Let us celebrate teachers today

Today is World Teacher’s Day when we celebrate the impact teachers have in the lives of their students.

Unlike similar occasions like Mothers’ Day and World Aids Day - this day goes by unmentioned, year in year out. This is a reflection of how society is becoming increasingly ungrateful of the role teachers play.

I am a teacher at a small girls’ secondary school in the heart of Mombasa city. My students come from diversified cultures. Now those who have been bestowed with the responsibility of teaching girls from diversified cultures will agree that it is comparable to teaching in two schools, miles apart, at the same time.

Daily, I have to work longer hours to meet the varied learning needs of teenage girls even as I inspire them not to get discouraged. I often find myself facing the conflict of interest between allowing students’ critical thinking to reign and staying focused on the teaching and learning objectives during a lesson.

As a teacher, I also must protect learners from heated arguments resulting from what their colleagues view as a silly response to a question they are attempting to answer. All this, I do in the name of safeguarding teenage learners’ self esteem.

I have spent sleepless nights trying to download relevant learning video clips for teaching of the somewhat abstract concepts.

While working at developing relevant learning resources for my learners, the increasing pressure on compliance and accountability has been the greatest challenge in my career. This backbreaking paperwork that is supposed to help learners is in reality bogging teachers down – in fact it is taking them away from students.

Offering teens support that they do not get from home is what teaching calls for. Guiding adolescents to choose friends wisely as well as counseling them to take responsibility in making life changing decisions. Teachers do indeed have a special place in the lives of students.

Ignore the sentiments of those who want to undermine the role of teachers, those who are out to tear the profession down. Teachers are irreplaceable. So, go ahead give a teacher a hug today.

Have a happy Teacher’s Day!