Dr. VIKAS SHARMA
Without teachers, there is no lawyer, no doctor, no IAS officer, no researcher, and no astronaut. Teachers support us and guide us through our path towards a brighter future. In all over a world, the mother comes first as the teacher for her children. From every childhood, the children learn to speak from their mother. She is the great idol of her children. On the next, the teacher come in every student’s life for teaching to them.
The students are deeply affected by the teacher’s love and affection, his character, his competence, and his moral commitment. A popular teacher becomes a model for his students. The students try to follow their teacher in his manners, customs, etiquette, style of conversation and his get up. He is their ideal. He can lead them anywhere. Therefore, as a token of love, respect, regards, admiration, appreciation, and honor, Teacher’s Day is celebrated across India and world. In our country, Teacher’s Day is celebrated on the birth anniversary of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan who served as the first Vice President of India. “A nation comprises of the children way more than adults. The children are the future and the teachers are the ones who are getting them ready for their task. With optimum education, wisdom, exposure and resources, the teachers are building the nation for tomorrow brick by brick and the foundation is so solid that the nation will only grow upwards. Teaching as a profession is probably the most challenging because it combines all the other professions in order to help a child grow. One has to have good communication skills, managerial skills, reading and writing skills, storytelling skills, everything. The teachers have selflessly and courageously chosen the path where they will always be working for the mankind and for its good. Not everybody has the heart to do it. The leaders of today are getting the leaders of tomorrow ready”. During their early education, the students tend to determine their aims in life and their future plans, in consultation with their teachers. Teachers, therefore, have to play a cardinal role in the building up of the character of the next generation. It is a fact that a civilization cannot rise out of a skeleton of mere ideas and abstract concepts. Civilization finds a concrete shape in the practical behaviour of a nation, based on these principles and concepts. Once the practical aspect is gone, the civilization also disappears and can only be studied through its remnants preserved in museums and chronicles. This necessitates the provision of a learning atmosphere throbbing with life in our educational institutions through the presence of the teacher, with a view to infuse confidence in our students and to enable them to be proud of their culture, to respect their national character and national emblems, and to ornament themselves with societal conduct and morals. They should stand firm on the centuries old foundations of their cultural tradition and at the same time should establish standards of excellence in their academic performance. The essence of the teacher as a nation builder cannot be over-emphasized. Good teachers need to be themselves constantly seeking knowledge, be of good character, have high motivation and be creative, innovative and effective in the teaching strategies. The good deeds of teachers are great; because of them, we will grow to become knowledgeable people who will be of use to society, religion and our nation and country. Teachers are no less than an engineer or architect of our society as a whole. Teachers are the pillars of society. They are the building blocks of the nation’s future. They inspire us to bring about the best in ourselves and serve the country. Teachers are one of the best trainers to complete the ambition of students’ life by learning a good way. Teachers are only one who prepares the children to become great citizens of tomorrow. Chanakya has rightly stated, “Teacher is the maker of nation” So for the development of the country, it is very important to have good teachers and good teachers can be produced only if we have a good system of teacher education and dedicated and efficient teacher-educators. The teacher can be rightly called a nation builder. Teachers through their perseverance love and sacrifices have shown us the right path in which great men have built our nation. It is our dear teachers who mould our character, our personality and show us the right direction which leads us to our final destination. Flourishing national development and a society truly prosperous with knowledge all begins from its teachers. This is why everyone should put efforts into seeking as much knowledge as possible and appreciate the teacher’s importance in guiding us and the generations to come, to become knowledgeable and morally upright people. The Knowledge received without a teacher’s guidance can be compared to a blind man walking without his stick. Teacher is a maker of man and is foundation of all Education, and thus of the whole civilization of mankind, present and future. Therefore, the teacher is a representative of the society who inculcates moral precepts. In the development of a country, great attention has to be paid to education and learning, as well as good morals, and nobody is more suited to assist in this process than the humble teacher. On this auspicious occasion, I would like to quote “A teacher takes a hand, opens a mind, and touches a heart.” I, once again, extend my heartiest gratitude and respect to all the teachers who have helped in every step of our lives directly or indirectly. Thank you teachers for always being there for us, motivating us, and pushing us beyond our limits to relish the success. Teachers are the only ones who remembered throughout life. Everyone should do respect their teachers; it will be ideal for life. Today is the day to acknowledge each teacher of our lives. They taught us how to fight and stand once again when we fail. Without teachers, both knowledge and morals would suffer. The role of the teacher is a multi-faceted one comprising academic, pedagogical and social roles.
(The author is President Teaching Association SKUAST-Jammu).