(On 05-09-2017 – Friday
M E S S A G E
“It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge” – Albert Einstein.
Rev. Sr. Lorene, Sisters, dear teachers and my dear students,
A very good morning to one and all.
First and foremost let me wish you all a very happy Teacher’s Day! It is needless for me to tell about the importance of the day as you have already heard it and you are well aware of it.
But still, I would like to tell you something about teachers. Who is a teacher? And what a teacher has to be ?
Teachers are builders, for they help to built up their students into integrated personalities. They are moulders, for they mould the character of those whom they educate. Teachers are the leaders for their noble task is to lead, direct and guide the steps of their pupils towards the heights of the truth and into the depths of goodness and love. They are men and women who give of their time, their energies, their patience, their warmth, their inspiration to make their students better citizens of tomorrow.
Teacher is a Guru. Guru is the mediator / helper / facilitator, to raise oneself to God. Guru imparts knowledge. Knowledge is Gnana. And the knowledge is one of the means to attain Moksha. Hence teacher has great role to play in the life of his/her students/Shishyas. This relationship is bound with mutual trust and confidence. A Teacher is to build up the trust and confidence in her students. The teacher is made great by the very title ‘Teacher’. But the Teacher becomes the greatest teacher, when she transmits the knowledge to his/her students without any reservation. If fails, He/She becomes teacher only by profession. We are to be the true instructors, because it is not just a profession but a vocation
We are to care for the wellbeing of the students, entrusted to our care. Once it was asked, if God and your teacher, stand before you, who would you pay your first homage? The reply was: “It is to my teacher”. Because the Teacher plays a vital role in the lives of the pupils under his / her care. The child under our care should be able to receive the love, care, affection, understanding, acceptance and respect. The greatest example we have in the modern world is the example of Mother Theresa whose death Anniversary, we celebrate today. She showed to the world how education can transform the humanity. Because for her education is not for the formation of intellect, but it is for the formation of the mind , where a person can turn to be of love, concern, caring, understanding etc. Education is for the welfare and transformation of the human persons. Anybody can contribute for the development of the intellect, but for the mind formation we need teachers. It is the need of the hour, to mould the young minds to great persons of tomorrow. It is not how much you study is important, but how you study. That is, transformation of human persons. On this day it would be the greatest tribute we can pay to Dr.Sarvepalli Radha Krishna by becoming persons who mould the mind and not only the intellect. This is what Mother Theresa wished and aspired. Then how can we be an ordinary teacher? We need to ask ourselves. Am I a teacher by profession? Or am I a teacher by Vocation? Do I understand the real meaning of my profession? If yes well. There is a reciprocal relationship, or inter relatedness of a teacher to his/her student. Teacher is the one who lovingly transmits the knowledge to students.
So my dear students, let us all quieten ourselves and pray for a while in silence for our teachers, that they may become worthy instruments, contented by the power of God through our prayers, thus they may be able to become not only a mere teacher, but also become a channel of God’s Love and Wisdom. For Jesus is the first and greatest teacher. May He bless all our teachers with good health, prosperity, happiness and peace.
Once again, “I wish you a Very Happy Teacher’s Day”.
Thank you and God bless us.
(Sr. Gibi Antony)
Hedmistress,
Nirmala High School, Vijayawada.