Celebrating World Teachers’ Day
Today marks World Teachers’ Day, an annual day of teacher recognition begun by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1994. It is a special day across the globe during which all teachers should be thanked for the important work that they do. Read on for more about the purpose of World Teachers’ Day, as well as ways that you can participate in the occasion.Why World Teachers’ Day?
According to Education International, this year’s slogan for World Teachers Day is “Take a stand for teachers!” Since 1994, UNESCO has made it a special mission to try to elevate the status of teachers worldwide to make sure that their needs are met and to ensure that top graduates are recruited into to the teaching profession. UNESCO works to ensure that teachers are given their due rights and training so that they can continue to inspire underprivileged students everywhere to succeed.
Teachers are badly needed across the globe, and it is estimated that over 5 million new teachers will be needed by the year 2015. UNESCO’s aim with celebrating World Teachers’ Day is to help communities realize the importance of good teachers and to mobilize support and recruits.
How You Can Celebrate
Whether you are a teacher, an aspiring educator or just someone who wants to support teachers, there are a number of ways that you can recognize World Teachers’ Day. The National Education Association offers the following suggestions:
- Head to the World Teachers’ Day website and send e-cards to teachers you know, recognizing them for the important work that they do.
- Join conversations on Twitter and promote the day with the hashtag #worldteachersday.
- Download the official poster. Hang it up in prominent locations (libraries, schools, community centers), and urge others to do the same.
- Upload your photos of your favorite teachers to Education International’s Flickr photostream. You can also upload pictures of your World Teachers’ Day celebrations.
- Organize recognition events for your local school district. Even simple acts like distributing handmade cards from students can go a long way.
Thank You
If you are a teacher or plan on becoming a teacher, thank you for committing yourself to better opportunities for our youth. It is a difficult and unfortunately sometimes under-appreciated profession full of challenges. It is not a job that one takes for the salary or vacation perks, and we all know that teachers spend countless hours outside of instruction developing and refining their instruction and materials.
Today, it is more important than ever to celebrate World Teachers’ Day so educators everywhere can be held in high esteem. Every future begins with a great teacher, and Teach.com wants to thank you for contributing to a brighter future!