My 11th Teacher`s Day.

October 15th is the day in which Brazilian people celebrate teacher`s day. 

This year it will be my 11th year as a teacher and I must say that  being involved with education made me a different person.

After years teaching people, interacting with different teachers and being taught I have understood that people are born teachers.

But what exactly do I mean when I say that? 

In order to carry on I should at least try to make clear how I define a teacher.

Teachers are, most of the times, defined by their duties and it makes people believe that good teachers are those ones who meet their deadlines strictly. These teachers certainly know students` names by heart and spend hours reading and marking assignments. 

And I have realized that there`s more to being a teacher than simply doing mechanic chores.

For me, a teacher is someone who plants seeds of hope on people`s lives and make sure they will grow somehow. Nevertheless, for me, a teacher is able to go far beyond meeting deadlines and memorizing students` names.

A teacher is someone who cares, who provides ways, who finds opportunities, who believes, who thinks about learners as human beings. A teacher is someone who knows that he has chosen to be a positive influence in someone`s life rather than just another name to represent a scientific concept.

Moreover, a teacher is someone humble enough to accept learning from learners. A teacher is someone who sees people as people, who respects needs and limitations, and that is why I believe being a teacher is a gift ,not a career choice.

Caring about people and their success is not an ability one develops after a couple of years of instruction. You do not learn how to care. You do it because it is important for you as a person.

Needless to say, after 11 years growing as a person ( being a teacher), the thing that makes teaching worthwhile for me is the smile of surprise that comes from a learner right after a discovery or the realization of learning itself.

And love.

Love you give and receive, and recycle ,and give again and receive again. 

Congratulations for being a teacher.