A teacher is often thought of as a person whose only purpose is to teach concepts and create an understanding of a topic. But the integral role of teachers goes beyond that of a simple math lesson.
As students, we attend classes led by these people almost every day for hours on end, which places the responsibility on teachers to not only educate, but also tend to the needs of each student. Thus, it would be more fitting to alter our perception of their roles as educators to something more like an away-from-home parent.
I think of teachers as second parents because they must always be there for students, even when they aren’t feeling well. When a kid is downcast, the teacher is responsible for talking to him about it. When one is misbehaving, the teacher must appropriately discipline him. When a kid is frustrated, the teacher must radiate patience. It is a teacher’s responsibility to ensure a child’s well-being is the best it can be in their care, and often, at the same time, they sacrifice their own well-being to achieve that.
I’m sure our elders can relate to this common saying: parenting is exhausting. True enough, dealing with children could lead to burnout, lack of sleep, and lack of time for things you used to do. Similarly, teachers go through these things as part of their jobs. On a daily basis, they are in charge of 25 to 30 students with different needs, wants, struggles, and experiences for eight to nine hours. Not to mention the punctuality of teachers attending meetings, conferences with parents, and assigning homework and due dates.
In spite of the struggles, teachers help us grow intellectually and develop our skills, just as our parents do. Through the lessons they teach us, we are able to not only better understand the world around us but, perhaps more importantly, understand ourselves as well. And in order to teach us about ourselves and the world we live in, they put our critical thinking skills to the test. With that, we are able to discover our strengths and weaknesses in addition to identifying problems around us.
A teacher is also responsible for letting children find their own way. Seeing a child struggle can be disheartening and frustrating, and as tempting as it is to help them, teachers and parents alike know that this struggle is an integral stage of learning a particular thing. But both realize that the best course of action is to not help, it is to let the child figure out things on his own with their guidance. Tough love helps build character, instill hard work, and inculcate the value of accountability to children.
However, teachers aren’t entirely negligent in recognizing a child’s struggle. In fact, something that both parents and teachers converge on is wanting a child to succeed. Teachers constantly encourage students to go beyond their boundaries. At the same time, they lend a helping hand to students when they experience setbacks, and take pride in announcing and celebrating their achievements.
Without a doubt, having an inspiration or someone to look up to can help motivate a child to pursue their dreams or help them discover a path they never knew they had an interest in. That is precisely the role teachers partake in. They have the power to cultivate or inspire a new generation to achieve their dreams. Whether it be helping a child find a new passion and helping them hone that talent, or maybe seating someone next to another person who will unknowingly become their lifelong friend. Teachers create a long-lasting impact on students’ lives. It’s similar to how the lessons parents instill in their children last their entire lives. The case is the same for teachers. In the same way children look up to their parents, students hold that same veneration for teachers. When veneration becomes admiration, a teacher can spark inspiration for that child. I’m sure many adults can pinpoint teachers who made a difference in their lives. It is through this that we see that teachers aren’t mere relayers of information. They are the pioneers of our future generation, cultivating young minds to think outside the box and create new ideas.
Teachers are the integral keystone and bedrock foundation of our new generation of children.