Teachers Day : Celebrate the Joy of Being a Teacher
by Madam Grace Pinto, Managing Director of Ryan Group of Institutions
“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men,” this quote of Frederick Douglass signifies the tremendous importance that rests on the shoulders of our teachers of nurturing value laden responsible global citizens. Not everyone is called to become a school teacher, but certainly everyone plays a role of a teacher at some point of time or the other in their lives. Since the child spends a good portion of its formative years in acquiring an education, school environment is a critical factor and school teachers play a pivotal role in nurturing the young minds. However, home and parents also have an equal responsibility in this entire process. Therefore, it is the shared responsibility of both school teachers and parents/guardians to spend time on grooming children in the right direction and ensuring that they grow up as responsible citizens.
We witness that there are various changes taking place in the segment of education which demands teachers to be well equipped to meet the expectations of 21st Century learners. It is an enormous task to remain up to date and committed to the noble profession of teaching so that students receive the best learning opportunities and guidance to be lifelong learners and be prepared for the future that remains unknown. In this context, John Dewey had beautifully stated, “If we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s, we rob them of tomorrow.”
It is true that the role of a teacher has radically changed over the years because of the changes in the educational process. A teacher’s role is not relegated to the sidelines or substituted by technology; instead the role has become even more critical in the current journey of learning on the information highway. The teacher would need to be effective at engaging learners towards meaningful construction of knowledge, and encourage them through appropriate integration of technology to apply learning into action and relevant outcomes. While technology would do its bit, teachers as facilitators add the desired human touch and provide opportunities to the students to develop critical thinking skills and cultivate values to help them become responsible lifelong learners as Aristotle had aptly said, “Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all!”
Despite several challenges, there is so much joy among teachers as all that they do is because of their love and passion. They interact with hundreds of young bubbling lives and make every effort to transform them into what they really ought to be. There is so much delight among teachers in knowing their students, helping them discover their talents, celebrating their successes and watching them blossom into beautiful humane persons. Teachers know that their students whom they have mentored will one day realize their fullest potential and become Kings and Queens in their own area of interest. All this gives them a sense of joy and satisfaction.
5th September, the birth anniversary of Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, is a special day that is dedicated to all our beloved teachers to remember and thank them for their sacrifice and contribution to society. Dear teachers, no matter the challenges you face, celebrate the joy of being a teacher that transforms eternity. I pray that Lord Jesus Christ blesses our teachers and their family abundantly.
Wish you a very Happy Teachers’ Day!
