A teacher is someone who nourishes the souls of the students for a lifetime

By: Vinod Chandrashekhar Dixit
Our former President of India, scholar, philosopher and Bharat Ratna recipient Dr.Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was born on 5 September 1888. Because of his love and attachment to the teaching profession, we celebrated Teachers’ Day all over India on 5th September. As an educationist, he was an advocate of edification and was a distinguished envoy, academician, and above all a great teacher. Teacher’s Day is celebrated to acknowledge the challenges, hardships, and special roles that teachers play in our lives. Dr. Radhakrishnan hailed from a small city boy and with the help of education, he became an esteemed politician and a visionary educationist. He was awarded Bharat Ratna in 1952 and in 1954 he received German “Order pour le Merite for Arts and Science”. The light of the world, the beacon in the dark and the hope that gives us strength to survive, is our teacher. A teacher is a friend, philosopher, and guide who holds our hand, opens our mind, and touches our heart. The contribution of a teacher cannot be ignored at all. In many countries across the world, teacher’s day is a special day where teachers of schools, colleges, and universities are honored specially. The day glorifies the teachers worldwide for their constant guidance and hard work in building the life of the students.
According to our Prime Minister Narendra Modi ”Teaching is not a profession, a way of life”. Teachers nourish and prepare students for their future as they are the real icon of knowledge and wisdom. They create awareness among the students and common people. They are the source of light in the world that has been darkened due to ignorance.It is rightly said that Teaching is not a service, profession, or job. It is a pillar of society. Teaching is the most influential job in the world. Teachers are known to shape the mind of youth and without knowledge no one can exist in this world. Teacher imparts good value in children and turn them into responsible citizens. It is rightly said that the future of a particular country lies in the hands of its children. Thus, a teacher has a major role to play in shaping the future of the students and helping us become successful in our respective careers. An ideal teacher is one that becomes courteous all the time without being impartial and not affected by insults. People never forget the one instructor in their lives who helped them develop into the people they are today and gave them the motivation to pursue their goals. Can we ever imagine that without teachers, there is no lawyer, no doctor, no IAS officer, no researcher, and no astronaut. 
As Dr Abdul Kalam would have said, ‘I believe there is no other profession in the world that is more important to society than that of a teacher.’ Teachers are the back bone of our society. They spear head change by shaping and building students’ personality and make them ideal citizens of the country.Teachers have a bigger responsibility of shaping students as individuals, and in ensuring that they grow holistically. A good teacher can motivate students to stay positive, learn good values, and contribute to a wholesome future for themselves, their families, and their country. Teachers are the light of this world, a beacon of hope in the dark that gives us the strength to survive. They are the person who shapes the future of the nation with their vision, knowledge, and experience. As it says, Life is the greatest teacher of all.Life teaches us the art of survival. Teachers are not only academic teachers. In fact, our very first teachers are our parents who teach us to walk, eat, and speak.
Teachers will always be the pillars of every student’s life. The proverb, “a good teacher is like a candle that consumes itself while lighting the way for others” is completely true. They guide us through our dark times to enjoy a beautiful bright future. Considering that teachers mold future generations, taking one day every year to say “thank you” is the least. Let us celebrate the work of dedicated teachers who continue to strive every day to ensure that ‘inclusive and equitable quality education’ and the promotion of ‘lifelong learning opportunities for all’ become a reality in every corner of the globe.