Happy World Teachers Day!

I really like the theme this year – the teachers we need for the education we want. This commitment is absolutely true in West Vancouver as we work to support learners.

No fresh content from me this week, but I want to take this World Teachers’ Day to share some of my favourite posts I have made on this day throughout the years.  One of the rewarding parts of being able to write here on this blog is celebrating teachers from my life, and our profession more broadly.  Teachers make such a difference, but they often do so quietly.  

In 2011, I wrote about Mrs. Caffrey.  I had her for grades 2,3 and 4.  I arrived in her class unable to read and without any confidence, and left her class three years later, a completely different student.

One of the key role of teachers is that of mentors for other teachers.  In 2012, I highlighted some of mine in The Good Fortune of Mentors.  I have been thinking recently about the different roles that teachers play in their schools and their professions at different times in their career.  One of the key things experienced teachers do is support those newer to the profession.  

How Many Can You Name? was the challenge in my 2016 post.  And this challenge is a good game to play.  Get out a piece of paper, or open a new “Note” on your phone and start naming your K-12 teachers.  It is usually easier with those from elementary school than high school as it was typically 1 each year.  I think you will be surprised with just how many teachers you can still name – and maybe, as you are thinking of them, it would be a good time to look them up and say thank you.  

And last year, in 2022, I wrote a post  Teachers reflecting on the state of the profession.  In re-reading it, I still feel this all strongly today.  We need to treat teachers well.  Teaching is a profession that we want to attract the very best, and how the community treats the people currently in the system will play a large part in if they stay, and if the best of the coming generations choose teaching.

And while not published on World Teachers’ Day, at the end of the 2022 school year I wrote a post on 26 teachers who have had a major impact on me in 26 Years, 26 Teachers, 26 Lessons that celebrates much of what we are celebrating today about our profession.

As we recognize World Teachers’ Day 2023 – all the best to all those in West Vancouver and beyond – thank you for all you do to equip students with the knowledge and skills they need to navigate the challenges of life, fostering personal growth and critical thinking.