50 Famous People Who Were Teachers

 When students talk about what they'd like to major in when they go to college, I always advise them to pick something they are passionate about. After all, they will be doing it for a long time. Every now and then I find a student who wants to be a teacher, even though our profession has recently taken a lot of hits from politicians who think we are overpaid. (I will not rant here....that's for another post) Here's a long list of famous people who were or are teachers. Perhaps some will surprise you and your students.

John Adams (Former President)- taught for a few years (left teaching for law school)

Madeline Albright (first female Secretary of State)

Louisa Mae Alcott (Author)

 Maya Angelou (Poet, Writer)- College professor of international relations

Clara Barton (Founder of the Red Cross)- taught in dozens of schools

Alexander Graham Bell (Inventor)- taught speech at the Boston School for Deaf Mutes

Dan Blocker (Actor-Bonanza)- taught high school English and drama and 6th grade

Laura Bush (Former first lady)- former teacher-librarian

Jimmy Carter (Former president)- taught at Emory University in Georgia

Billy Crystal (Comedian-Actor)- worked as a junior high school substitute teacher

Sheryl Crow (Singer-Songwriter)- former elementary school music teacher

Tony Danza (Actor) - starred in reality program where he taught high school

Clarence Darrow (U.S. lawyer)

Roberta Flack (Singer)- taught music and English

John Fowles (British author)- taught English

Robert Frost (Poet)- taught English and music

Art Garfunkel (Simon and Garfunkel)- taught math for 2 years

John Glover (Actor) - taught college course on directing

Sir William Golding (Author)- taught at a boys' grammar school

Al Gore (Former Vice-President)- taught at Columbia's School of Journalism

Greg Graffin (Punk rocker)- College professor (UCLA)

Dennis Green (Former Minnesota Vikings Football Coach)

Andy Griffith (Actor)- was a music education teacher

W.C. Handy (U.S. blues composer)- taught music on the college level

Edith Head (Costume designer)-taught French and art

Hugh Jackman (Actor) - former teaching assistant

Lyndon B. Johnson (Former President)- once was a school principal

Stephen King (Author)- former English teacher

Kris Kristofferson (Singer-Actor)- taught English at West Point; was a Rhodes scholar

D.H. Lawrence (British author)- taught at the Davidson Road School, Croydon

Spike Lee (Movie Director-Writer)- teaches film at the Tisch School of the Arts (NYU) and Harvard University

Leonard Maltin (TV Movie Critic)-teaches at the University of Southern California

Christa McAuliffe (Challenger Space Shuttle Astronaut)- was an elementary school teacher

Frank McCourt (Author)-teacher for 30 years

Benito Mussolini (Italian dictator)- taught after serving in the military

Pat Nixon (Former First Lady)- taught high school

Barack Obama (President)- lecturer at the University of Chicago

George Orwell (Author)- taught in boys' high school

Thomas Paine (U.S. patriot)- was a schoolteacher in London

Kal Penn (Actor)- taught at the University of Pennsylvania

Mr. T. (Actor)- former part time gym teacher in Chicago

J.K. Rowling (Author)- taught at a school in Portugal

Salman Rushdie (Author)- taught at Emory University

Gene Simmons (KISS)- taught elementary school before forming the rock group KISS

Sylvester Stallone (Actor)- worked as a gym teacher to pay the bills

STING (Singer-Songwriter)- taught at a Catholic school

Raymond Joseph Teller (Penn and Teller)- taught  high school English and Latin

Oprah Winfrey (Talk Show Host)- teaches a class via satellite (Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls)

Ron Wood (Rolling Stones)

Steve Wozniak (Apple Co-Founder)