Annually, on October 5th, it is International Teacher’s Day. Interestingly, what I notice every year, since becoming a teacher in 2022, is that teachers (and we can add education NGOs/NPOs, because usually former teachers work there) all over social media celebrate each other more that the rest of the world actually knows about and appreciates this day.
I am not trying to throw shade. It’s not like I go around celebrating other “profession’s days” if such exist; it really is just an observation. I think it is only in primary schools where I’ve noticed that the school gets the little kiddos and their parents to celebrate the day by getting parents to get their children to think about how to show appreciation to their teachers. So, the hope is that when they grow up and get to high school, they’d just remember and know how to show appreciation on their own. Defs not the case, not in my observation anyway.
We say that teaching is the mother of all other professions. I am going to toot our own horn and say YES! Quoting from an email I received, “You play a vital role in shaping society. You provide learners with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in the workforce and contribute to their communities. Beyond academics, as teachers, you foster critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity. Inspiring learners to pursue their passions, overcome challenges, and become lifelong learners.”
I think that it would be nice to hear this more often from non-teachers. We really do the most, mostly unacknowledged. We don’t do it for the acknowledgment, but it isn’t as though we aren’t humans who wouldn’t like to be seen.
Changing gears, I’m a teacher who is currently on a career break of sorts. However, they say, “Once a teacher, always a teacher.” I will definitely be back in the education ecosystem in whatever shape or form that might take.
In celebration of the day, I want to be the teacher who appreciates teachers. As I have said, many times, only a teacher understands. The world would be a better place if only they included us in the decisions and actually heard our voices instead of dumping every error on us. We all know who “they” is. At work, it could be the board of directors (if the school is private) or the principal and/or SMT whe add to your workload or demean your competence. Also, at work, it could be parents who either hover or are totally absent, never on your side about the truths at their children. Provincially, it could be the curriculum advisor, who tells you your admin is incorrect. Nationally, if you’ve been keeping up, enough said.
We are amazing human beings who put up with a lot. We do it for the love and passion of teaching the future generation, but that doesn’t mean we don’t like money (we all need to survive and be compensated for what we do). We don’t always get it right, but there is true good intention to try.
Here are some inspiring posts:
I hope all teachers feel loved, appreciated, and seen. I am so grateful to all my teachers. I usually say, “The fact that I can read is something beautiful, but I don’t know how I know how to read is the work at some miracle teacher.” It makes sense when we talk about SA’s literary problem.
Happy Teacher’s Day! 😁
Let's Teach Royalty 
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