Hi Christopher,
I can see similarities between your high school teachers and my own. Mr. White, being a more traditional teacher, seemed to be less engaged with his students. And focused more on the material. Engagement is an important element in teaching. In that class, he seems to disregard that element. It is an easy pattern that some teachers can fall into, especially within teaching subjects that don’t focus on creativity.
On the other hand, there are also plenty of teachers that are like Mr. Brown and Mr. Black, who want to create a comfortable and interesting learning environment for their students. I like how Mr. Brown gave the students the freedom of choice in his song assignments. I found assignments more effective when I found a personal connection with the subject.
I agree that pedagogy is different for each teacher. And it is important that a teacher and student can engage with that pedagogy.