Ms. Kwan
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| Ms. Kwan | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 'The Wrath of Kwan' |
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| First appearance | Family Politics (103) | ||
| Statistics | |||
| Nickname(s) | The Wrath of Kwan | ||
| Occupation | English and Drama teacher at Degrassi Community School. | ||
| Episode Count | 8 | ||
| Portrayed by | Linlyn Lue | ||
| Appearances |
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Ms. Laura Kwan is a fictional school teacher on the Degrassi: The Next Generation television series. She is portrayed by Linlyn Lue.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
A devote but strict teacher, Ms. Kwan is an English and Drama teacher who has been seen to be teaching classes from Grade 7-11 [as of Season 2].
Displaying profficient knowledge in her field and especially demonstrated extensive knowledge relating to events and characters in drama plays, she often engages her classes to encourage the sharing of ideas, interpretations, and beliefs. Constantly vigilant for the completion of homework, assigments, and tasks much to the chagrin of her students, this methodology has had a profound affect. Jimmy Brooks learned the lesson of prioritization in the episode Basketball Diaries when he decided to complete her English assignment instead of training for basketball, and even went to the extent of reading the assigned book, The Lord of the Flies, during a school basketball practice session. Consequently, this eventually would get Jimmy kicked off the team but as a result, Jimmy would be allowed more time for his studies and academic performance.
Though she first comes off as appearing strict and uptight, it's later learnt that she has a deep care for her profession and students. Her care for education and development is first apparent when she comments on Jimmy and Paige's portrayal of Romeo and Juliet as good, since they both share interesting "chemistry". In response to Shaun's poem about hating poetry, her personal opinion permeated the learning environment as she remarked saying that his haiku worked, as its purpose was to put your feelings into verse. She sometimes sheds her strict and no-nonsensical attitude and personae and deliver words of encouragement and support for a student who is in desperate need of help, or who presents with distinction in learning. In the episode Coming of Age where Emma gets her first period, Ms. Kwan supports and boasts Emma's pro-feministic approach in dealing with J.T.'s comments. Even when she was approached by one of her most troubling student's (Spinner) seemingly farfetched and ridiculous claim in Rumours and Reputations, she responds that defammation and rumour-mongering are serious offenses but would pursue his accusation if he had substanciated evidence.
[edit] Character History
[edit] Leaving Degrassi
In the episode Friday Night, her strict attitude again causes much displeasure for Spinner and Jimmy. In her home room, Spinner disrupts the class by listening to his CD walkman and ignoring the lesson. Annoyed and frustrated, Ms. Kwan gives Spinner detention and attempts to confiscate his CD player, accidentally dropping it in the process. She tells him that if he keeps on wasting her time, she'll keep on wasting his. The loss of his disc player along with the detention sparks Spinner's desire for retribution.
Later in the hallway, Kwan spots Jimmy and Ashley making out and states that the school is a place for civility, while citing the finer points of the code of conduct. Jimmy declares that Kwan is a total tyrant but does not agree to go along with Spinner's plan for revenge. Later in class, while Ms. Kwan is in a meeting with Mr. Raditch, Spinner and Jimmy mock her teaching, as Spinner pretends to be Ms. Kwan and Jimmy plays himself. The boys are not aware that Ms. Kwan can hear them over the intercom until she enters the room and begins her lesson by quoting their comments about Shakespeare. After doing so, she tells Jimmy that he can keep Spinner company in detention.
In detention, Jimmy agrees to join Spinner in carrying out the revenge plans. Later that night, Spinner and Jimmy break into the announcement room while Ms. Kwan is teaching her night school class, which appears to be an ESL class. Spinner chews gum over the intercom, making Ms. Kwan think that it's someone in the class. When the sounds continue after she asks for them to stop, she checks the announcement room, having a custodian unlock the room for her. However, she doesn't see the boys because they're hiding under the desk and so Ms. Kwan returns to her classroom.
The boys then initiate the second phase of their plan, in which Spinner places a large order with Pizza Pizza for delivery to the classroom. When the delivery arrives, Ms. Kwan insists that she didn't place the order but the deliveryman says that since it is her name and number on the order, she's responsible. Her students decide to pay for the order themselves, which is several individual orders of chicken wings. One even uses the order to practice his English, much to Spinner and Jimmy's amusement.
Finally, Spinner and Jimmy egg her car, assigning every punishment to an egg, e.g. "This is for making me read Shakespeare in public." When she emerges from the school, the boys hide behind another car, where they see Ms. Kwan break down in tears when she sees her car.
In their English class the next day, Mr. Raditch informs them that Ms. Kwan has taken a leave of absence for the rest of the term. The class then learns that their class trip has been cancelled and that Ms. Kwan had been dealing with the illness of her husband and having to work overtime.
[edit] Return
She comes back the next season and is still teaching at Degrassi.
[edit] Trivia
- Her nickname that Spinner initiated, "The Wrath of Kwan", is a reference to the movie Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
- Her license plate is 208 ALO
- Though she first appears in "Family Politics", she is not credited
[edit] See also
| Degrassi: The Next Generation Minor Characters | ||
|---|---|---|
| Teachers and Adults | Ms. Kwan | Tracker | Mr. Armstrong | Mr. Manning | more... | |
| Students and Kids | Kendra | Dylan | Rick | Dean | Danny | Mia | Heather | more... | |
