Celebrating World Teachers' Day 2022

October 5th is World Teachers’ Day. This is a pretty big deal for us here at Prospero: We work with 1000s of amazing teachers all around the globe.

Why Celebrate World Teachers’ Day in 2022?

You will most likely be able to recall at least one special teacher that really inspired you. They may have pointed you in the right direction career-wise, helped you overcome a major challenge, or instilled in you a life-long passion for your favourite subject. 

That is reason alone to celebrate World Teachers’ Day! This year, however, is extra important…

This year, teaching staff across the world should be recognised for their positive impact during what has been described as a ‘critical’ time for education. Appropriately, 2022’s worldwide theme is ‘the transformation of education begins with teachers.’ 

The global focus: In low to middle-income countries (where 90% of the world’s children currently live) 57% of children were illiterate before the pandemic. 

In 2022, that figure is estimated to have risen to 70%.

UNESCO presented this theme echoes the commitments outlined in the Transforming Education Summit in September 2022. Globally, there is a focus on supporting schools to:

• Guarantee decent working conditions for teachers.
• Provide access to professional development opportunities (something we are passionate about supporting through our free online courses for teaching staff). 

During this week, a series of global and regional events will aim is to outline the necessary steps to improve education. 

Did you know World Teachers’ day has been celebrated around the world every year since 1994?

Now, how can we celebrate the amazing efforts and dedication of our teachers this World Teachers’ Day?

Firstly, a few fascinating facts about the teaching profession to share with your class or teacher friends:

• On average, school teachers spend a whopping 782 hours teaching per year.
• There are over 10 million pupils in the UK in both full-time and part-time education. This shows the enormous importance of today’s teachers in shaping our future generations.
• After doctors and nurses, teachers are the third most trusted profession in the UK.
• Irene Basham is believed to be Britain’s oldest teacher. The 93-year-old has taught children at a school in Bradford since 1947.
• The City Montessori School in Lucknow, India, has 52,000 pupils and 2,500 teachers!
• Canterbury’s King’s school was founded in 597 CE. The school is the second oldest in the world and the oldest in Europe.
• Queen Victoria was of the firm belief that everyone should receive a proper education. During her reign, education was made compulsory for all children. Resultantly, the Victorian era saw a sharp rise in the literacy rates of both men and women, which became almost equal. The literacy rate rose from just 52% in 1820, to 76% in 1870.

Celebrating the day in School:

Below are just a few ways in which you can mark world teacher day this year:

• Keep an eye on UNESCO’s announcements between the 4th-8th of October. They are sure to be sharing links to fascinating and insightful seminars. Be inspired by the difference you are making in this profession!
• Twinkl hosts a wealth of resources for celebrating World Teacher Day in the classroom.
• If you have a special educator in mind that really inspired you in the past, you could use this day as an opportunity to reach out and thank them.
• We often say that teaching others is the best way to learn. You could bring this concept into the classroom, and invite your students to share their skills with others. A ‘think, pair, share‘ activity would work brilliantly.
• You could host an activity around ‘what qualities make a great teacher’ or ‘what helps us to learn.’ Unpicking the criteria for a really effective learning environment would be a very useful exercise for both you and your students. Cultivate that community of learning!

Usually, only music teachers are fans of blowing their own trumpets. Nonetheless, take some time to recognize that you’re making such a difference in the community you teach. Give yourself a pat on the back and remember that every day you’re making a real difference!

Let us know how you are celebrating World Teacher Day this year. We’d love for you to get in touch via our social media channels.

Happy World Teachers’ Day!