Appreciating Selfless Services of Teachers and Challenges they Face

Do you agree with me that appreciating the selfless services of teachers is on the low? Many sacrifices of teachers go unnoticed and never rewarded. 

Teachers are said to have three loves; love of learning, love of the learner, and the love of bringing the first two loves together.

Holistic education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.

Teachers go beyond the call of duty to ensure that no child is left behind. The teacher wants every child’s life in all its fullness. It is further the prayer of every teacher to develop the will to make this reality.

Appreciating Selfless Services of Teachers

The teacher is the focal point as far as impartation of knowledge is concerned. The knowledge the teacher imparts helps to bring the world to “light”. Without teachers, our world would be in “darkness”. Knowledge is what helps us to drive cars today instead of riding horses.

Teachers prepare the foundation upon which all great accomplishments are built.

The unwavering commitment showed by teachers towards contribution to educational development and embarking on processes that foster sustainable growth and development is worth appreciating.

Spanning across all the levels of education, teachers have lived by the slogan “when duty calls, comply”. Like candles, teachers “burn” themselves at the expense of their comfort to give “light” to others. In the most rural and remote areas, teachers are there to impart knowledge to up-and-coming generations.

Teachers and challenges Teachers Face

Behind the enthusiasm and beaming smiles of the teacher towards the call of duty are challenges that ought to be addressed.

Amongst the enormous challenges teachers face in the line of duty are;

Insufficient teaching and learning materials to augment the splendid efforts they put in the discharge of their duty.

Teaching without the requisite materials makes the work of the teacher more tedious and demanding.  To address this challenge, teachers resort to improvisation.

In certain communities, sometimes, the materials to even improvise are nonexistent. All stakeholders should therefore endeavor to equip all schools with the needed teaching and learning materials.

Technology has become an integral part of our modern educational system. When teachers are not equipped with the needed technological tools to bringing technology and education together, the work of the teacher becomes more challenging to keep learners up to speed with modern trends. Governments and all stakeholders within the education delivery chain should endeavor to provide the needed I.C.T tools and environment for all schools.

Furthermore, the teacher faces the challenge of limitations of disciplining learners. Not all students may be well mannered, but the teacher has a limit to the disciplinary measures that can be meted out to the learner.

In some instances, the teacher is not allowed to discipline the learner at all. This sometimes breeds more indiscipline, which hinders the progress of the teaching and learning process.

The teacher should therefore be mandated to mete out considerate discipline measures to students when necessary.

Additionally, changing educational trends are becoming more challenging for the teacher.

The change in the educational trend itself is never a challenge to the teacher. The daunting task the teacher faces with this development is sometimes a lack of the needed curriculum materials such as textbooks for these changing trends.

What is the way forward to resourcing teachers?

Governments together with all stakeholders should do well to provide schools with the needed curriculum materials that go with these changes.

The role of the teacher to provide learners with quality education and character training is only complete with the cooperation and understanding of parents and guardians. Parents should be the ideal working partners to provide the best learning experiences for learners.

Teachers, therefore, find it challenging when parents and guardians do not perform this obligation. Parents and guardians are therefore advised to support teachers in this regard.

READ: Education: The key to real opportunity—during the pandemic and beyond

Appreciating the selfless service of teachers needs to increase if we are to motivate them for their service to training the country’s manpower.

Imagine what our world would have been without teachers. When you pray, always remember to say a little prayer for the teacher.