Teachers are among the few people who play a very pivotal role in every learner's quest for knowledge and upbringing during and after the school life.
By Ndung'u Wa Gathua
For instance, those of us who went through the 8-4-4 system, had at least 12 good years with the primary and the school teacher combined. But this is if you were not that serial repeater who could end up spending over 15 years in primary school alone still struggling to connect the dots of what was expected of them.
Therefore, the contribution that the teachers made/make in our lives can never be discounted. This is why even after those 12 mandatory years of basic education majority, if not all, will always have fond and nostalgic memories about the school life regardless of whether you have got anything to show for time spent in school or not.
Some of these memories that most can relate to, include the types of teachers that taught us and whom we had nicknamed all sorts of names depending on their characters, teaching styles, dressing code, relationship with students among other things.
Below we focus on three types of teachers whom you may have interacted with at one stage or another, and whom many learners loved to hate.
1. Prophets of Doom
These type of teachers would spend sizeable time of the lesson predicting doom and gloom for you especially if they knew you did not like them and/or their subjects.
And as you can guess rightly, poor performers of the subject in question would during the uninterrupted monologue receive much of the bashing while constantly being reminded of the 'misery' and 'suffering' that awaited them ahead. 'Life is not a straight line' cliché would oftenly feature during these these sessions.
Some have, however, come to 'prove' those teachers wrong and which I believe is to the joy of the said teacher. No teacher wishes any of their learners to become a societal thorn.
2. Detectives
These teachers seemed to possess some kind of supernatural powers that enabled them to find about any mischief committed by their students in or outside the school compound. They were good interrogators and would seem to get all the facts and truth of the matter in question.
Lying to them was not a wise option because as their mantra went; 'you would rather tell me the truth and run away than lie to me and I get you'. These teachers would mostly double as discipline masters or deputy principals.
3. Hitlers
As the name may have already hinted to you, this brand of teachers only seemed to take sadistic pleasure in tormenting students. They relished on every occasions they found you on the wrong so that they could strike you with a painful punishment.
And as you made baby-steps attending to the vast punishment, these teachers would seem to enjoy every moment perhaps even wishing you never get to complete it.
In fact, the more time you lost as you attended to their bruising punishments, the more they seemed to be at the peak of enjoyment of their teaching career.
There are more types that you can come up with, however, it is good to remember that whatever those teachers were to you, they did it all for your own good.
Disclaimer: This article is all about evoking sweet, old school memories and not intended whatsoever to demean teachers anywhere, their profession or/and the critical role they play in learners' lives.