A+Leader-+Ms.+Bliss

Apparently, the creator's original idea for the series was actually inspired by a strong desire to do a positive show about an "inspiring" school teacher, like the teacher (apparently, the //real// "Miss Bliss") he'd had as a boy.

Ms. Bliss- a teacher leader that we all grew up with... the premise of the show (ORIGINALLY) was to represent an inspiring teacher.... and it did that! Later on the show transitioned to having more focus placed on the students but the teachers and particularly the principal were still involved.

Poor Mr. Belding.


 * Quality of film related to teacher leadership**: In its four years on the air //Saved By The Bell// could never add the tag “Emmy Award-winning” to its title. Though lacking acclaim by critics, it was hugely popular with youth. When we started to analyze Miss Bliss’s character for teacher leader traits, we quickly realized that these traits revealed themselves in quick comedic interactions with her students, their parents, and the administration. Given that the show’s target audience is probably 12-15 year olds, we weren’t working with a deeply moving, complex drama here, so all of our observations are pretty obvious and concise. Miss Bliss’s name alone, suggests the image that the creators of the show wanted to portray in her character. Nonetheless, we were able to define some of Miss Bliss’s leadership traits and actually connect them to the content of some of our readings. The follow traits will be highlighted in the video clips we will present:

-Selfless: Sacrifices her personal interests for the well being of her students -Knows Her Students and their Needs: appreciates the uniqueness of each student -Not Afraid to Take a Stand: a “goat” (Barth 2001, p.4) -Not Afraid to Take a Risk: uses new teaching approach (Barth 2001, p. 189) -A Tightrope Walker of Diplomacy: communication w/parents (Katzenmeyer & Moller, 2009 p 79) -Encourager: to both her students and fellow faculty -Individual: balances life outside of teaching with personal interests


 * Quality of portrayal of teachers**: Overall, the portrayal of Miss Bliss casts a positive light on teachers; wouldn’t everyone love to have her as a teacher? From an educator’s perspective who knows all too well the stressful realities that come with the teaching profession, Miss Bliss’s character seems a bit too perfect- ALWAYS making the best choices for her students and ALWAYS saying the right thing at just the right moment. Although Miss Bliss’s character doesn’t seem to accurately portray the difficulties that can come with being a teacher, it does give viewers a glimpse into how rewarding and entertaining being an educator can truly be.

Barth, R.S. (2001). //Learning by heart//. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Katzenmeyer, M., & Moller, G. (2009). //Awakening the sleeping giant//. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.