THE MASTER OF ALL TRADES

This essay emerged as the champion in the SHS Essay Writing Contest of the Main Library. Congratulations to Ms. Santos!

The Master of All Trades

Sabrina Aiko-Mari Santos

Teachers are the master of all trades who will do everything and anything within their capability to ignite the fire in students' minds. They are the farmers behind students' sprouting seeds of knowledge, heroes for wandering ambition, and medics of shattered aspirations. Millions of minds brimming with knowledge and talents expertly cultivated by unsung heroes, known as teachers, would ignite a bright future for each student. The world set the 5th of October every year as International World Teachers’ Day for the much-loved teachers to feel appreciated. International World Teachers’ Day is a day allotted to honor teachers worldwide because words cannot express the immeasurable weight of appreciation people have towards them.

Simply saying "thank you" would mean a lot to our dear teachers because they make sacrifices in order to feed our hungry minds with knowledge and because, in addition, they act as our "parents at school." They stand as a parent to many students at school, so how can they manage so many students when some parents find it difficult to manage even only one child? Through this, it proves that teachers are a special kind of hero in our world with such long patience for multiple students, each with their personalities, traits, and behaviors, because they have the kind of amazing characteristics that heroes possess: determination, bravery, and resiliency. They are determined in their desire to teach, brave in overcoming obstacles within their path, resilient in handling difficulties, and in continuing to stand their ground despite suffering from backaches from lifting others. Along with having secondary children,  teachers also have families of their own, as well as those of their friends, parents, own children, partners, and, most importantly, themselves. Even taking care of oneself may be difficult when so many people are dependent on you. In spite of the burdens they bear, they remain compassionate, selfless, and loving individuals who recognize how to be kind. Therefore, a simple indication of gratitude, like a "thank you", would already brighten a teacher's day.

There are several out of many methods to thank the instructors. On International World Teachers' Day, sweet-scented flowers and sweets are displayed throughout the campus as a way of indicating gratitude toward our beloved instructors. Additionally, students provide other presents, such as thoughtful thank-you cards, or other tokens of appreciation. It is an old trick, but a common arrangement by Filipino students is to surprise their teachers by saying something along the lines of, "may nagsusuntukan sa room," which would bring a worried look to a teacher's face, but would be followed by Yeng Constantino's song "Salamat," which never fails to put a curved smile on their beloved teacher’s lips.

Relative to the topic, during my seventh grade, our surprise also brought smiles to our teachers. We brought instruments, like the piano and ukulele, to dedicate a song to our teachers while offering them our hands for a dance. We put our souls into the melody, feeling each word in the lyrics, and dancing to the rhythm to show our instructors how much we love them. We also performed spoken word poetry, purchased cake, and gave our heroes a lot of surprises and gifts! We felt content when we saw their tearful eyes and Duchenne smiles since we knew that our efforts had paid off because of how much bliss and warmth our small surprise had brought to their hearts. Although not all teachers may receive the same present, they should nonetheless, feel valued for their efforts on this particular day allotted for them.

There are countless ways to express our gratitude to our torch-bearers known as teachers, but there is only one main message we want to convey; we are fortunate to have a master of all trades who nurtures our knowledge and skills, shapes our future, and inspires each student to advance along the better course of life. Since the sacrifices they offer on our table open the door to our tomorrow, they deserve more than what they currently receive. Most teachers are underpaid, the higher-ups do not value them for what they are truly worth. The higher-ups must make all teachers feel appreciated, and pay them greater attention because they are essential in our society. Their obligations do not only influence an individual's future, but also the future of the nation. They serve as our compasses because they are not just teachers by profession, but also teachers who provide the lessons and directions that function both in academics and in our lives.

Celebrating World Teachers' Day serves as a reminder to everyone that teachers symbolize true heroes who spread knowledge by using their power: the ability to teach. It is a day to reflect on how important it is for everyone to honor and recognize the sacrifices and efforts they put into their profession. We all owe it to our beloved master of all trades, our wonderful teachers, for imparting information to each student for the advancement of their individuality and toward society.