A Chinese Proverb says, “If you are planning for a year, sow rice; if you are planning for a decade, plant trees; if you are planning for a lifetime, educate people.” A good teacher teaches from the heart. To the world you may be just a teacher but to your students you are a real HERO. Likewise, a Japanese Proverb says, “Better than a thousand days of diligent study is one day with a great teacher.”
It’s not the school, the curriculum, or the teacher, but motivation that is the single most important ingredient in learning. They say the full-form of TEACHER means ‘Training, Educating, Assessing, Caring, Helping, Encouraging and Rewarding.’
Teachers ask questions and help students find answers. Yet learning isn’t only about finding the right answer, but also creating the road that leads to the answer. Learning with every step is the true sign of progress.
Memories fade with time and lessons are forgotten, but experiences shape a human being and leave a lasting mark. Teachers have the privilege of guiding early experiences and discoveries.
Knowledge is food for thought, and while food is perishable, thoughts persist. Teachers feed the whole world, many times over. Learning may begin in the classroom, but it certainly doesn’t end there. Teachers set up the signs for the road ahead that is life itself. They inspire students to learn wherever life may take them.
Teachers give us comic artists, filmmakers, astronauts, architects, and entrepreneurs. Without teachers, we wouldn’t have Superman, the Eiffel Tower, or the internet. Ultimately, it is the teachers who have the greatest superpower: creating superheroes. The carving and chipping away to create a masterpiece take years of dedication. Teachers help students discover their interests, passions, and ultimately themselves.
“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.“ – Benjamin Franklin