Fantasy:
* The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss: Kvothe, a legendary bard, recounts his time as a student and then a teacher at the magical University of the Four Corners. The story explores the intricacies of magic, the struggles of academia, and the importance of personal growth.
* The Magicians by Lev Grossman: Quentin Coldwater, a gifted but disillusioned young man, attends a prestigious magic school, encountering both the wonder and the dark realities of magical learning.
* The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune: A social worker tasked with investigating an orphanage for magical children finds himself charmed by the unconventional but loving teacher, Arthur. This heartwarming story emphasizes acceptance, love, and the power of believing in oneself.
* A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik: Elara, a gifted but reckless young woman, struggles to survive the cutthroat curriculum of the Scholomance, a magical school where monsters roam the halls.
* The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani: This YA series follows two best friends who get kidnapped and sent to a magical school where they learn to become fairytale heroes and villains.
* The Alchemyst by Michael Scott: A young girl learns about a secret order of alchemists and her own potential to become a powerful mage.
* The Sorcerer's Apprentice by Scott Westerfeld: A young man is chosen to be the apprentice of a powerful sorcerer, facing challenges and discovering his own magic.
Science Fiction:
* Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card: This classic novel follows Ender Wiggin, a brilliant child who is trained at a military academy to fight an alien invasion. The school acts as a battleground where Ender learns not only military strategy but also the complexities of leadership and compassion.
* The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams: While not strictly a teacher, the character of Ford Prefect could be considered a teacher in the sense of sharing his knowledge of the universe with Arthur Dent.
* Ready Player One by Ernest Cline: Wade Watts, a teenager obsessed with a virtual reality game, embarks on a quest to find a hidden treasure, using his gaming knowledge and skills as tools for his journey.
* The Martian by Andy Weir: Mark Watney, an astronaut stranded on Mars, uses his scientific knowledge and resourcefulness to survive and eventually escape. He exemplifies the importance of scientific thinking and perseverance.
* The Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky: A group of scientists attempt to terraform a planet for humans, but the experiment goes awry when the spiders they introduced to the planet evolve into a highly intelligent species. The scientists act as teachers, observing and learning from the spiders.
* The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin: A physicist travels to a utopian anarchist society on a neighboring planet, encountering different ways of life and challenging his own beliefs. The story explores themes of education, social change, and the power of ideas.
These are just a few examples, and there are many other fantasy and science fiction novels that feature teachers as central characters. If you're looking for a specific type of story or theme, you can search online for "fantasy novels with teachers" or "science fiction novels with teachers." You may also want to look at books by authors who have written other novels featuring teachers, such as Lev Grossman, Patrick Rothfuss, or Orson Scott Card.