World Teachers Day
We recognise that parents, carers and kinship systems are the primary educators of the children and young adults in our schools. It is these important people and structures in our communities that encourage the continuation of cultures, values, character and the very best of our humanity.
On World Teachers’ Day, we recognise our Registered Teachers, School Leaders and our future teaching workforce – our Pre-service Teachers and the Teacher Educators who contribute to their journeys. The very least we can do is take our hats off to you. The very best we can do is show you the respect you deserve as a profession – knowledgeable, skilled and committed to providing a quality education for our young people – whoever they are and wherever they are.
We respect and admire the care and compassion you show your learners. We acknowledge that you are there to greet them every day, offering kindness and security in their knowing you will be there. We know the joy that many of our young people experience because of your commitment and experiences you offer.
We respect and admire your deep and continuing commitment to our Indigenous students. We call out the incredible humility and humanity of those teachers who support our homelands and work with Elders and Cultural Authorities to walk across different cultures and languages. We call out the teachers in our city who support and advocate for our Aboriginal students to know their culture and to remain grounded in their ceremonies and customs. We call out the Northern Territory’s support for teachers in navigating these complex bodies of work through the Indigenous Languages and Culture curriculum.
We respect and admire the sophisticated skills and knowledge of Territory Teachers in planning rich curriculum that prepares students for unknown and aspirational futures, whether in the forms of jobs, community engagement and/or their personal lives. We call out the importance of the role education plays in enabling better qualities of lives, whether economic, equity, health, or affective domains.
We respect and admire your ability in creating safe learning environments and your thorough responses and planning for diverse abilities and orientations of your learners. We call out your considerations and advocacy to address the learning needs of each student in your classroom and how this evidences your professional knowledges and assessments of these young people. Sometimes, it is your space that offers the safe harbour for these people and their families.
We respect and admire the relationships you build with each other, external stakeholders and the families who entrust you with their most precious family members. We call out the rich partnerships and collaborations that you nurture and the time you invest in these for the benefit of children and young people. We know there are moments that you deal with the most awful things or struggle to be heard in broader landscapes. We hear you.
Our list could go on, as there are so many parts to your roles and functions that are invisible and are not easily understood by those outside the profession. On this World Teachers’ Day, we encourage you to lift your head high enough that your hat falls off. Be proud of who you are and what you do.
We thank you sincerely for your service to our young people and for the role you play in making our world a better place.
Director, Teacher Registration Board
Dr Debra Bateman