By Rhoda Cherono Oburu, Psychology student, University of Southern Queensland.
Growing up as the daughter of a teacher, I saw firsthand the dedication, passion and care that educators bring to their work. Yet it wasn’t until I became a university student and a parent myself that I could fully appreciate just how far a teacher’s influence can reach.
Teachers are among the most influential people in our lives, from kindergarten through to higher education. Outside our families, they often have the greatest impact on our development.
Having a teacher who believes in you can make a world of difference. A teacher who doesn’t believe in you can leave an equally lasting impression. Everyone has a story about a teacher. I want to focus on those who have left a lasting positive impression on me, both as an individual and as a learner.
Throughout my educational journey, I have encountered teachers whose passion for their subjects and genuine care for their students have enriched my learning and encouraged me to keep growing. They have inspired me to pursue knowledge and become passionate about producing work to the best of my ability.
To teachers, lecturers and educators: when you love what you do and genuinely care about those you teach, it has a profound impact on students’ work ethic, the quality of their work and their desire to learn. Your passion can be contagious, inspiring students to approach their learning with the same enthusiasm.
In a world where knowledge is abundant and critical thinking is increasingly important, I ask you, as educators, to hold on to your love for teaching. You may be the educator a student needs to reignite their passion for learning. Not necessarily because of what you teach, but because of how you teach.
Becoming a parent myself has given me a new appreciation of just how early teaching begins, and how far its influence can extend. You are your child’s first teacher, and whether you intentionally teach your children or not, they are constantly learning from you.
As a parent, you also help shape your child’s relationship with learning, their curiosity and the way they approach the world. So, set them up for success. Teach them intentionally, nurture their curiosity and, above all, make learning fun.
My own approach to parenting has been shaped significantly by how my mother raised me. She set a high standard as both a parent and a teacher. One quality I have consciously sought to model is her intentionality.
Although I didn’t always understand or appreciate it as a child, I can now look back with gratitude at how intentional she was in her parenting and the steps she took to keep learning and improving.
As a psychology student, I am particularly grateful that, alongside her faith, she recognised the value of seeking therapeutic support for herself and for her children when needed.
This was especially significant given our ethnic and immigrant background, where seeking mental health support can be unfamiliar or even stigmatised.
Her example taught me the wisdom of recognising the limits of our own knowledge and seeking guidance from others when we lack the understanding or insight to navigate something ourselves.
Looking back, I realise that teaching is not confined to a classroom, nor does it end when a lesson finishes. It can be found in the way a lecturer inspires a university student, the way a teacher encourages a child to believe in themselves, and the way a parent nurtures their child’s curiosity at home.
Each of these experiences can shape how we see ourselves, how we learn and how we approach the world around us.
So, to all teachers, lecturers, course coordinators, educators and parents: Happy World Teachers’ Day!
Your work matters. Your influence extends far beyond the classroom, shaping not only the lives of those you teach, but also the generations that follow.
