Who are Melinda's teachers in Speak?

Melinda is a freshman in high school in the book Speak, so she has multiple teachers that specialize in a subject rather than a single classroom teacher that is a generalist in many subjects. Speak is about many things, and one of those things is how adults are clueless to Melinda's emotional and mental health. They simply do not see her hurt, and Melinda does not find it important to even name several of her teachers for readers.

The most important teacher in the novel is Mr. Freeman. He is Melinda's art teacher, and he is the only teacher that recognizes Melinda's depression. He tries to get Melinda to talk about it or express her feelings through art, and Melinda will eventually confide in him at the novel's conclusion.

Ms. Connors is Melinda's gym teacher. We find out early on that Melinda really does not like gym class, but that probably isn't Ms. Connors's fault. She is constantly encouraging Melinda and trying to recruit her for various sports.

Mr. Neck is Melinda's history teacher, and he is at odds with Melinda and other students throughout the book.

Hairwoman is Melinda's English teacher, and she is portrayed as a fairly stereotypical English teacher. She is successful at engaging students with the writing process.

Ms. Keen is the biology teacher, and Melinda especially enjoys learning about plant biology from her.

Mr. Stetman is the math teacher. He is a likable guy, but Melinda does not put forth much effort in his class.

How are teachers portrayed in their treatment of Melinda in Speak?

It tends to be a common trope in various media formats to treat adults as ignorant idiots or unfair bullies. Speak also has elements of this motif; however, the author does a wonderful job of also showing adults in a realistic and positive manner as well.

An effective way to test Melinda's feelings about an adult is to check how she refers to that adult. If she calls the person by his or her name, Melinda feels that the person treats her fairly and/or actually attempts to reach out to her. If the person is a jerk, ignorant idiot, or downright cruel, Melinda refers to the person with some nickname like "Hairwoman" or "Principal Principal."

Most of Melinda's teachers treat her quite well. This doesn't mean they recognize her internal struggles and pains, but it does mean that they don't target her with further ridicule. They treat her like a "normal" student, and they are okay with her sitting quietly in class. Some teachers, like Ms. Connors and Mr. Freeman, take positive special interest in Melinda, and they constantly encourage her to develop skills in art and athletics. These two stand in stark contrast to Mr. Neck, who is an absolute bully. He abuses his power and authority as a teacher to spout off on his opinions, and he isn't afraid of singling out Melinda for her silence and overall lack of participation.