superheroine in the 60's.

* ''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 accidently causing his ancestor to drown on the Titanic. He has been replaced by a HippieTeacher who "doesnt belive in tests".