Teacher – A guide, a friend

"A teacher's purpose is not to create students in his own image, but to develop students who can create their own image"

Teachers are a significant part of everyone's life. They show us the right path and groom us to become a better citizen and a better person. They teach us to face the most difficult challenges of life and get through them, easily. Teacher's Day is celebrated to pay tribute to teachers, who have dedicated a considerable part of their life to impart moral and academic knowledge to their students.

Teachers have an influencing role in the life of every student. They are like beacons of light, guiding us in the formative years of our life. Teachers mould us and in the process shape our future. What we learn from our teachers remains with us, throughout our life.

The festival is celebrated on the 5th of September, every year. The date was selected, because it is the birthday of a timeless teacher and former President of India - Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. When some of his students and friends approached him and requested him to allow them to celebrate his birthday, he said, "instead of celebrating my birthday separately, it would be an honour, if September 5th is observed as Teacher's day". From then onwards, this day is observed as Teachers Day, in India.

On the same note, the day was celebrated in all the GIDF Early Childhood Development learning centers across India. The children who come to our centers face a lot of problem since they don’t belong to well to do families & their parents send them to study after making a lot of sacrifices. Therefore this day is important as the children get to pay tribute to their teachers, their guide.

All the centers first paid their respect to Dr. Radhakrishnan & then carried on the celebration in various creative ways. Like in Mumbai the students made cards with sketches of leaves, flowers and gave it to their class teachers. Later the teachers of both centers were presented with gifts by us.

Some students in Ahmedabad & Delhi also went ahead by imitating their teachers, like their dressing sense, copying the way they spoke & taught in class. Even over here the teachers later stayed back in the centers, had some fun time together & were later given gifts as a token of appreciation from our side.

Teachers in Pune spent the day with their students helping them make a chart by spray painting on it. Whereas in Hyderabad the staff gathered in one of the educators house, cooked food together & later participated in a group discussion to share their experiences. Lastly, the staff in Bengaluroo were taken out for lunch and were also later presented with gifts.