Teachers are an important part of the academic experience for most teenagers and can be divided into two groups: those liked by students and those who are not. Each of these categories can be subdivided. Likeable teachers can be subdivided into “crazy experimenters,” “clueless lecturers,” and “kind ones.” The unlikable teachers can be subdivided into “merciless authoritarians,” “monotone record players,” and “creeps.”
Among those teachers preferred by students are the “crazy experimenters.” These are the teachers whose class students don’t want to miss out on. These individuals will go out of their way to prove a point, whether it involves standing on top of desks or sliding around campus on skates. They always figure out a way to catch students’ attention and make classes interesting. These teachers often provide hands-on activities that help students comprehend the lecture through first-hand experience. These are those who make school years memorable.
Another group of teachers who are favored are the “clueless lecturers” who get this name not because they are unaware what they are teaching, but because they are clueless about what is going on around them. During their classes, it is not unusual to see kids slacking off and throwing things across the room without their noticing. Students could have arm wrestling competitions with snacks and the teacher would still not notice. It is this type of teacher that students like to mess with and then claim they weren’t doing anything wrong. It is this teacher’s class that is usually used as a break.
Teachers classified as “kind” are likeable not only because they teach students in a patient manner, but because they almost serve as a third parent. They are always worried about their students’ well-being and are understanding of their situations. These people will reach out to kids in attempts to help them resolve both academic and personal issues. Kind teachers will often let students make up their work and do corrections on tests in order to get higher grades. They will often be lenient, give students a break when they need it, and go about their way to stay after school if a student needs tutoring.
Among teachers disliked by students are the “merciless authoritarians,” who make their pupils go through a living hell. These teachers set rules, expecting everyone to follow them, and do not tolerate any type of joke or misbehavior. They often accuse students of disruptive behavior over the simplest things like asking a neighbor for a pencil. Strict teachers are very stern on deadlines, do not allow make up work, and often deduct points from assignments because of small mistakes. They will not give students a break with the benefit of the doubt. These teachers are the ones that students say hate them.
The “monotone record players” are teachers who bring “the boredom of death” to everyone in the classroom. Oftentimes they discuss their lessons without any enthusiasm whatsoever. Their classes frequently consist of taking notes from the beginning to the end of class and nothing else. These teachers’ lessons revolve around a topic which they keep bringing back in many forms throughout the semester. Thus, they repeat their information until it confuses students. Some of them may walk drowsily (like zombies) within the classroom. Students take advantage of these teachers’ classes to catch up on sleep.
Another subcategory of unappealing teachers is that of “creeps.” These teachers are the types of individuals that no one wants to be left alone with. They look at people with a stare that nobody is able to figure out. Although they may teach effectively, they have awkward, if not suggestive, behavior around students. They are oftentimes seen eating alone and smiling gracelessly at people, making them uncomfortable. If a student asks for help, the teacher may get too physically close to the individual. These are the individuals students would not be surprised to see in the news being arrested for doing illegal activities.
Although there are two main categories to classify teachers in, those liked and disliked by students, there are many more specific subcategories. The broad divisions are: “crazy experimenters,” “clueless lecturers,” “kind ones,” “merciless authoritarians,” “monotone record players,” and “creeps.”
