World Teachers Day 5th October

World Teachers Day has been held annually since 1994 on the 5th October. It is a day that teachers are recognised and celebrated worldwide for their contribution to the betterment of the world and our Youth. It is a day that Teachers are seen and applauded for all they do and the vital part they play in our communities around the world.

This year the theme of World Teachers Day is Teachers: Leading in crisis, reimagining the future. The theme is very relevant given the current challenges to formal schooling and the innovative approach teachers have had to take during this crisis. Teachers are literally having to reconfigure expectations and manage deliverables in a way that they never had to before.

The "new" way of doing things has added extra pressure to live up to the global education target of not leaving anyone behind. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly added to the challenges faced by already over-extended education systems throughout the world and has made it incredibly important that the world works with teachers to ensure everyone's right to education is protected and ensure a seamless transition into this new reality we find ourselves in.

With the onset of the digital era and more particularly now when learning has had to be put on digital platforms and taught remotely, teachers have had to restructure a lot of ways they have traditionally done things. If common opinion is to be counted, it seems they have done a fine job and have been much lauded world wide for their ability to bring the classroom to their learners homes. Parents have had to Home School their children and have developed a healthy respect for the job teachers do!

The neccesity for change has brought on many positive benefits. Many teachers have been energised to create new content and to source new ways of teaching old concepts. Teachers have found resources and subscribed to suppliers of content that they might not have used before.

It has opened the world's eyes to the benefits of digital transparency and immediacy offered us by using digital teaching platforms. Parents are able to see at any given time how their child is doing as can the teacher. Teachers are reporting that their one-on-one time with children has increased - even if it is not face-to-face.

A teacher is able to see immediately whether a child has failed to grasp a concept so that intervention can take place immediately and the problem can be remediated.

There is an elevated accountability put on the child to complete work and the tools to check that it has been done. It has allowed children who are not normally given access to the massive digital content available, the ability to use that resource and expand their knowledge and skills exponentially. As with everything though, it refers right back to the teacher and the quality of the resources and guidance they are giving their learners.

We at Purple Mash have seen the most remarkable resources, projects and results coming out of the classrooms of the teachers that use our platforms. We are awed by the amazing work being done and by the creative ways teachers are using our material to inspire learning and to extend their learners to their maximum potential. Well done teachers on being the champions of Covid-19 and the Educational challenges we have all faced. We salute you!

credit *UNESCO