THE world celebrates Teachers’ Day on different dates of the year to honour teachers for their sincere efforts in imparting knowledge to students. Teachers’ Day celebrations are meant to convey the message that we care for our teachers, just as they care for us. On this day, students often dress up like their teachers and teach their juniors in classrooms in the same way they have seen their teachers doing. Sometimes, teachers also sit in classrooms and act like students, reliving the time when they were students themselves. This creates a bond of understanding between the teachers and the students.
Teachers are reckoned as the backbone of society who put all their efforts to shape the career of the students and help them become successful citizens of the country. For the students, Teacher’s Day is the most auspicious occasion where they get the opportunity to pay tribute, gratitude and reverence to their teachers for the extraordinary support and unselfish effort in shaping the career of the students and for enhancing the education system of the country with their unique learning processes.
Teachers treat all students equally and take proper care of them and love them dearly as their own child. In real life, we usually owe our teachers more than our parents as they play a crucial role in arousing the heart of all students and light it up with education and knowledge and help them in eliminating regret and ignorance. Since children spend a lot of time in school in their formative and impressionable years, teachers wield a great influence on them.
In many countries across the world, Teacher’s Day is a special day where teachers of schools, colleges and universities are honoured specially. The date varies from country to country. The universally accepted World Teacher’s Day is October 5th. A teacher is a friend, philosopher and guide who holds our hand, opens our mind and touches our heart. The contribution of a teacher cannot be ignored at all.
It is not just on October 5 that we should remember our teachers but we should remember them all through the year for the role they play in moulding our future. Teachers play a major role in shaping a child’s life. Since children spend a lot of time in school in their formative and impressionable years, teachers wield a great influence on them.
This year marks the 29th anniversary of World Teachers’ Day, with celebrations taking place across the globe. Here are some quotations on teachers and education:
“Teaching is a very noble profession that shapes the character, calibre and future of an individual. If the people remember me as a good teacher that will be the biggest honour for me.” — A P J Abdul Kalam
“It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.” — Albert Einstein
“Education is the manifestation of perfection already in man.” — Swami Vivekananda
“Let us remember: One book, one pen, one child and one teacher can change the world.” — Malala Yousafzai
“The true teacher defends his pupils against his own personal influence. He inspires self-trust. He guides their eyes from himself to the spirit that quickens him. He will have no disciples.” — Amos Bronson Alcott
“Teachers, I believe, are the most responsible and important members of society because their professional efforts affect the fate of the Earth.” — Helen Caldicott, Physician and Author
Teachers work hard to inspire, guide, educate and mentor us every day. Within the world of languages, they help us navigate tricky grammar points, perfect our pronunciation and stay motivated. They’re the coaches that spur us on and keep us on track.
—The writer is contributing columnist, based in Mumbai, India
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