No matter where you are in the world, chances are that you've had a teacher you still remember for their positive impact on your life—someone who helped you finally grasp a challenging concept or experience a learning moment that defined your classroom experience.
Every year on October 5, we celebrate World Teachers'Teachers' Day. It is a time to remember those special educators who supported us as students and show gratitude to those who inspired us in the classroom. Not only that, but it's also a day for you to realize how you may now impact students in the same way!
Last October 3, World Teachers Day was celebrated at our school. For this celebration, I always felt excited. Still, I never expected any material or expensive gifts from my students, knowing that I knew they could not afford to buy me some because of their life situation.
During this day, I dressed up nicely. Because it's our day, knowing that everyone celebrates a day for us, I am happy already because I know that we are also important and exist important to everyone's life.
A simple greeting is enough.
Because I am not expecting a gift for my students, I am happy for their presence already. Hugging and greeting me with "Happy Teacher's Day, teacher!" makes me happy. I know I made something special for them to celebrate, which satisfies me.
But when my school head called me onto the stage, I was so happy that my students came up to the stage with vegetables and fruits with them. I am so grateful and pleased with their gestures during the celebration; it may be simple compared to others, but knowing that they exerted effort to bring only what they have makes me feel so loved and happy.
My happiness as a teacher is the appreciation I can get from my students. They may not say it verbally, but I can feel it whenever they hug and greet me daily.
Reflecting on this year'syear's celebration, I realized that teaching with a heart is a must rather than teaching with just imparting knowledge to my students.
Teaching with My Heart!
I have always known that I wanted to be a teacher. I don't know when to pinpoint the start of my journey, but from as young as ten years old, I knew that teaching was my calling. Throughout my educational career, I had some amazing teachers who provided me with stimulating learning experiences that were creative, challenging, and fun.
The two resounding life lessons I continue to embrace are never settling for mediocrity and always going beyond the call of duty.
At the heart of teaching is the desire to help students be the best version of themselves and contribute to society. This may seem like a long-term goal, but at its core is my desire to prepare students to be their best selves now and continue to be their best selves. Teaching the curriculum addresses the content students need to know to succeed in their future academic and social experiences.
Supporting students as people first and learners second is how we can help them navigate challenges in their day-to-day schooling experiences. It is not just about the curriculum. We need to reach both the student's heart and their mind.
For all the teachers out there, I salute you!