TEACHERS: THE PILLARS OF THE NATION

Jomar L. Tungol

Teachers take a crucial part in a learner’s life. A young student is likened to a blank canvas like how a teacher is compared to a painter who draws meaning to a hollow paper. The main responsibility of an educator is to search and build meaningful educational ideas and experiences that enable students to resolve real-world issues and to show that they have learned necessary know-hows, acquired powerful skills and developed good habits that meet the needs of the nation. Our country has the highest literacy rate among Southeast Asian countries but it is the lowest in terms of comprehension. It is truly an arduous task to lead the nation from ignorance to enlightenment, from mere memorization to actual understanding. It is the teacher who’s responsible for carrying the torch of knowledge. It is he who instill the qualities of service, sacrifice and nobility to his students through his actions and words. Teachers are tasked to present cultural and intellectual resources to a herd of young people who are still struggling to find their own colors and identities. Accordingly, they have the responsibility of inspiring young people, unleashing their unlimited abilities, and showing them various techniques on how they can manage difficult situations. At present, many educators are adapting and adopting new teaching practices which recognize the art and the science of learning. Reinventing the role of teachers both within and outside the school can lead to better education and more educated learners. In order to offer teachers the support they need, the rest of the community must also be eager to reinvent their roles as stakeholders of education. Teaching is a multifaceted profession wherein teachers play the role of a coach, tutor, organizer, facilitator, counselor, instructor, model, motivator, authority, arbiter, disciplinarian, mentor, and parents’ surrogate. A teacher is the jack of all trades who should be the master of everything because he has a responsibility of shape young minds and in order to do so, he ought to have critical thinking, innovativeness and a strong motive to grow professionally and face the challenges of societal change. The structure of the nation lies in the hands of the teachers, the pillars of the country’s future. --oOo-The author is Teacher I at San Isidro Elementary School, San Luis District – San Luis, Pampanga