Fr Dr P S Varghese
“Teachers are people who start things they never see finished, and for which they never get thanks until it is too late.”
American Jewish writer Max Leo Forman (1909-1990) described teachers and their work well, and said that they start things they never see finished, and that they are never thanked until they have achieved too much.
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, 2030 is a dream to improve human quality by 2030. Education is the only way to improve the quality of human life. To achieve this goal, it is imperative that teachers play a significant role.
Over the period 2000 to 2019, there has been an increase in teachers from 62 million to 94 million worldwide. For these goals to be achieved, 68 million more teachers are required, 24 million for primary education and 44 million for secondary education (http://uis.unesco.org/sites/default/files/documents/world teachers day fact sheet 2020.pdf, retrieved on 27/7/2021, 12.30 pm)
It is estimated that there are hundreds of thousands of teachers silently working in the education field even though we don't acknowledge them or appreciate them. Among them, only a few will be recognized.
However, they will be glad to hear that their colleague has been recognized. A passionate and earnest belief that teaching is more than a job; it's a call to action.
Winning doesn't necessarily mean being first. In order to win, you must do better than you have done in the past. In their eyes, winning an award of appreciation or certification is a call to do better things. To students, they impart this message that winning an assessment or test does not mean that you've succeeded. Instead, it is a step towards doing things in a better way.
The American Olympic gold medal-winning speed skater Bonnie Blair stated: Winning does not always mean that you are first. You win when you do better than you did before. Later on, she became a motivational speaker and inspired millions around the world.
In her words: “Winning doesn’t always mean being first. Winning means you are doing better than you’ve done before.”
We always gain a sense of preparedness from assessment. Hence, it is essential for survival. In the same way that the wrong diagnosis leads to complications in our bodies, the wrong assessment in the field of education will also have adverse effects.
Therefore, all educators should be concerned about proper assessment. Mentors are able to guide students properly if they are aware of their strengths and weaknesses. It's a collaborative effort between educators and parents, colleagues, and students that makes this possible.
During this pandemic, assessment is the word that causes unnecessary fear in parents and students. Come learn the positivity and be prepared to do a continuous assessment with our students.
