The 12 Teachers You Meet on the First Day of School

Mrs. Old School plays by the books and has been teaching the same way since she first got a job decades ago. She may seem a little stale, but hey, she knows what works for her, so she’s sticking to it. Godspeed, kids.

Chances are you're going to leave your child in this teacher's classroom on day one and you'll be crying — but not because you'll miss your kid. No, you're crying because this teacher is basically bathing in golden light — everything he says and does is an inspiration to everyone around him, and his classroom is peppered with powerful quotes and mantras that give you chills and make you feel capable of the impossible. Your child will truly discover his best self in this teacher's classroom, and honestly, you probably will as well.

This teacher is a little, um, different. She marches to the beat of her own drum, and even though you don't necessarily "get her," you can just tell that teaching your kids is the most important thing in the world to her. You linger at drop off in the hope of catching something interesting and then leave craving the stories your child will hopefully regale you with at dinner later (maybe they'll go on a field trip through one of the student's stomachs?).

Every school has one teacher that every single student knows about and wants to have as their teacher, and whether your kid gets him this year or not, you'll know all about him. He's the coolest teacher in the school, and rumor has it he doesn't give tests or believe in homework. Viva la recess!

From the very first glance you can tell that this teacher chose the profession to have Summers off, and she's not happy at all to have to be back in the classroom. Much like your kiddos, she has already started counting down to next Summer vacation.

This teacher is about to assault all of your inboxes — mail, email, voicemail — with any and every comment she has about your child. You'll get homework updates, a tally of how many times your kid uses the bathroom each day, and exactly what brand of paint was used to make those macaroni necklaces. Anything that can be communicated will be . . . relentlessly.

This is the teacher all of the kids dread getting assigned because the entire school knows how strict her class is. She likes to stick to the schedule as planned, is very particular about how things are done in her class. She does not, under any circumstances, tolerate bad behavior, and she won't hesitate making you stay in for recess to redo an assignment.

You're not even sure how this teacher got a job educating children, but you assume that he must be a good teacher if he was hired at the wonderful school your child attends (despite it seeming like he actually can't stand kids). You could swear you just saw him make an obnoxious face at that kid as he walked away . . .

This teacher is likely fresh out of college and has the highest hopes for a glorious year of teaching your kids. She's adorably optimistic, but you live with those kids, and you know this one's going to crack by the end of the year.

If your kiddo lands himself in this teacher's class, forget the bus this year — you're dropping your child off inside the classroom every single day. You're proud to take one for the team and assume the role of teacher's pet this year.

When you walk into this teacher's classroom you are momentarily transported somewhere way more fun than school. You can tell that she spent the entire Summer in and out of Michael's, lovingly handcrafting her classroom decor — and she can't stop talking about it. She encourages the kids to get acclimated and tour the room as soon as they walk in, and you're just a little bit jealous of your kid for getting to spend so much time in this superfun space.

This teacher looks like she forgot to prep her room, there are already papers spilling over the edge of her desk, and the kids' names are haphazardly written over the names of last year's students on the desks and cubbies. You're not sure how she's going to get it together, but for the sake of the freedom you get once the school bell rings you're going to assume she'll figure it out — so you promptly book it out of that pigsty. Good luck, kiddo!