Even before the hit TV show whose name she inspired ever aired, Ms. Abbott was a larger-than-life figure. The teacher who put the “Abbott” in TV’s hit Abbott Elementary is just as serious about education—and caring—as the show is funny. In her classroom, in the hallways, and in her Philadelphia neighborhood, she could do what other teachers couldn’t. But even the legendary Ms. Abbott wasn’t always prepared for the situations she faced, though she was always up to the challenge. Now, Teachi...