“A teacher who is attempting to teach without inspiring the pupil with a desire to learn is hammering on cold iron.” Horace Mann once said. Teachers play a monumental role in the future education of all professions. Throughout my junior high and high school career, I have taken mental reminders of the many different kind of instructors I have had, categorizing them by how well a student will do in the class, whether or not he will enjoy the time spent in that class, and if the student will actually learn something in that class that will help him in life. The classifications of teachers I concocted are: the Apathetic teacher, The Push-Over, the Strict teacher, the Back-In-School teacher, the Geezer, the Benevolent teacher and the Goldilocks teacher.

The worst kind of instructor anyone could have would have to be the Apathetic teacher. This mentor is generally uninterested in the topic at hand. I have had the pleasure of being in the classrooms of these poor excuses for educational instructors and the attitudes of the teacher elicit the responses of the student. During many occasions in the year, they are frequently “sick” on Mondays or Fridays. When they are at school, sleeping in their desk becomes an active hobby and one in which they get plenty of practice. The book for the class serves as a more adequate teacher and it has the same level of compassion for teaching that subject when compared to the instructor. Chances of doing well in this class are poor and unless the student is dedicated, the odds of failing are high. The recipient of the silver medal in the awful teacher awards would have to go to the Push-Over. This teacher is extremely lenient, but not in a way that benefits a students educational career. The potential for entertainment with these instructors is endless, but in all likelihood there is a strong chance that the students of this class will learn nothing. This instructor tries to assert authority over the class, but ends up failing miserably. Finally, the last of the terrible teachers is the Strict teacher. These are the kind of teachers that make Hitler look like an amateur. They often scream at the class telling them how worthless they are and threatening them with grade changes. Making sure the student’s time spent in their class is a living hell is their sole purpose in life. Saying the Strict teacher has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, would be an understatement. If everything is not exactly as they like it, they will make sure the student fails. Getting a good grade in this class solely depends on how well the mentor likes someone.

Next are the teachers who have their positive and negative qualities balanced out. The first of which is the Back-In-High School teacher. I am referring to teachers who became teachers for the intention of reliving their high school days. The wonderful traits of these teachers include being extremely friendly and lenient when it comes to assignments. If you ever get a lot of homework, this is the best class to do it in. The terrible news about these mentors is the constant stories they tell students about themselves in high school. They are obsessed with the social lives of their students. This teacher will result in an average grade. The Geezer teacher is, in one aspect similar to the Back-In-High School teacher. They continuously tell stories. Usually born in the nineteen forties or fifties, this instructor will bombard one with stories that begin with, “Back in the day…” Stories will fall under one of the three following categories: military service, teaching longer than the students have been alive or grandchildren that live out of state. The Geezer will generally speak in a monotone voice that puts students to sleep faster than a lullaby. Learners usually get an excellent grade in their class if you are able to stay awake.

My two personal favorites are the Benevolent teacher and the Goldilocks teacher. The Benevolent teacher is the person who is willing to sacrifice a lesson plan for the sake of entertainment. This jokester rarely gets through a lecture before having a half an hour-long conversation with one of the students. Although I never get good grades in these kinds of classes, at least I get a laugh out of them. The Goldilocks teacher is the undisputed champion of amazing teachers. These teachers have the right balance that makes an outstanding educational instructor. They make lessons exciting and at the same time they make them informative. Caring whether or not a student fails is one of the main traits of a Goldilocks teacher. This teacher does the job well and makes sure his or her students are on track. Having this kind of teacher will result in an “A” and they will make sure everyone in the class leaves with necessary life skills.

One can find any one of these types of teachers in every junior high and high school across America. I always felt that it is important to identify these types of teachers so you can examine the way they teach and adjust to it. If a student has an Apathetic teacher, don’t bother paying attention and go straight to the book, or if he has Geezer or Back-In-High School teacher expect to hear long pointless stories. Every instructor has a different personality and it reflects when he or she teaches. Some will have to learn to live with it and adapt to it.