Dear Editor,
Teachers’ Appreciation Week is here again, so permit me to say a special thank you to all of our teachers. During this week let us, as a nation, take time out to acknowledge the invaluable contribution our teachers continue to make towards the development of Guyana. The daily intangible deposits teachers make in the lives of our children cannot be compared to any tangible gift. Teachers are more than imparters of knowledge and skills, they also serve as students’ confidantes, role models, lunch money helpers, bus fare helpers, the ambulance, nurse and doctors in moments of accidents or panics. In many instances teachers are the first to be exposed to the raw emotions of our children, especially those students who are at that critical teenage stage of their lives. Teachers are the managers of their ups and downs and the target of their emotional missiles and thunderstorms. Some teachers serve as mothers and fathers to those students who long for the warmth of a parent’s love. To these students, their teachers are the most important staple in their daily diet. I am humbled and at the same time grateful to have worked with some of the most amazing teachers in Guyana. We shared many moments of frustration, and anxiety but at the end of the work we laughed and returned the next day ready and willing to work, as there was always a child who depended on our mere presence in order for him/her to take that next step.
Today I salute every teacher and wish to especially acknowledge those teachers who continue to serve diligently in the public school system. Many of these teachers work in environments where a significant portion of the student population continues to struggle with serious socio-economic problems which present many other challenges in the classroom. To these teachers in these classrooms I must say I applaud your strength, courage and the wealth of compassion you show to these children, who are deserving of your patience and understanding. You are among the least paid but yet you show up every day committed to make a difference in the lives of our children. I congratulate you and wish you every success in your endeavours. In teaching we always say the pleasure of teaching lies in the reality that your efforts help in making one more human being productive, independent and functional in society. It takes a special person to be a teacher. So, teachers just know that you are special and we owe a great depth of gratitude to you, for truly molding a nation. I encourage every parent to take time out to express gratitude to the teacher/s of your children, and ask your child/children to express words of thanks to their teachers. These simple acts are sure to go a long way.
Happy Teachers’ Appreciation Week to all our wonderful teachers.
Yours faithfully,
Lurlene Nestor
