Today, 15th of October all over Brazil is celebrated the importance of the teachers. The improvement of education passes through the appreaciation and value their work. So, this post is a tribute to them. This post is a summary of four articles. The first was published at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/leading-from-classroom-arne-duncan. The second was published at https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-importance-of-teacher-in-our-life. The third was published at http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/104136/chapters/The-Power-of-an-Effective-Teacher-and-Why-We-Should-Assess-It.aspx. The fourth was published at https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/teachers-matter-now-more-_b_5269063.html
Over the last 8 - 12 years, huge shifts have been ocurring in education. Some changes are positive, such as our nation's record high school graduation rate, narrowing achievement gaps, and a greater number of students attending college. But all types of change, particularly those that have the potential to yield the most positive outcomes, can be challenging. Change requires that we confront the status quo, demands new ways of approaching our work. Now, at a time when educators are courageously raising the bar for student achievement higher than ever before, the job of the teacher has never been more critical to the success of our children and to the prosperity of the nation. Educators frequently share that teaching is the most difficult job that anyone can have, and the most rewarding. Teachers are our nation builders, the strength of every profession in our country grows out of the knowledge and skills that teachers help to instill in our children. And as a nation, we must do much, much more to fully appreciate and support their work. With the transition to more rigorous achievement standards and better student assessment, a focus on data to drive instruction, and the use of technology to learning, teachers are carrying an incredible amount of responsibility. We are in the midst of a new era, one with more engaging lessons, creativity, and innovation, which is bringing joy back into the classroom. the state of teaching is stronger because teachers everywhere are leading from their classroom and taking on new roles to improve education. And we all know, when teaching is stronger, students benefit with increased engagement and achievement. There is no better resource for a school than teachers who are empowered and equipped to solve problems using their own talent and experience. We must do more to encourage teachers who long to share in the responsibility of leading change in our schools. Teaching has never been easy, and it never will be. It takes heart, commitment and passion. But for all the very real challenges, there is reason to be optimistic about where we are going. Why? Because of the teachers who will lead the way. They will shape the state of this profession and the future prospects of our children.
Whether we realise it or not, a teacher is the most important influence in our life. A teacher is not necessarily one who has taught us in schools or college, they are our parents, mentors and friends too. Whosoever have something to teach is a teacher. We all must offer our gratitude to them. The best teachers are those who show us where to look but don't tell us what to see. Because good teachers educate us and the right education is to know where to look. What we need from education is to awaken intelligence in us. Intelligence is the capacity to perceive the essential, the truth that is all around us but hidden from our view. To awaken this capacity in oneself and in others, is education. There is really no end to education. It is not about reading a book or passing an examination and say that "my education is finished". Education never ends. It can not end. The whole of life, from the moment we are born to the moment we die, is a movement of learning.
The transformative power of an effective teacher is something almost all of us have experienced. If we were fortunate, we had numerous exceptional teachers who made school an interesting place. Those teachers possessed a passion for the subject that they taught and genuine care for the students. They inspired us to play with ideas, and pursue career in a particular field of study. Some exceptional teachers achieve celebrity status, such as Jaime Escalante, the math teacher who inspired the film Stand and Deliver, but thousands of unsung heroes go unrecognized in their work with students on a daily basis. We know intuitively that these effective teachers can have an enriching effect on the daily lives of students and their lifelong educational and career aspirations. We know now empirically that these effective teachers also have a direct influence in enhancing student learning. Years of research on teacher support the fact that effective teachers not only make students feel good about school and learning, but also that their work actually results in increased student achievement.
It is not easy being a teacher today. National, state and local politicians, philanthropists, researchers, journalists and many other people that never actually taught a student are deciding how and what teachers should teach and how their effectiveness should be assessed. Teachers have always played an extraordinary role in the development of their students. In recent history, Hellen Keller, Eleanor Rooselvelt, James Earl jones and Magic Johnson are just a few of the many highly accomplished people who point to a single teacher that set them on a course toward greatness. I know there are countless other lesser-known stories of teachers who encountered troubled students and moved them onto a path toward success. Teachers are challenged to do all of that every day. We ask students, "What matters most to you, and why? It is a invitation for them to bravely share their stories. We learned that students today are not as insulated from the problems of the world as they were 30, 20 and even 10 years ago. There are no more filters, children today are exposed to everything. Third-graders worry about human trafficking, and sixth graders mention anxiety, depression and body image. They are steadily bombarded with news of tragedies from around the world. Though the world is a safer place than it has ever been, it doesn't seem like that to a young child who consumes so much media as older students do today. Yet, students need the perspective and counsel of teachers more than ever. So how is a teacher to respond to this? 9 things teachers can do. 1) You do what you are called to do. 2) You do what students need you to do. 3) You make time to touch their hearts every day. 4) You look into students' eyes, and they see in yours that you love them. 5) You serve as the voice of reason, courage and hope. 6) You assure them with your presence that they are beautiful creature. 7) You tell them that they matter, that they are geniuses, and that the world needs their contribution. 8) You choose your words carefully, so that those words help students envision success, strech their thinking, and advance independent behaviors and actions. Well-chosen words will stick with your students the rest of their lives. 9) You teach. Your students need you more than ever.
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