Many do not know but today, October 5th is World Teachers Day. Yesterday you may have asked what the importance of world teachers day is but today, teachers are celebrated around the globe for their efforts and dedication to educating humanity’s future. In Nigeria, teachers appreciation day is a ritual in many schools. However, most schools do it on the last day of the academic session, you can think of it as a national teachers day. It leaves people wondering when really teacher’s appreciation day is. World Teachers Day is also referred to as International Teachers Day was established in 1994 to commemorate the signing of the 1966 UNESCO/ILO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers. To celebrate our very able teachers, here is a list of the type of teachers we have. Feel free to add more.
-
The life trainer and coach
Every student of every age has encountered this teacher. For some reason, they think they know it all and students love and hate this particular teacher. This is because sometimes, you are thankful for the life lessons and other times they are simply a thorn in your flesh. “Let me make my mistakes,” you say, they won’t, they constantly need to prove a point. If you think hard enough, you probably tried to avoid this teacher a few times, no need for unnecessary life coaching sessions. They act like they have the key and answer to everything.
-
The optimist
These teachers are the heroes in most unsung melodies, probably because they are a tad bit annoying. Their level of optimism leans towards unrealism. With every situation they are always hopeful, you can say they have deep faith in good, which is great. However, there were and are still some moments in school where reality is reflected in words and the optimistic teacher was the last person you wanted to see. It doesn’t take away from the positivity these teachers imbibe in their students, it is unmatched, and they are appreciated.
-
The students’ favourite
The students’ favourite got it right. On teacher’s appreciation day, the favourite teacher always gets the most gifts. This is because this teacher is kind, funny, playful, sociable, disciplined and caring. The favourite teachers never cross boundaries, they discipline their students, teach them well and provide a friend towards. They understand their students and treat them with respect, hence the love they receive, but! There is a ‘but’, there is always that one twisted student that doesn’t like the favourite teacher. In their heads, they develop theories to flaw the character of such teachers, but nobody ever pays mind to them.
-
The teacher living in past glory
Every student has had that teacher that is what people call a ‘has been’. A ‘has been’ is someone who was once great in a particular field, however, the same cannot be said about their current endeavours. Such teachers tend to live in past glory. Some teachers peaked in high school when they became head prefects, others peaked in university while the rest peaked in their previous career. It is usually the older teachers who live in past glory. They spend their time reminiscing who they use to be and are secretly in denial of who they are now. Either way, no system is complete without them.
-
The storyteller
The storyteller spends a third of the class period telling stories. On a lazy day the teachers come in handy but on a day when everyone wants to be serious, the stories really do not need to be told. These teachers tell so many stories, they forget the initial point they were trying to deduce, they also tend to repeat stories as they have lost count of to whom, where and when they told certain stories.
-
The one who refuses to age.
These teachers are clowns, the problem is they think the students are laughing with them, rather they are laughing at them. The teacher who refuses to age is secretly in denial that he/she is no longer a youth and is moving towards old age. Sometimes, it is their attempt to be the favourite teacher, hence they force themselves to seem young, current and cool. Students can see force. Students love a teacher they can relate with, however, that teacher needs to act their age. This teacher tries to dress like the younger generation, speak like them and act like them, it’s a comedy show.
-
The lazy one
Every student has or has had a lazy teacher. You will encounter at least one through the course of every single academic session. You always wonder how the lazy teacher is still employed because you don’t understand the value they’re adding to the school. The lazy teacher just dictates notes to the students straight from the textbook, it is funny but true. When a very important question is asked, in their infinite laziness would make it an assignment. You would think they’d mark the assignment themselves, rather, it will go unnoticed or be marked via peer marking.
-
Lord of assignments
This particular teacher is a mighty thorn in the flesh of students, they believe so much in assignments that they do not understand any other method of teaching. The lord of assignments can give you an individual assignment, major project and group assignment all at once and expect you to deliver with ease within an unrealistic time frame. Every class you must go home with an assignment. The only time you do not get take-home assignments is when they are not around. Oh no, they send the assignments via email, class representative or a substitute teacher depending on the level of education of the students. If other teachers haven’t given you take home assignments, they will do it on behalf of their colleagues.
-
The comedian
The comedian is just funny for no apparent reason. Everything they say is funny even when they don’t mean to be. Whenever the funny teacher scolds a student, the other students try so hard to suppress their laughter but all efforts will prove abortive. The laughter jumps out of every opening the students possess, completely disrupting the class. It is nobody’s fault the teacher is funny. The other teachers think the funny teacher is bad for the student’s learning process, but nobody seems to understand. Sometimes, these funny moments, help students remember key elements of the lesson.
-
Grumpy puppy
The grumpy puppy is always angry about something. They carry the weight of their woes on their sleeves and will dish the meals of their bad mood to anybody, old, young or superior to them in school. Nobody ever knows what the grumpy puppy is angry about because they always find something new to be angry about. It starts off with asking you why your top button is undone and ends with unemployability.
