“You made a world of difference,” he said with a genuine smile as he walked around the classroom, looking every student in the eye as he gently placed a keychain of a globe in their hands. It was just one phrase, seven words long, yet so significant and meaningful. As I looked around the room, every single person had tears in their eyes. We all know that one teacher who made it difficult to say goodbye to. For me, that was Mr. Smith. He was a friend before he was our teacher. He believed in us when we did not believe in ourselves. He taught us the life skills we needed and reminded us that each one of us was here to make a difference in the world as long as we followed our passions.
Educators are so much more than just “teachers” who teach us how to find the slope of a line or how to write an informational research paper. Being a “teacher” is just one of the many hats they wear in the classroom in addition to being a nurse, a parent, a friend, a counsellor, a motivational speaker, a content expert, a judge, a comedian, a detective, a janitor and so much more. Teachers are our foundational pillars, who shape us to become who we are. They are the unsung heroes of our society, the one profession that creates all other professions.
Each year, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) celebrates World Teachers’ Day on 5 October. It is a day to celebrate all of the hard work and efforts of passionate educators around the world who are transforming education every single day and to reflect on how to best support teachers in a way where they can use their skills and talent effectively and sustainably to improve the quality of education and teaching around the world.
UNESCO and Education International (EI) have declared the theme for this year as “Valuing Teachers’ Voices: Towards a New Social Contract for Education” to shine light on some of the challenges that come with being a teacher. Teachers play a significant role in our society and they deserve to have a voice to share their perspectives and experiences to improve the quality of teaching and learning. This year’s theme highlights systematic challenges and opens the doors for teachers to voice their experiences and input to make a change in the current educational policies.
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Nelson Mandela
Let us celebrate World Teachers’ Day by honouring the humans who have shaped us to become who we are today and express our appreciation with the teachers around us for everything they do to make the world a better place.
To learn more about World Teachers’ Day, please visit: https://www.unesco.org/en/days/teachers
