On Wednesday, October 5, Rwanda joined rest of the globe in celebrating the World Teachers’ Day. According to UNESCO, the Teachers’ Day represents a significant token of the awareness, understanding and appreciation displayed for the vital contribution that teachers make to education and development.

The day reminds us of the essential role of teachers in educational advancement and the importance of their contribution to the development of man and modern society and is intended to ensure that teachers enjoy the status commensurate with this role.

For the last 15 years, Rwanda, like other countries around the world, marks this day by appreciating the contribution of teachers and offering different prizes to outstanding performers, on top of other initiatives that have been introduced to boost the general welfare of our teachers.

The country’s development goals cannot be realised without the tireless efforts put in by these educators.This is a day to pay our teachers a little bit of extra gratitude for shaping our lives and minds and those of our children. The whole world takes the opportunity to discuss, share and seek to improve the welfare of our teachers wherever they are.

It offers students and parents a special opportunity to recognise the hard work teachers do. We cannot adequately compensate the work that teachers do, they are our everyday heroes!

First and foremost, teachers are at the heart and soul of our education. Opening doors to a world of knowledge is the challenge that teachers worldwide undertake and fulfill every day in their schools, their communities and their homes.Through their efforts and imagination, teachers inspire students to reach out and move beyond horizons. They are endowed with good teaching results in ensuring that we, as a society, have knowledgeable and forward looking citizens who can assume the mantle of leadership in the future.

Teachers are the ultimate multi-taskers – they learn through experience what works best. They teach not only academics, but also thinking skills. They teach children to learn how to figure things out on their own, solve problems and become lifelong learners.

They also teach adults to add more drops into their knowledge cups so as to improve our everyday life.

Teachers are always expected to be able to teach, manage complex groups with complex personal and social needs, identify situations that need extra skills and provide it, understand child psychology, work with difficult parents, try and change parental attitudes, and do it all under massive systematic and cultural expectations that the students be by eventually passing exams, winning competitions, and generally excelling.

They impact other skills, which may not even be their primary goals, but end up being certainly a vitally important byproduct. For instance, teachers assist their students learn to work with others outside the school setting; or how to get along with other people.

There was a teacher behind every great inventor, every great philosopher and every great idea in history. Fierce independent minds – from Nelson Mandela to Steve Jobs – have paid tribute to the influence of a teacher during their formative years.

Everyone has a story to tell about what the teacher made out of him or her. Were it not for our teachers, most of us would not be having the skills, knowledge we have.

Indeed, teachers make all other professions possible and so deserve our teachers our deepest appreciation.

Recognising teachers is a critically important, since teaching can sometimes feel like an unappreciated effort day in and day out. Recognising them for a job well done or appreciation of ongoing efforts is vital.

This appreciation needs to be often, not just during the annual recognition week. It should not be a kind of ritual. Whenever you are able, send a personally written note of thanks or appreciation to teachers who cared or who pulled off terrific classroom projects during your time in school or those who have made your sons or daughters who they are today.

Occasionally, be on the lookout for special gifts that relate to teachers’ special interests. Bookstores and other educational outlets can be great places to find those kinds of things – teachers love reading so getting them some material would be obviously a great deal.

To build outstanding teachers we must value and support their work – recognising their hard work must be an on-going exercise so as to make them better every day.  We should be thanking our teachers — not just on this annual day of appreciation, but each and every day in between — for all they do to make our futures burn a bit brighter.