World Teachers’ Day

There’s a Japanese proverb that goes “Better than a thousand days of diligent study is one day with a great teacher.”

In this year, when so many children missed not just one, but many, days with their teachers, this saying is truer than ever. No matter how conscientiously students studied at home during lockdown, what makes the biggest difference is the presence and the involvement of a great teacher – whether online or face-to-face.

The months of lockdown raised profound questions over what a school is, what teachers do, and how children learn – so much of schools’ responses to Covid was about maintaining a sense of community, not simply about academic continuity.

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Our understanding of what online learning can do has shifted. There is much greater awareness of online learning design and teaching approaches. The changes we have seen in terms of digital habits would, under normal circumstances, have taken many years. We have seen such a significant shift in the way staff use technology in their teaching, and this is bringing about real benefits already.

Our remarkable and brilliant staff give their best every day and have been tireless in their efforts, coming up with creative new teaching methods and in many cases brand new courses whilst juggling their own family commitments. They have done everything they can to help and support our pupils and deliver continuity of education. When the world offers so much uncertainty, instability and fear, they constantly provide certainty, stability, excitement, creativity and hope. They show such grit, determination and a can-do attitude, every day.

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Now that schools are all fully open again (occasional Covid-19 quarantining allowing), we appreciate the work of our brilliant teachers more than ever. It has been a tough year, and I know some feel like they are running on close to empty. Yet they still get up and go to their schools every day, committed to sharing the wisdom, knowledge and expertise their students need to understand and make sense of the world, especially right now.

So, I want to take the opportunity of World Teachers’ Day to thank each and every teacher, not just in the GDST family but teachers everywhere, for all that you do, day in and day out, to ensure the next generation can enjoy the privilege of a wonderful education.