Celebrating the Teachers of Today…and Tomorrow

Every year, World Teachers’ Day provides an opportunity to address issues related to educational instruction and our dedicated teachers who are educating the next generation. The 2019 theme of World Teachers’ Day is “Young Teachers: The Future of the Profession.” According to UNESCO, “The day provides the occasion to celebrate the teaching profession worldwide, to take stock of achievements, and to address some of the issues central for attracting and keeping the brightest minds and young talents in the profession.”

I started my full-time career in secondary education in the Fall of 2003. Since then, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting thousands of students.

Over the years, I’ve heard people complain about this generation of kids…they are entitled, they don’t want to work, they’re apathetic, etc. Each time, I shake my head. I’ve known for years what many in the public are only seeing recently. This generation is fierce. This generation is empathetic. This generation has an acute awareness of what is right and what is wrong. This generation knows how to make things happen. This generation knows how to meaningfully connect with others at a moment’s notice. This generation dreams big – and they will be the teachers of tomorrow!

As teachers of such a powerful and capable generation, we need to shift our role. Instead of the teacher as a keeper of knowledge in the front of the classroom, we need to be the facilitators of action. We need to support our students and provide them the tools they need to make evidence-based decisions, to communicate effectively, and to act. Education is not about imparting our own knowledge on others…it’s about fostering the belief in our students that they have the power and skills to shape their own future and the future of our world.

This generation is our future; and we are in good hands.

Post by Lisa Fabulich, Former FLVS Middle School Teacher & 2020 Teacher of the Year