World Teachers’ Day!
We’ve all had a favourite teacher who went above and beyond, who made a positive impact on us or we might have just really loved, and this week we celebrate them! On the 5th of October every year since 1994, we celebrate World Teachers’ Day! On this day, we come together to celebrate everything teachers have done to transform education around the globe, reflect on the support they need to teach to their full potential and rethink how we progress the profession globally.
This important date (5th October) commemorates the anniversary of the adoption of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers - this sets the benchmarks for the rights and responsibilities of teachers, the standards for their initial preparation and further education, recruitment, employment, and teaching and learning conditions.
“The transformation of education begins with teachers”
2022’s theme for the celebration is “The transformation of education begins with teachers”. Celebrations will focus on the commitments and calls for action made at the Transforming Education Summit, in September 2022, and analyse the implications they have for teachers and teaching.
UNESCO Headquarters will host three days of celebration which include an award-winning ceremony UNESCO-Hamdan Prize for Teacher Development. You can find the full programme here.
Over 100 countries celebrate World Teachers’ Day, along with some famous faces. During today’s World Teacher’s Day, First Lady Jill Biden will appear on The Kelly Clarkson Show for an hour-long special dedicated to teachers, and participate in Pinterest’s day-long live stream to celebrate teachers, featuring top educator creators from across the country.
How can you get involved?
Give your teacher a gift - whether it be a ‘thank you’ card, a drawing, a poem, a PowerPoint or something you’d know they like, show your teacher how much you appreciate their help and support.
Let your teacher relax - a lot of schools around the world organise relaxing days to show their teachers how important they are. It can be stressful having the weight of education on your shoulders, so taking it easy for a day is a real treat!
Reflect - take the time to reflect on the role education has played in your life, did you have any teachers that acted as role-models? As positive influences? Could you reach out and say thank you? Consider how you might influence any students you go on to teach. Today is all about showing your appreciation & gratitude.
Engage - if you’re a teacher yourself, or you're just interested in engaging with everything teaching there are lots of resources online where you can create connections, hear stories and explore ideas on innovation to improve student outcomes. For example, you can listen to some great podcasts here.
