I read a Turkish Proverb that says, “A good teacher is like a candle, it consumes itself to light the way for others”. I think it is true, because of the self-sacrifices that teachers do just to help their students fulfill their dreams.
Sometimes, the contributions of teachers to the development of tomorrow’s generation, and indeed the country’s overall development, are not acknowledged. There is sometimes little appreciation for their sterling contribution. Fulfilling their role has become an absolute expectation.
But that is not the case of CBNC. Ever since the company has been putting emphasis on education. It always supports programs and projects for the benefit not just of the students but the teachers as well.
Every day across Bataraza, I am a witness on how our teachers make significant differences to the lives of hundreds of young people in different communities.
We think of them as teaching a class, when in reality, they are teaching individuals who make up a class. That might seem like an obvious point, but it is one that we should not take lightly as we celebrate the teachers’ month.
We certainly need to pay teachers better. But we also need to have a better understanding and appreciation of what they do. It’s much more complicated than a short work year with summer and holidays off, as some seem to perceive.
The reality, of course, is that teachers work 10 months in class. Add in time spent at school after class and then preparations at night and on weekends, continuing education, and…well, you get the idea. They start their days before the sun comes up, rarely have time to sit down during the day, take papers home for checking at night. Then, start the same activities the next day.
And it’s not just about the hours that teachers work, it’s about the effort that they exert and how it has to be juggled among the students who make up the class. Teachers, especially at the critical elementary level, dive headfirst into their class early in the morning and maintain this high energy until the end of the day.
This is not an easy task…especially in a room full of children. Many students have their own individual needs that demand attention. And oh, by the way, they help keep adventurous kids safe, too.
Good teachers are the ultimate multi-taskers – they learn through experience what works best. They teach not only academics, but also thinking skills. They teach children how to figure things out on their own, solve problems and become lifelong learners.
We expect teachers to be great educators for each child in their class – – – not only the smartest, hardest-working or the most well behaved.
We can commit ourselves to better understand what teachers do and commit to never take them for granted.
And if you know an educator who has made a difference, take time to thank him or her with a phone call, a note, an email, or a simple PM on Facebook. They deserve a little recognition. Even not on Teacher’s Day or Teacher’s Month.
And they’ll surely appreciate it.
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