It’s quite unfortunate that most of us are at fault for not being able to recognize heroes and heroines teachers in our midst.
Most often than not, the first heroes and heroines we encounter in our lives are our parents yet we tend to take them for granted and undermine their enormous contribution in our lives.
The other heroes we encounter early in life are the teachers who perform God’s work and toil for the benefit of children in the classroom.
They’re under-paid and under-appreciated by their charges, bureaucrats and parents yet they are the catalysts and architects of the society since they inspire, mould, shape and influence all future professions.
They transform children’s self-doubt into confidence and open their eyes and minds to embrace new exciting possibilities.
Good teaching demands a special kind of person with a special set of skills. It’s impossible to measure the valuable contribution a good teacher makes to an individual or to a society.
Every school is a temple of knowledge and serves as a beacon of hope while every good teacher is a source of inspiration and optimism for children to learn and fulfill all their social, emotional and academic aspirations and needs.
Good teachers deserve standing ovations as well as enthusiastic and prolonged applause. Their professional tool kit includes compassion, understanding, patience, empathy, love, encouragement, inspiration, sympathy and other human qualities.
They’re first responders, first aiders, nurses and mothers when accidents occur in school yards.
They know instinctively that criticism and condemnation is poisonous to a child’s learning and offer encouragement instead. In return, they’re loved, respected and admired by their students.
Sadly, there’re some ‘bad’ apples in the profession who deserve no appreciation whatsoever. Their tools include corporal punishment, hurtful and discouraging remarks, aggression and belittlement of the children in front of their peers. They are disliked, disrespected and despised by their pupils.
To a committed professional, teaching isn’t a job; it is a calling to serve humanity.
Good teachers take on the role of becoming their students’ substitute parents. They show an interest in all that interests the child.
School ought to be a fun place to be, not a perceived mental and physical torture chamber. Happy children never tire of school, learning and never want to miss a day. It’s their disney world of thrills and exhilaration and every ride is free!
When children are happy, they learn faster. Isn’t school all about fun, games, knowledge sharing, friendship, love of one’s nation, admiration, harmony, respect and goodwill for all?
Good teachers are the unsung heroes of all nations. A world without good teachers is unimaginable. Their fingerprints never fade from the lives they touch. Therefore, we should appreciate them every day of the year and not just on one day yearly.
The writer is s an anti-corporal punishment crusader, a former newspaper and magazine publisher and editor, an award-winning writer, royal goodwill ambassador, humanitarian and a staunch human rights activist.
By Sir Frank Peters
He can be reached through SirFrankPeters@gmail.com
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