A teacher is generally described as a subject expert who passes-on the knowledge of past generations to the new generation. But a school teacher is more than that. A school teacher is somebody who shapes his/her students' identities and changes the fundamental definition of what they are.
When young impressionable minds are placed under the care of school teachers, they learn not only that which is taught to them but much more. They learn to be honest and hard-working if their teachers are so, and learn those moral values that they see being practised and not those that are preached to them. In this respect, the importance of good teachers cannot be overemphasized. There have been umpteen cases where the effects of bad parenting have been overcome by good teachers. Teachers serve as role models for their pupils. They must be even more cautious of the imprint their actions shall leave on their students than parents. Due to the limitless problems of life, parents might not always be able to demonstrate righteous behaviour in front of their children. But, for teachers this is a comparatively easy task. After all, to be mindful of your Ps and Qs for six hours a day, for six days a week is not all that hard.
A teacher can change his/her students' lives forever.When a child enters the primary school; he/she learns simple things which are the foundations of future knowledge. Along with these, the moral values of an individual are also shaped during this period. Primary teachers contribute less in terms of degrees and diplomas but more in terms of persons and characters.Their words are the ultimate verdicts for their pupils.
Moving from primary to higher classes a kid grows and teachers begin to look more like human-beings than gods. Pupils discover that their teachers are not perfections but have their own frailties. And when the tidal waves of adolescence hit, teachers may be thought of only only in terms of their faults and shortcomings. But, this is neither the students' fault nor the teachers'. It is just the 'rebel-cool' syndrome that teenage brings with it. The right guidance and support from teachers can transform a confused kid trapped in an adult body into a mature, grown-up individual.
These basic tenets of a person's character which school and parents together instil in him/her are the real treasures that he/she owns. Looking at the modern world with its cut-throat competition, you might want to bring me back to reality. A reality in which values have become obsolete and the right degree and over-smartness is the path to success. But let me take you to a reality at the higher-level. When companies recruit, the qualities which they search for, even in IIM pass-outs, are - being a team-player; an honest worker; a go-getter attitude and devotion towards the goal. And where do these virtues come from? From learning Maths and Economics or from learning Physics and Chemistry? Or do they come from knowing how to walk all over others? They come from the basics of what one was taught, the ideals one believes in. This, in turn brings us back to the old idiom but with a new touch, “Honesty is always the best policy even if it’s not the trend”.
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