To the teachers in my life: you are appreciated more than you know
We all know the next generation of leaders are sitting in today’s classrooms, and it is up to their teachers to educate and empower them- a job that is not easy. A positive or negative experience with a teacher can mean the world for a student and their self-confidence. Because teaching is not an easy job, it feels as though you must be passionate about teaching to do it. Unfortunately, not all teachers are eager to help the next generation in learning and too often some see it as a position of power and not a responsibility to educate learners. There are, however, great benefits to being a teacher as it is a very rewarding job to see how much a student grows and learns under your watch.
The impact that a positive teacher makes on a student is immense. Teachers that build you up to believe that you can do and be anything are overwhelmingly empowering to a student. A teacher that makes you feel seen and special is one that you will never forget. Some teachers make life-long impacts through countless hours of effort and dedication they put into their work, as well as often also entertaining students. Teachers are vital to society as they are the unsung heroes often working tirelessly in the background. Taking care of upwards of thirty students means working with thirty different personalities and learning abilities all at once. When you are a teacher, you are not only an educator. As if being tasked with the job of educating the next generation isn’t enough, teachers often play multiple roles such as being a shoulder to cry on, a mediator, a listening ear and a family therapist.
Students go to their teachers with any issue because there is a relationship of trust between teachers and students. All any good teacher wants is for their students to be the best version of themselves and work their hardest. And it is often their job to get the students to that point. For many students, their teachers are their role models as they instil self-worth and confidence into learners. Teachers take on a greatly overlooked responsibility in shaping and educating today’s students to go on and become future leaders and workers of the world. Many parents underestimated just how much teachers do for their children until lockdowns occurred all over the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and parents had to become teachers at home.
On a personal note, as someone who comes from a family of teachers, I have seen first-hand both the highs and lows of being a teacher. It is a job with rewarding qualities as you can see your impact in real-time watching your students grow and improve so much within the school year. It is also a job not for the faint-hearted as there are long hours of work before and after the school day where mounds of effort and dedication get put in. The impact and importance of teachers are crucial as they can make a difference in a student’s life and show them how important they are and how much they matter.