25 of the most memorable TV teachers

Haley Scott – One Tree Hill

One Tree Hill is among one of the first shows to successfully execute a time jump. Haley and crew start out as high school students, but a few seasons in, writers fast-forwarded through college and picked up with the characters as adults. Haley, as a result, is a high school teacher at her old alma mater.

The decision is mostly a practical one, as her husband Nathan’s basketball career is mostly over due to an injury. He also fell apart in a real way, after said injury causes him to be in a wheelchair. Nathan is a real jerk, and he often leaves Haley to fend for herself in terms of balancing work and raising their young son.

Her time as a teacher is riddled with problems, though. is was sexually harassed by a student athlete, causing her to challenge him to fail, thus preventing him from playing basketball for the school. OTH fans understand the drama this would cause, and she has an uphill fight to make her struggle known to Lucas (then the coach of the team).

Eventually, Haley gives up her career in education to purse her music dreams. She co-owns a label with her pal Peyton, and she works in all the practicality of teaching to keep both Peyton and the musicians in check. This allows her to explore her creativity and her music, but it still lets her do all the type-A stuff that gives her a sense of control.

You can watch every season of the nighttime soap on Hulu.