BY LAURA M. MILAN - Master Teacher I, Jaro II Elementary School
We will be celebrating World Teachers Day on October 5, 2011. As we commemorate this day’s festival, we give due honour to the living heroes and living saints of the present times, the teachers.
This year’s theme, “My Teacher, My Hero,” serves as inspiration and encouragement to all the teachers to remain faithful to their vocation and to their country. As the teachers play a vital role in the lives of every Filipino pupil, they equip them with lifelong learning necessary for survival and essential in providing refinement in every student’s behaviour.
No man can be a good teacher unless he has feelings of warm affection toward his pupils and a genuine desire to impart to them what he believes to be of value. It is this feeling and values that form the foundation of students’ success that we in the Philippines want to celebrate. In other words, we wish to present a tangible acknowledgment to the force behind the feelings and the values that is also known as a ‘teacher’.
Teachers have an influencing role in the life of every student. They are like beacons of light, guiding us in the formative years of our life. Teachers mould us and in the process shape our future. What we learn from our teachers remains with us, throughout our life. However, very often, we fail to show our appreciation and gratitude for their altruistic devotion. Teachers do need encouragement and support from the community to feel that their efforts are being recognized.
While trying to be sensitive to the beliefs of children and their parents, teachers also must try not to go overboard in covering the traditions of every religion. A teacher who instils a bad learning experience in a child could scar him or her for life.
Teachers have a lot of responsibility and need to make sure that they make learning a positive experience for all. By being sensitive to the needs of everyone and presenting different ways of doing things, it can be possible for everyone to have an equal opportunity to do their best.
Today we join hands and give due recognition to the teachers who nurtured young minds. We applaud those who embraced the noblest profession, teaching. A SALUTE TO THE TEACHERS!