The State of Our Educators

The powers that be have asked me to remove my post as it seems that even those who spent years vowing to make changes happen ultimately choose not to stand up for students' rights.

I have, instead, decided to edit my post so that those who deserve praise will still receive it. Let those who fall short explore their own consciences.

___

Today I was honoured to attend a prize-giving ceremony on behalf of my younger sister who won a scholarship this year. 

While at this institution, my sister was blessed with a handful of truly dedicated teachers who went above and beyond the requirements of their job to ensure that their students had the opportunities to succeed. These women knew that being a teacher was more than a job - it is a vocation. When you are entrusted with the responsibility of someone’s education, you commit yourself to doing all in your power to fulfil the role of teacher and exemplar. I don’t need to mention their names because anyone who studied under a teacher like this will immediately associate them with my description.

Unfortunately, not all teachers in the world meet these standards.

Perhaps what’s most disappointing about this is that I know how many great teachers are still out there - teachers who care about their students regardless of creed, race, class or even ability.  So why is it that there aren’t more men and women who view teaching as a vocation? Maybe it’s because too many people see at it as a secure job where you can show up as often as you feel or say whatever you like and never be held accountable. Food for thought.