Teachers’ Day is celebrated all over the world on October 5. However, in India, we celebrate it on September 5 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan who was a great teacher, a renowned scholar and recipient of Bharat Ratna. He was also the first Vice President and the Second President of India. When Dr Radhakrishnan became President of India in 1962, he was approached by some of his friends and students requesting him to allow them to celebrate his birthday on September 5. However, Dr S Radhakrishnan responded by saying that, it would be his privilege if September 5 is celebrated as Teachers’ Day to recognize the contribution of teachers to the society.
Such a request coming from the President of India undoubtedly showcased Dr Radhakrishnan's love and devotion for teachers. From then onwards, India celebrates Teachers' Day on September 5. Teachers’ Day is not only a vehicle for acknowledgement towards teachers, but it also implies the recognition of the hard work the teachers put in for the holistic development of the students.
Dr Radhakrishnan's outlook on education was very different. He emphasized the fact that a teacher and a student must have a good understanding and relationship that should help in imparting and gaining knowledge. We must carry forward his torch and fulfil our responsibilities towards our teachers with utter respect and humbleness. Dr Radhakrishnan passed away on April 17, 1975. But his fable is still alive and his philosophies are still remembered every year through the celebration of Teachers’ Day. The future of a country lies in the hands of its children, and teachers as mentors, mould students into future leaders who in turn shape the destiny of a country.
Gerald Grow once said: The teacher is a mirror that shows not only the self but the path and its choices, the task and its demands, the difficulties and the joys. Parents give us birth, but the teachers give us the true meaning of our life. They make us the best of our versions. They teach us how to think, not what to think, as Margaret Mead once said.
It is said that teaching is the one profession that creates all other professions. It is a noble profession that shapes the character, calibre, and future of a child. Teachers help students to become good human beings, better members of society, and model citizens of the country. Each teacher makes many sacrifices every day to help her students. A good teacher is like a candle ” it consumes itself to light the way for others, said Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
Am I gifted to be a teacher? Everyone cannot be a good teacher. A teacher should have a passion for teaching. A good teacher can make a world of difference in a student's life, right from their classroom learning to their long-standing success. A good teacher teaches from the heart, not from the book. They show their pupils where to look, but don’t tell them what to see. They are a compass that activates the magnets of curiosity, knowledge, and wisdom in the pupils.
For effective teaching, strong communication skills are a must. Good communication skills help students to approach the teacher easily and help them to learn in a pleasurable way. Listening and observing well is also one of the most vital skills to be a good teacher. Teachers that are skilled in listening and observing can understand the students better and can help the students with anxiety build their skills and self-confidence. The most basic of all human needs is the need to understand and be understood. The best way to understand people is to listen to them.
It’s also important to be attentive and empathetic. Effective teachers are able to work in a frequently growing environment and regulate their teaching methods based on the age of their students, the resources available and changing curriculum. Moreover, a teacher can teach better if she has a love for the subject she is teaching. Any subject can prove useful, but getting your students to connect with the content starts with how you present the information. Also, constantly updating your material is a key to keep concepts fresh for students and applicable to their everyday lives. Linking concepts to current issues, news and events, especially those that impact your students, is another way to make your class more relatable and pupil-centric.
Patience is also an important skill that a teacher should possess. A teacher should also show a willingness to share knowledge and experiences with others. A teacher should also be a continuous learner and creative while teaching.
Joseph Joubert rightly said, “To teach is to learn twice over”. A teacher must always encourage students to develop their talents. He should plant seeds of knowledge that grow forever.
William Yeats once said: “Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire.”
Let’s remember: The way you teach, the knowledge you share, the care you take, the love you shower, makes you the best teacher in the eyes of the students. It takes a big heart to help shape little minds. The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows. Happy Teachers’ Day.
(The writer is a teacher Grade I at R & P Salkar HSS of Arts and Commerce, Chorão, and a Catechist at St Michael Church, Taleigão)
