We've all been there. The one teacher that inspires you to love learning, explore new fields of study, and miss school, and the other one who does just the opposite. But, there are many varieties of teachers, all with different good/evil in them (Think Anakin Skywalker circa "Revenge of the Sith", a precarious balance between good and evil). No two teachers are alike, but there are several categories that each one falls near.
First, there is The Committed. This is probably one of the best teachers you will ever get, if you judge solely on how well they teach. They want to see you succeed, even if it means coming in early, staying late, or just getting involved in their student's lives. With a teacher like this, if you show you are working hard, you are guaranteed to make a good impression. However, this teacher may enter an extreme rage. This normally happens if he/she is faced with an uncaring audience or students who just don't care (or who don't seem to care).
Second, The Joker. This teacher can be good or bad, often depending on how hard you try. They crack jokes in their lessons and even joke about their students. They will undoubtedly make class fun, possibly inspiring you to enjoy the lesson. But it's a lottery if you will get a Joker who is also a good teacher. They tend to let their jokes overrun their lessons, and chances are they are cracking jokes because they don't find this information any more interesting than you do. This means they aren't always the best ones to get if they are teaching your major or AP class, but for extracurricular classes, they can be the best ones.
Third, The Old one. This teacher is dull, boring, dull, unexciting, and dull. They are often too old to understand high schoolers. "What's with all the baggy jeans?" "What happened to the good ole days?" "What's television?" Yeah, these types aren't likely to really get you excited about a class. However, they are often very intelligent in their fields and are more than willing to help (it's their job, for pete's sake). So, get over the wrinkles, old people smell, and their obsession with Frank Sinatra. These teachers can be a great resource.
Fourth, The Crab apple. We've all had them. The worst of the worst. These teachers don't care if you care, but they will grade tough, throw detentions at you like McNabb throws a football, and just be unpleasant. They aren't interested in your life, how busy you are, or if you actually want to learn. The school tells them to teach, and they teach it to you. They are the Terminators of a teenagers life, always right over their shoulder and ready to bring misery. The best way to battle these ferocious hell-demons is to try as hard as you can and ask for ways to improve. These teachers will always grade tough, might as well learn what they want and pass.
Finally, The Spacehead. A nightmare for almost any student. This teacher will forget the lesson, lose papers, space out during a lesson, and may just kill your soul. If you are a slacker, this could be a Godsend. If you actually care about the subject, this teacher is a nightmare. They don't know what they are doing and spaz out over everything. The best thing to do is be sure to hand in all your work directly to the teacher and keep spare copies. Try your best to keep yourself organize and reel your teacher in when they get out of hand.
These are just a few of the more common teachers I've experienced in my 10 years of school. Undoubtedly, you will meet teachers who fall into their own categories and have some that will be a hybrid of all types. Hopefully, you can get the best ones.
