Us humans, when we are in the toddler stage until we become young adults, find a place to expand our knowledge and learn more about living in this world. As the human mind grows through curiosity, its intellect connects dots to investigate further into the surroundings. The globe is a big round sphere, which means there is a lot to explore.
To acquire knowledge through the medium of education, there is an instrument that speaks audibly about the competencies learned in a book. A “teacher” refers to a person who is employed as a professional educator and teaches students in a specific field. Teacher’s Day, celebrated from Sept. 5 to Oct. 5, acknowledges the sweat, tears and sacrifices of our “Second Mom/Dad” outside our homes.
If you wonder if teachers only teach, then don’t just stop at that point! Teachers also act as mothers or fathers when their students are sick, rushing to take care of them. They may also be school janitors; when the sun sets, they also clean to maintain the cleanliness inside their classrooms or faculty offices. That’s why teachers are often named “The Second Mom/Dad” when they act as nurses and janitors who sweep the floor. That’s just the beginning, as they perform many more roles.
When we Filipinos celebrate Teacher’s Day, students on their campuses generally give their advisers or substitute teachers in different subjects simple, sentimental letters that express feelings and show the love that they can’t express through actions. With those tears-of-joy essays, there are also flowers with beautiful scents and chocolates that make you feel on cloud nine. There is also a climax inside the classrooms, which are filled with surprises. A simple present from their students is enough to make teachers’ faces smile at once, like a flower blooming in summer.
Behind the depressing, dusky atmosphere of being a teacher is something we can’t visibly see with our naked eyes. They sacrifice themselves for those students who rely on them. The learners wait for them, sitting in their chairs inside their classrooms, expecting new lessons and values to be learned. In the midst of a burdened day, an educator has a lot of schedules and deadlines to accomplish. Additionally, some parents need to have conversations with teachers about their children. The pressure that a mentor silently carries on their back can be overwhelming. It is like being bound by heavy metal chains and giant rocks.
When we meet a teacher, students usually perform the act of “Mano Po!” to show the traditional Filipino way of respecting our elders. When we perceive the word “teacher,” it is commonly known as a teaching professional. However, they are not just instruments that feed students’ minds and light the bulb of knowledge. A teacher is also known as a hero of our nation. Without their resourceful minds and voices, we can’t make a nation a better place. They are among the people who help a country develop and reach its highest potential. This gives evidence that education is a good investment for a homeland. When knowledge is used well, then a great nation will strongly stand. That is the product of schools that shape learners’ futures.
When we were toddlers and before we grew up to become adults, let’s not erase the memory of those who feed our minds today. Without the instruments we encountered yesterday, we can’t open the mysteries of tomorrow.
Through knowledge, we acknowledge!