National Thank A Teacher Day
Words Hannah George
Many of us wouldn’t be who we are today without the teachers that believed in us.
I asked a number of people what made their ‘favourite’ teacher stand out from the rest. Here’s what was said:
They made me happy
They were welcoming
They were relatable
They made me laugh
They made me feel confident
They were non-judgemental
They made things simple
They were patient
They were honest
They listened to me when no one else would
They were always happy and optimistic
They made the classroom a relaxing environment
They made me feel like I could achieve anything
They focused on making sure I was happy rather than just being in class and learning
From these statements, it is clear that what makes a good teacher is not necessarily how well a student performs or how much they believe they learned in a subject. It is more than that. There is clearly more emphasis on soft skills, interpersonal (people) skills, communication skills, listening skills, time management, and empathy.
I believe that if we truly want to get the best out of our students, then we have to place more value and ensure the right measures and policies are in place to allow our teachers to be progressive both in their personal and professional development. Teachers globally go through different things to ensure their students are catered to, from taking money out of their salaries to buy better resources for kids, to financing their school meals, to using their ‘personal time’ on their days off and holidays to plan extensively to support and prepare engaging learning materials.
Teachers are more than just educators, they are in some cases mother and father figures, friends and role models. Teachers help to shape the minds of the next generation of leaders. They have a big responsibility on their hands and deal with more than what we could imagine.
Teachers are modern day superheroes. There are words that have been spoken to many of us that we still cherish to this day. Many of us are grateful to have met one teacher that truly believed in us.
I want to use this as an opportunity to thank all teachers worldwide. You have the power to change lives. Do not look down on your opportunity and gift to teach, inspire and encourage the next generation.