Although teachers are by and large required to direct their students through a pre-set curriculum, there are many methods to successful learning - and some of the most effective educators can also be some of the more unconventional.

Brian Rodriguez, who has recently been nominated as Teacher of the Year, has made inventive and unusual classes a regular part of his teaching, the San Jose Mercury News reports.

Mixed in with traditional lectures and essay tests are class debates, costume dramas, chalk drawing and even Renaissance dancing.

The newspaper added that these out-of-the-ordinary techniques are anything but a goof, as Mr Rodriguez's students attest.

Karla Coleman, a senior under his instruction, said the teacher's memory aids such as listening to classical music and using specific smells while studying then replicating it to spark the memory, are solid gold.

"It's like a trigger," she said. "It helps you remember and it works."

According to figures from the Department of Labor, there were 1.5 million elementary school teachers and 1.1 million high school teachers working in the US in 2006.

By 2016, the number of jobs in the profession from kindergarten to high school level is expected to grow by 12%.