“Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire. “ W.B. Yeat.
Every nation’s growth, development and ultimately future depends on its future generations. And the shaping of the future generations can only happen with proper education. Education to a growing population is as important as sunlight is to a small plant.It defines the growth of the plant and eventually helping it to grow into a big tree and bear fruits too.Similarly, proper and adequate education defines the path of a youth. Hence, education givers are the backbone of a society as they are the ones that actually show the way for a child to grow into a resourceful model citizen.
Albert Einstein said “it is the supreme art of a teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.” Teachers have an influential role in molding the future of a student. In terms of giving to the society, there is no other profession as demanding and challenging as teaching. Hence, it is our duty to recognize that effort and devotion teachers put in everyday to ensure we have a better life. Teaching is the most selfless form of work as it only involves sharing what a teacher knows with his/her pupils and not expecting anything in return. For all that teachers have done for us throughout our lives starting from the kindergarten till college and higher education, they need to be respected, applauded and celebrated. Thus evolved the auspicious Teachers Day as a way to show some appreciation to the teachers that have taught us all we know.
Teachers day is celebrated all over the world, but interestingly, the dates don’t necessarily match everywhere. Most of the countries have their own little history behind their chosen date for celebrating Teachers Day.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on the 5th of October in the year 1966 had held an intergovernmental conference on matters concerning the status of teachers. Taking this history into account, later UNESCO decided to celebrate this day as the International Teachers Day in the year 1994. Since then, governments of countries all over the world have unanimously recognized the importance of teachers and conserving their rights and defining their role. Positive responses to World Teachers Day for the last 11 years show the awareness and appreciation society has for the unparalleled contributions of the knowledge givers.
In India, Teachers Day is celebrated on the 5th of September unlike the world Teachers Day. Since 1962, India has seen the celebration of Teachers Day in schools and colleges throughout the country as a way of showing utmost respect that students have for their teachers. To be more precise, India celebrates Teachers Day on the birthday of the late Dr. SarvepalliRadhakrishnan as a mark of tribute and honor to the tireless contributions teachers have been making since the beginning of civilization. Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the second president of India was a very intellectual man and he believed in sharing his knowledge with the younger generation and, in turn, helping in their growth and development.
He was born on the 5th of September in 1888 and there is an interesting story to how this very day got to be named as Teachers Day in India. It is believed that friends and family of the then president Dr. Radhakrishnan had asked him to let them celebrate his birthday. So he had asked them to not just celebrate his birthday but to celebrate this day as Teachers Day in honor of the teachers around the country selflessly sharing their knowledge with the youth, the future of the nation. And as history quotes, the 5th of September has since been celebrated allover India as Teachers Day. Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was a scholar and a great preacher in his own accords. He is known to be the bridge between India and the foreign countries’ understanding of the Hindu religion, in turn, contributing to the formation of the contemporary Hindu identity. He was awarded with Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award in India in the year 1954 and was later made an honorable member of the British Royal Order of Merit in 1963.
Teachers Day is celebrated in schools and colleges throughout the country on 5th September every year and there is a custom that senior students are asked to take junior periods as acting teachers by giving lectures and primary level teaching. This is fun even for the juniors and more notably for the teachers as they get to see just how much love and affection the students have for them. Then there is the tradition of bringing gifts for teachers in the form of maybe a simple card or a pen to collective class gifts like wrist watches, etc. All of us at some point in our lives have been students and have had teachers who looked out for us and helped us in achieving what we have till date and so it should be our moral duty to respect and honor them and make them realize just how important they are and just how much they are appreciated.
Teachers Day gift ideas for your teacher would be to present them with cards which have greetings written on them, or maybe create a card yourself and present it to your teacher. Students usually bring gifts for their most admired teacher and this shows the respect and bonding students have with their teachers. Students have even written poems and sang songs on Teachers Day for their favorite teacher and also prepared motivational and encouraging speeches.
Unique gift ideas can be given to your teacher on this Teachers Day’s it shows your love and affection towards your teachers.
Teachers’ Day gift suggestions:
- Writing and delivering a speech of your first encounter with a particular teacher and how he/she has helped you in pursuing your dreams.
- Organizing a party for the teachers to have a break from the tireless work they do every single day.
- Presenting them with a few lines on how they have changed the students’ life for the better.
