What is the significance of teaching

Like the familiar features of a landscape, they can be overlooked. Unlike sports, politics, entertainment, the arts or the law, teaching does not give rise to "stars. True, many academics have come in for high honors, but always for something other than their work in the classroom — a book, an economic treatise, a ground breaking scientific experiment.

Schoolteachers, as opposed to university professors, are particularly under-recognized. Who is to say that a woman conducting a kindergarten class may not be contributing as much to society as the most degree-laden university professor? Given the evidence that our very first brush with education leaves a permanent stamp on our characters, that a teacher could be molding a future Abraham Lincoln or a Madame Curie.

More likely, though, she is molding a whole class of the type of responsible citizens upon whom the wellbeing of our society depends. To be done exceptionally well, teaching requires a special talent and sense of vocation. Teaching is a creative act, never more so than in primary and secondary schools. Good teachers, like good artists, have their own individual styles of performing. They also respect the individuality of their students in the realization that everybody learns through his or her own perceptions.

The story is told of a legendary teacher who was asked at the start of the term what his course matter would be. It would be a wonderful world if every teacher deeply understood each and every child and put that understanding into effect, but that would be asking too much of human nature.

The world would be equally wonderful if every youngster came to school to learn. There is an element of truth, however, to the old teacher's room joke that for every one who wants to teach there are 20 not wanting to be taught. The teacher has the peculiar dual task of inculcating knowledge while at the same time breaking down resistance to its inculcation.

Instilling a zest for learning is instilling a zest for life. Few would dispute that the aim of education should be to produce individuals able to think for themselves and not merely follow what someone else has told them.

For teachers to accomplish this is to concentrate on what M. Ashley Montague called "the drawing out, not the pumping in.

It was a wise mother who asked her young son after school not "what did you do today? The word "educate" comes from the Latin educare, which means, "to draw out" the student into a wider world of knowledge. Students benefit when they see that their parents and teachers are on the same page and that both value education. When teachers share the curriculum and learning objectives, then parents have an opportunity to extend and reinforce those lessons.

For example, if parents living in the city know the teacher is planning a lesson on tadpoles, the parents may decide to visit a nature center with their child to look for tadpoles in a pond. Teachers are important in society because they prepare and influence tomorrow's leaders. Every day, students learn important lessons about sharing, respect, valuing differences and making ethical decisions.

Teachers who can enable their students to feel important and included will create safe classroom spaces, and the children will model the behavior that leaders should emulate. The well-being of planet Earth depends on having educated, ethical and responsible leaders who know how to solve problems, often communicating across cultural lines.

Teachers also provide guidance on pursuing higher education and participating in events that encourage growth in a young person. The importance of teachers as guides for children as they consider furthering their education is immeasurable. The best teachers also inspire their students to work harder and push themselves. They encourage students to understand the importance of dedicating themselves to passion projects or endeavors. And success builds upon success.

The more a student pushes themselves to accomplish their goals, the more they realize what they are capable of doing. How can anyone put a value on something like that? Teaching can be a tough, complex job.