SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT OUR EDUCATORS
Our educators are called by many names - teachers, mentors, facilitators,
instructors - and sometimes, even accidentally, mum or dad. This leaves little doubt
that mothers, fathers, grandma, and grandpas should also be included in our
definition of educators.
It doesn’t matter what our educators are called, we should all be in
agreement that outstanding educators truly have a gift for influencing lives inside
and outside of classrooms. All of us should be able to recall at least one special
educator, if not more, who has profoundly impacted our lives.
Natural educators are the awe-inspiring leaders of learning. They work tirelessly to
enrich the lives of the next generation - but their devotion to hard work and eternal
positivity often goes unnoticed.
The primary purpose of education is to promote the life-long values and skills that
illuminate our day-to-day experiences. “Education” has been defined as “an
enlightening experience.” and has its beginnings in the Latin word “Educare”,
meaning “to nurture.”
From amusing to inspirational, from inquisitive to knowledgeable, from curious to
appreciative, the following insights should generate some gratefulness - and maybe
even provide a smile or two for the educators who have shared part of their lives
with you.
How have some of the great educators defined education?
“Education is the creation of a sound mind in a sound body.” - Aristotle
“Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education.”
- Martin Luther King Jr.
“No matter what global problem you are dreading, whether it’s the elimination of
poverty, whether it’s the creation of peace, whether it’s solving environmental
energy problems, the solution always includes education.” - Nicholas Negroponte
“Teaching kids to count is fine, but teaching them what counts is best.”
- Bob Talbert
“Nine-tenths of education is encouragement.” - Anatole France
“Good teachers are the ones who can challenge young minds without losing their
own.” - Source Unknown
“I like a teacher who gives you something to take home to think about besides
homework”. - Lily Tomlin
“Educators are the only people who lose sleep over other people's kids.”
- Nicholas A. Ferroni
“Teachers can change lives with just the right mix of chalk and challenges.”
- Joyce Meyer
“The dream begins with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and
leads you to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called
‘truth’.” - Dan Rather
“A good teacher is like a candle - it consumes itself to light the way for others.”
- Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
“It is the teacher that makes the difference, not the classroom.”
- Michael Morpurgo
“The greatest asset of any school is the personality of the teacher.” - John Strachan
“The best teacher of children is one who is essentially childlike.” - H. L. Mencken
“A good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination, and instill a love of
learning.” - Brad Henry
“The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery.” - Mark Van Doren
“Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who
prepare for it today.” - Malcolm X
“It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and
knowledge.” - Albert Einstein
“Schooling does not always lead to learning. Worldwide, there are more nonlearners in school than out of school.” – UNICEF.
It is worthy of note that, in 1859, John Stuart Mill - an English philosopher who was
one of the most influential thinkers of the time - wrote “A general State education
is a mere contrivance for moulding people to be exactly like one another: and as
the mold in which it casts them is that which pleases the predominant power in
the government.”
Since these times, although there have been various innovative attempts to
improve the education systems, the influence and role of the professional educator
has remained largely the same.
1800s: Distance Education Remote learning was first implemented in the 1800s
through mail services. In the US, a private institution called the International
Correspondence Schools was established in 1888 to reskill immigrant coal miners
into mine inspectors or foremen. The school observed a rise in enrolment rates
since they mailed complete textbooks instead of just singular lessons. The
increased accessibility to learning also helped triple the number of college students
in the century.
1900s: Radio and Television Instruction The invention of the radio and television
allowed educational institutions to leverage technology as a learning tool. For
instance, the Pennsylvania State College became the first institution to release
educational courses through radio networks in 1922.
1990s: Web-Based Schooling In the 1990s the University of Phoenix launched an
an online delivery system that offers bachelor’s and master’s degree programs.
Microsoft established an online educational platform in 1995 to allow students to
learn how to use Microsoft products at a flexible pace. A year later, The Jones
International University was launched as the first accredited and fully web-based
university in the US.
2000s: Data-Driven Instruction Aside from using computers and smart devices for
learning, educational institutions are now leveraging technology to input, organize,
and analyze school data to improve existing systems by gathering information and
applying it to improve the learning outcomes of students.
2020s: Mixed Reality Learning The rise of remote learning during the COVID-19
pandemic pushed academic institutions to utilize various innovations for learning.
Some providers are using augmented reality systems to show layers of visual
information as well as using virtual reality to allow students to interact with
computer-generated three-dimensional settings.
Why is it that today’s education systems seem to be outdated and insufficient?
Our teachers, administrators, and policymakers should possess adequate
philosophical understanding of education. The creation of a resilient and effective
education system is only achievable through the collective efforts of all involved.
In essence, irrespective of cultural and ideological differences, the process and aim
of living a quality life is what binds us together - and is the very basis for all forms of
education. Good teachers provide the glue that holds this all together.
The impact of John Dewey - philosopher, psychologist, and educational reformer -
was most apparent during the early twentieth century. He firmly believed that
“Education is a process of living and not a preparation for future living.”
Most of our current teachers, whatever their circumstances and wherever they live,
should be nodding their heads in agreement.