By Victor Bieni
A Teacher, an Educationist, and Author, Mr. Micheal Omisore yesterday in Asaba Delta State Capital harps on the need for the entire society, Stakeholders to appreciate the roles played by teachers towards the impartation of knowledge to the students at any give point in time.
He narrated how Sometime in May last year when he was invited by the Lagos State Ministry of Education to train English Language subject teachers in the state. It was in preparation for the state-wide essay competition for secondary school students that last year.
According to him, he communicated the three aspects that should go into a good essay (namely, structure/technique, content/essence and concept/creativity) to the teachers, a knowledge they cascaded to students in their respective schools, which at the end there was a testimonial.
Omisore noted that the essays written that year by selected students who went in for the competition was judged much better than those of previous years.
Omisore noted that he was duly acknowledged for my role at the grand finale/award winning event of the competition.
He opined that is what teachers are, that they are conduits for learning, that they give learning experiences they have first received to their students, therefore that the quality of the learning experiences they have is the quality of the learning they give, and the teaching experience they build for themselves.
In another Development he stated that another reason teachers should be appreciated so they can up their game in the quality of learning experiences they have and give.
He then suggested the ways therefore teachers be appreciated to mark the World Teachers’ Day (October 5) this year with the suggestions here, but nothing is binding.
He noted that appreciation is like a freewill offering, each employer of teachers, parent of students or individual that wants to appreciate teachers should do so at his/her own level and by his/her own will.
In his suggestions as ways if Commending teachers in their role in the society: “For the employer of teachers) Send out an address (speech) to the teachers under you to commemorate World Teachers’ Day (like a president or governor would do on memorable days) .Let the address convey your recognition of their role, your appreciation, and your wishes/prayer for a brighter future”.
“Send personalised note or text of appreciation to each teacher. Make it as distinct as possible so that it really connects with the average teacher”.
“Very important, school owners should take note). Encourage parents to call to say Happy Teachers’ Day’ to their children’s teacher(s). Whether this gesture is accompanied with a gift or not, it will be golden for the teacher”.
“Tell the world about your teachers and how good they are.
For school owners, get on social media and put out a post and picture(s) taken for the ocassion (to appreciate your teachers individually or in group). For those that are not aversed to being mentioned on social media, tag their own profile so their own friends and followers can get to know they are being appreciated”.
“For individuals that want to appreciate their old teachers, do a post (with or without a picture/image), mentioning the teacher and the role he/she played and tag him/her if on social media. Whether or not he/she sees it, whether dead or alive, you have bestowed honour on the teaching profession”.
Omisore therefore admonished individuals in enviable positions and as a result commanding the press, especially the Governors, Senators, Commissioners, LG Chairmen), bring one or two of your old teachers to the spotlight and Celebrate them publicly to commemorate World Teachers’ Day, so as to make it a news that day by telling the whole world that teaching is worth it.
In his words: “Don’t just appreciate the teachers. Give them opportunity to appreciate themselves” .
“For school owners, Organise a photoshoot session ahead of the Teachers’ Day. Give each teacher an opportunity to take some good pictures. Most will use the quality pictures on their social media platforms. Encourage them to comment on Teachers’ Day and their experiences as a teacher. They are doing if for themselves and their profession”.
“Circulate images/banners about World Teachers’ Day or that which commend teachers and the teaching profession (I am coming up with some images before the end of the week). If the images are of good quality and the message on them is unique and positive, the teachers will use and share them on their own”.
“Make souvenirs commemorating World Teachers’ Day (pen, jotter, journal, t-shirt etc), with a unique slogan/message commending teachers. Let it go round all teachers on the payroll”.
” On the issue of Merit Award, for employers of teachers). If you are going to have awards, don’t have the winner takes all’ kind. It can be counterproductive to have one teacher carting home the whole reward on a day set aside to appreciate all teachers. So, spread the awards and let as many teachers as possible go home with a prize”.
You can award prizes for the following: Punctuality, Dress code adherence, Lesson Plan Submission, Meeting deadlines (generally), Teacher(s) with the best good feedback from parents, Teacher(s) with the best decorated classroom,
List not exhaustive. There can be more than one awardee for each category”.
Speaking further on the benefits of teachers day and how the day can be maximally utilized for teachers appreciation he opined that, group awards can be given to the different arms: Creche, basic schools, secondary and different departments such as English, Science, Commerical, Arts, and that alk the teachers somehow should be included in the awards, that the goal here is inclusion not exclusion.
He suggested enhancement training for teachers by stating that
It is good for teachers to have a jolly time on World Teachers’ Day, but it can also be a time of career enhancement.
For school owners, bring a trainer to your (WhatsApp) forum and let him/her share essential knowledge with your teachers for an hour or two. Prepare your teachers ahead to be ready to ask relevant questions. If the trainer is resourceful enough, this alone can make their day
Also, you can arrange an onsite training where the trainer will be there physically with your staff. Whether online or onsite, your teachers stand to benefit a whole lot.
The seasoned Educationist, Teacher, life couch then enjoined employers of teachers, labour as of World Teachers Day to mark October 5, being Saturday, 2019 that is celebrated globally, a Party Day in this part of the world, that school owners should have a special lunch or dinner for their teachers, they can ask them to bring their spouse along in order to have fun, eat good food, play some good games, and address them on what the day is all about at the end of the show.
He added that school owners can as well plan another show of the celebration for another day if that Saturday is not convenient for them , which he said can be before and after the event.
According to the Educationist,
he will not shy away from emphasising the need for valuable commendations to be given to average teacher as a gift to show his/her family that day, be it is a souvenir, an award prize or a personal gift given to appreciate him/her, adding that the kind gesture will score a good point.
He admonished Parents to without any compulsion, make it a compulsory thing by given a gift to their child’s teacher
Omisore also encourage individuals who want to appreciate their old teachers, especially those ones that are still alive, knowing where he/she is, that the old student should send a gift of appreciation to his / her old teachers because they deserved it.
For school owners, a good gift to give is self help/motivational books on personal development. (I have a list ot such books that I can recommend privately). Such a book can turn gold if read, asimilated and its ideals acted upon by the teacher.
The Educational guru advised employers of teachers to as matter of urgency boost the morale of the teachers while marking the Teachers’ Day, that employers can announce a benefit or incentive in the offing for teachers, but make sure you do not promise what you cannot fulfill because that will be counterproductive at the end, stating that the benefit can be about welfare, improving the school environment or standard, renumeration, training and so on, only make a promise that will be fulfilled.
Finally, he noted that the above are the different ways teachers can be appreciated, hoping that every employer of teachers will digest and pick at least a couple of them to work on so that his/her teachers can have a great Teachers’ Day on Saturday.
