Appreciating Teachers

September 21, 2021

  • Thank you. …
  • We appreciate you. …
  • Your sacrifices don’t go unnoticed. …
  • You made this easy to understand. …
  • You make me see things in a different light. …
  • You truly care about your students. …
  • You’re making a huge impact. …
  • I wouldn’t be where I am without you.

Teachers, such an instrumental part of any child’s life. Most of us would not be where we are if it was not for the teachers who sacrificed their time and had the patience to impact knowledge into us. But teachers are likely, working in the most unappreciated profession, and this truism cuts across the entire world. The amount of work teachers put in to educate their students, is unimaginable. They put extra work and hours into their schedules to stay ahead of the system they are taxed to teach. Teachers participate in additional schooling, and work nights and on weekends. We would not have lawyers, doctors, engineers, architects, professors, and many other enviable professions without teachers. The commitment most teachers give to their students is to be highly commended.

Teachers would be tremendously encouraged if they felt appreciated on occasion. Being a teacher in Africa comes with a lot of challenges. The infrastructure in most schools does not favor teachers at all. Often, a teacher will be posted far away from the teacher’s hometown to go and teach. He/she will be expected to cater to the students every need without a hardship allowance. Most of the arid areas in Kenya lack teachers because the climate is not conducive for teaching. A teacher who is posted kilometers away from home will be expected to leave the family back home. Commuting back home to family, then becomes a challenge. The roads are very bad, the few vehicles that ply over these routes charge a lot of money because of the wear and tear on the vehicles.

There are also some areas that are bandit prone. In 2015, 147 students and teachers lost their lives in an area known as Garissa where they were attacked by the Al-Shabaab militia. Of the teachers who lost their lives, their families were left struggling, and did not get any support from the government. The Ministry of Education posted new teachers to the University when it re-opened. Many of those posted, however, refused to go to the University. They were threatened that they would be sacked or refused other postings if they did not report to the University, and many, though scared for their lives, ended up working in an environment that was very tense.

Teachers deal with students who are sometimes unmanageable. Oftentimes, parents have abdicated their duties and left the teachers the responsibility of parenting their children where they have failed.

 

Last week, during the Choice Club meeting, we honored the teachers. We wanted them to know they are appreciated and honored. The teachers were so pleased with the gesture; they could not hide their joy. The students told them how much they appreciate the support they receive from them, and promised to behave, to make the teachers work easier. We reminded them that the teachers are also human beings who must deal with their own personal issues, and the students need to be considerate, so as not to add stress to an already difficult situation.

 

Thank you. It’s a simple but meaningful phrase that people in the teaching profession don’t hear often enough.

 

Gifting the teachers as a way of appreciation.

The teachers happy as they receive their gifts.

When students show understanding, it boosts the teacher’s morale.

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