After grading mountains of essays and constructing slides for lessons, many teachers unwind by settling into the couch and pressing play on their favorite TV shows and movies. From binging reality shows to revisiting nostalgic movies, these teachers shared their top recommendations.
Jennifer Payne
Math teacher Jennifer Payne is fond of the reality TV shows Survivor and Amazing Race. She holds a special love for these shows because her cousin works as a cameraman for them. From him, she gets the inside scoop on what the contestants are like behind the scenes. “For the contestants on Survivor, he’ll be like, ‘Oh, that person was actually really nice in real life.’ But on the show they portrayed them as a villain, or whatever. Vice versa, he’d be like, ‘Oh, that person was a b*tch, but they were sweet on camera,’” she said.
When asked whether she would make an appearance on the shows, Payne revealed she would love to compete on Amazing Race. “I actually think I would love to be on Amazing Race, but my family thinks that I would be really good on Survivor. But without food, sleeping outside and no showering for a month, it’s not quite my ideal. I’d rather travel around the world,” she said.
Agnes Evangelista
ELD II and ELA II teacher Agnes Evangelista is biased toward comedy-drama shows. “One of my favorite TV shows is Hacks, on HBO,” she said. “It’s an award-winning show about this old female comic who’s trying to revitalize her career, so she hires a Gen Z writer to start writing. You see this clash between different generations and perspectives that they have.”
Aside from TV shows, Evangelista’s music taste dictates her favorite movie. “It’s really dumb, but it’s Spice World. I was a huge Spice Girl, still am, by the way,” she said. “If they do a tour at the Sphere, I might happen to be out sick.”
Thomas Galvin
Ethnic Studies teacher Thomas Galvin loves multi-movie franchises. He urges students to revisit the ’80s and watch classic movies. Galvin’s favorites aren’t isolated to a single genre, with his top picks ranging from the romance of The Princess Bride to the action of Back to the Future. “I’m a big Indiana Jones fan. I [also] like movies where aliens invade, like Pacific Rim, Live Die Repeat, and Edge of Tomorrow,” Galvin said. “I’ve worn those VHS tapes out.”
Galvin urges Bears to watch only the best renditions. “You have got to watch the Star Wars Trilogy, the original episodes four, five, and six,” he said. “The Mission Impossible series—that’s like an entire day. The Lord of the Rings extended edition—there is a weekend.”
Lisa Otsuka
English teacher Lisa Otsuka enjoys sit-coms, like The Office and Parks and Rec. “I love silly, satiric shows,” she said. “I struggle with shows that are too dark.”
Otsuka recently finished watching Stranger Things and especially enjoyed the music. “’80s music is my love language: The Clash, Prince, Kate Bush, Journey,” she said. “I was amazed by how thoughtfully and intentionally the songs were chosen for specific moments in the show and a certain character’s development.”
Armando Castillo
Math teacher Armando Castillo loves action-packed movies featuring Batman. “My all-time favorite movie has to be The Dark Knight. I’ve really loved Batman since I was a kid,” Castillo said. “It has a great storyline. The action—that was amazing.”
His fandom expands beyond the plot. “I’ve seen it probably over 30 times in my lifetime. I mean, it’s the best iteration of Joker that we’ve seen,” he said. “The first time I ever watched it in theaters was with my wife, so it’s one of her favorite movies as well. Most of the time we watch them together.”
