As you walk from class to class on the first day of school, see if you can identify your teachers among the general models below:
The Teacher Type: The best friend
The Plus: He's like a stand-up comedian1, making everybody giggle2. You actually have fun when you learn, and you don't really mind doing homework for this class.
The Minuses: Even your best friend has bad days—or a bad week. If you show up at this class expecting to be entertained and find this normally cool teacher in a crabby3 mood, you might take it personally4.
Tips for Dealing: Just because you feel like this teacher's a friend, don't think you can coast by5 without doing the work. A teacher is a teacher, and all teachers expect you to learn.
The Teacher Type: The rules-aholic6
The Plus: She has the same rules for everybody, so you never feel like she's picking favorites.
The Minuses: This teacher will not accept homework unless it's done a certain way—say, in blue ink or on computer. Also, being late for class might mean detention7, even if you were consoling a friend who didn't make the soccer team.
Tips for Dealing: Never ask this teacher to bend the rules8 for you. If she changes the rules for you, then everyone in the class will expect the same treatment. The rules are designed for a reason—whether to teach you discipline or to prepare you for, gasp, high school—so follow instructions extra closely and keep detailed when you write down homework assignments.
The Teacher Type: The “mom” or “dad”
The Plus: Every comment somebody makes in class is “brilliant” or “right” or “excellent.” With all this positive feedback, you'll be eager to participate in class.
The Minuses: This type of teacher can be emotional, and he could be extremely disappointed in you if you don't turn in your homework on time or if you perform poorly on a test.
Tips for Dealing: If you are struggling in class or forget an assignment, be sure to talk to the teacher after class—it will show him that you really care about your performance.
The Teacher Type: The popular professor
The Plus: Could she look any cooler? This is the teacher that half the class will have a crush on9. She dresses in hip10 clothes and uses the occasional slang word. You would love to hang out with11 her on the weekend.
The Minuses: Sometimes it seems like this teacher picks favorites, which can make the left-out12 students feel a little jealous. Also, if the teacher appears to favor particular students and you're not one of those students, it may make you a little nervous about approaching her for help after class.
Tips for Dealing: If you feel shy around her, remind yourself that she's a teacher, not a movie star. Her reason for being there is to help you learn, so don't be afraid to ask for more instruction.
The Teacher Type: The lecturer
The Plus: This teacher is so into13 lecturing that he won't notice you passing notes and chatting with your friends—or doing last night's homework for your next class.
The Minuses: He also might not notice that 99.9 percent of the class doesn't have a clue what he's lecturing about. You may end up having to relearn all the material—and wasting a lot of valuable study time—before a test.
Tips for Dealing: Raise your hand and ask a lot of questions. If you don't understand the answer your teacher gives, raise your hand and ask again. Not only does it help you understand the material, but it shows him that you're really trying to learn, which might make him reconsider his teaching style a bit.
The Teacher Type: The slacker14 teacher
The Plus: She doesn't appear to like standing up in front of the class to teach, so she'll let you have a lot of "study time" and break you up into study groups often, which could help you get to know some new, cool people in your class.
The Minuses: It's easy to view this kind of class as a social period instead of an actual class—but that kind of thinking can come back to haunt15 you later on in the year. Just because the teacher doesn't write down every single word on the blackboard doesn't mean she won't test you on the material.
Tips for Dealing: Try to use at least half of your in-class study time to go over assigned reading. And when you're in study groups, review instead of chatting.
新学期伊始，当你从一间教室走到另一间教室，看看你是否能发现如此有类有型的老师。
第一类：好朋友型
爽处：他就像个说单口相声的演员，能让每个人笑傻。上课可以乐个透，自然也就不介意做这一课的作业了。
不爽处：就算最棒的朋友也有不爽的日子，甚至不爽的一周。如果在他的课上指望着找开心，却发现这么个原本酷毙了的老师横挑鼻子竖挑眼，你还是从自个儿身上找找原因吧。
交往小贴士：可别因为觉得自己是老师的朋友，以为不下功夫就能混过去。老师就是老师，所有的老师都期望你认真学习。
第二类：有规有矩型
爽处：她的规矩针对所有人，你永远不会觉得她偏着谁向着谁。
不爽处：不合规矩的作业这种老师不收，比方说，不是用蓝墨水写的，或不是在电脑上完成的。还有，迟到就得罚留校，就算你是在安慰没被选上校足球队的朋友也不成。
交往小贴士：永远别想让她通融。要是她放宽了对你的规矩，全班所有的人都想得到同等待遇。她定规矩自有道理：或者教你自律，或者是为你——吸口气再说——高中生活做准备。所以你要格外认真地听从她的教诲，抄家庭作业时细节也别马虎。
第三类：老爹老妈型
爽处：不管何时谁做了什么，一律是“棒极了”，“很对”，或者“非常好”。得到的评语如此积极肯定，课堂上你当然迫不及待参与活动。
不爽处：这类老师容易感情用事，如果你不按时完成作业，或者考砸了，他可能会对你灰心透顶。
交往小贴士：如果你在功课上正苦苦挣扎，或者忘了一项作业，课后一定要找老师谈，让他知道你其实很在乎自己的学习成绩。
第四类：万人迷型
爽处：她还能再酷点儿吗？班上一半的同学都会迷上她。她打扮入时，口里偶尔还能蹦出个俚语。和她一起度周末，可是你我的心愿。
不爽处：有时候，好像这位老师偏心眼儿，不受宠的学生觉得有点儿酸酸的。而且，如果她偏爱几个学生，你又不是其中之一，你课后有问题找她就有些紧张。
交往小贴士：如果你在她跟前放不开，提醒自己：她是老师，不是电影名星。她存在的理由就是帮你学习，所以多向她请教，别害怕。
第五类：演说家型
爽处：这类老师痴迷于演说，连你课堂上给朋友传条子，说小话儿，或者做本该昨晚完成的下一门课的作业，他都看不见。
不爽处：他可能也没注意到，班上99.9%的人搞不懂他在讲些啥东东。最后，恐怕你在考试之前全部材料得重学一遍那得浪费多少宝贵时光啊。
交往小贴士：常举手，多提问。如果听不懂他的答案，举手再问。这不光有助于你对材料的理解，还能让他知道你是真的在努力学习，这或许会让他反思一下自己的教学风格呢。
第六类：懒人型
爽处：她似乎不大喜欢站在讲台前进行教导，所以她会让你有许多“研究时间”，还常把同学们分成学习小组，如此一来你就可以多了解班上几个新来的酷孩子。
不爽处：这种课很容易当成社交活动而不是真正的上课。但这种想法在学年末就会回过头来让你吃尽苦头。仅仅因为老师没把每个字都写在黑板上，可不意味着材料上的内容她就不考。
交往小贴士：课堂学习时间至少要花一半去完成阅读作业。分组学习时，要复习功课而不是聊大天。
1. stand－up comedian 单口相声演员
stand－up adj． (表演)一人站着说笑的
comedian n． 喜剧演员
2． giggle v． 咯咯笑，傻笑
3． crabby adj． [口]易怒的；挑剔的
4． take it personally 从个人的角度对待
5． coast by 对付过去
coast v． 移动；滑行
6． rules－aholic n． 规则狂，规则迷
7． detention n． 被罚留校
8． bend the rules 变通；通融
9． have a crush on 迷上
10． hip adj． 时髦的；流行的
11． hang out with 与…待／混在一起
12． left－out adj． 受冷落的
13． into prep． 入迷；对…投入
14． slacker n． (口)懒惰的人；偷懒的人
15． haunt v． 常浮现于(某人)脑海