Middle school is a difficult enough place to survive in, with students trying to deal with puberty, gain acceptance from their peers, and generally fit into the system. Oh, and on the way, maybe learn something too. This is especially true for seventh-grader Dylan Warner (Andrew Robb). We learn this quickly at the beginning of the film because the story of School of Life is presented from Dylan's view, through voice-over narration. Not only is his father, Matt (David Paymer), a biology teacher at his school, but his grandfather was "Stormin' Norman Warner (John Astin), the Fallbrook Middle School's most prominent teacher who won the Teacher of the Year award for the past 43 years. At last year's graduation, Stormin' Norman was suddenly stricken with a heart attack, and passed away. Now Matt is determined to keep up the tradition, and keep the award in the family. But Matt and Norman are very different personalities, and although Matt is optimistic about his own chances, Dylan is that age where he doesn't want to be seen on campus with him and he is painfully aware that his dad isn't very popular with the other students. Matt's chances are greatly diminished on the first day of school, when Norman's replacement Michael D'Angelo (Ryan Reynolds) appears on campus and mesmorizes the student body with a cool opening day speech. The students stand and cheer, shouting "Mr. D, Mr. D" and a new legend begins. Mr. D is very different from Matt and the other teachers, because he seems carefully attuned to the needs of middle school students. He understands their awkwardness, their need for some independence, and he has an aura of charisma that naturally attracts them.