If family is the bedrock of society from where culture unfurls and history unfolds, then education is the pillar of societies and teachers are the change agents who build the foundational unit of every society, the individual. From Confucius, Chanakya, Socrates, Plato and Aristotle to S. Radhakrishnan, Jyotirao Phule, A.P.J Abdul Kalam and Maria Montessori to John Dewey, Jaime Escalante and William McGuffey, history is replete with illustrious masters whose contributions to the noble profession of educators and preceptors have changed the course of history. Plato’s Academy and Aristotle’s Lykeion in ancient Greece were great centers of learning and those two remarkable and mercurial teachers of antiquity laid the foundations of western metaphysics and modern scientific methods of deductive/inductive logic and axiomatic reasoning. Nalanda and Takshashila in the Indian subcontinent were two of the most reputed universities of the ancient world, adorned by scholarly professors in the likes of Panini, Chanakya and Kumaralata. Their contributions not only enriched those societies socio-culturally, socio-economically and politically, but also were instrumental in grooming brilliant men from across the world, who became pioneers in a host of different disciplines; most noteworthy of them being Aryabhata, the great Indian astronomer and mathematician, Nagarjuna, the formalizer of the concept of Shunyata (Zero), Xuan Zang and Yijing, both renowned Buddhist travelers from China.

It is interesting to note that Aristotelian principles of education to carve out eminent individuals in possession of twin virtues of intellectual rigor and moral character are still relevant to 21st century societies that are rapidly redefined by the onslaught of new technologies and learning practices. Both in ancient societies, like in India where a vibrant Gurukula system of education existed and in contemporary world, replete with varied educational systems and practices, that are fast transitioning into hybrid learning, the indispensable role of the teacher as the significant medium through which knowledge and virtues are imparted, remains critical and paramount. Complex algorithms that spearhead 21st century digital learning methods and outcomes still require human touch and intervention to facilitate and bridge the seamless integration of technology with key stakeholders, of which the primary ones are students.

Franklin D. Roosevelt, the influential former US president whose New Deal policy funds assisted 70% of new school constructions and prevented thousands of school closures during the Great Depression Era. He emphasized the fundamental role of education and teachers in nation-building in the messianic words, “We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build the youth for our future”. The social impact of teachers over generations is ascertained by statistical research by National Center for Educational Studies (NCES), which concluded that

• An average teacher will impact and influence over 3000 students during their career.
• 75% of students surveyed recalled the lynchpin role of their teachers as a mentor and guide.
• 54% of respondents acknowledged the pastoral role of their teachers in helping them overcome difficult and challenging situations in life.
• More than 83% interviewed valued their teachers as role-models inspiring them with confidence, meet self-esteem needs that made them develop self-assertiveness.
• 88% students have categorically affirmed that teachers had a positive effect on their personal and professional lives.

If a single teacher could instill hope and promise in 3000 students, through network effects, the probability of those 3000, passively transforming themselves, as catalysts for change to thousands and millions of individuals in a span of couple of generations is truly astounding. For kids enrolled in primary schools, teachers perform the invaluable role of ‘In loco parentis’, the Latin phrase that translates as “In the place of parents” during their time spent in classrooms. Besides being the first touchpoints to learning fundamentals, teachers adorn the role of parents by guiding the pupils in right thinking, right speech and right action. Teachers help them differentiate between right and wrong, and are instrumental in developing moral virtues of sharing, collaboration and discipline and exercise limited powers of chastising punishments, mainly through admonishing and reproaching within the confines of school and state legislations.

For higher education, lecturers and professors who have better autonomy in curriculum content and teaching methodologies than primary and secondary school teachers often acts as influencers, friend, philosopher and guide for enrolled students. In colleges and universities, the elementary role of the faculty is to instill in the students analytical thinking and free inquiry through full employment of their critical faculties in the Socratic Method without external thought controls. Though in theocratic totalitarian economies and ideological monarchies, such freedom is restricted and mostly hindered, 21st century societies warrant radical reform in the lines of the legendary educationist Wilhelm von Humboldt, touted as the father of modern university education. Inspired by the liberating ideals of the Enlightenment, Humboldt theorizes that teachers should drive a student’s journey as “laying down a string” where he progresses in learning through self-discovery, experimentation, exposure and experience. And the cardinal principle of such a system is the formation of well-rounded individuals, fulfilling the twin-ideals of Enlightenment, namely, Autonomous Individual and World Citizenship. The former equips the student with conceptual knowledge in arts and science combining research, while the latter simultaneously imbibe leadership traits to become a crusader for global issues akin to fighting climate change, gender discrimination, racism and committed to instituting a world order, founded on universal brotherhood and peace. He will develop a cosmopolitan worldview by profound appreciation of diversities in culture, language, cuisine, social mores and traditions. In this chequered path, a teacher is required to be a guiding light so that when the ordeal is complete, he will be a shining star in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. The Talmud sums up this concept beautifully, “When you teach your son, you teach your son’s son”.

To be an effective teacher in the 21st century, apart from grit, passion and dedication a teacher has to attune towards rapid technological advances and tap the endless possibilities of the Digital Age for knowledge dissemination at scale. Addressing the bottom-of-the-pyramid, EdTech sector in India has opened up tremendous possibilities hitherto to close the gnawing skill gap in the remedial learning categories in K-10 segment and the requirement of tech-savvy educators is immense. Agrarian and industrial societies are fast transitioning into knowledge societies and innovation economies which, emphasizes the express need of continuous professional development for teachers, imbibing the latest research output in a host of pedagogical disciplines, not limited to behavioral science and student psychology. Confucius, the ancient Chinese sage confirms, “Acquire new knowledge whilst thinking over the old, and you may become a teacher to others”. John Dewey, one of the greatest educational reformers of the 20th century emphasizes innovative teaching, “If we teach today’s children as we taught yesterday’s, we rob them of tomorrow”.

In the annals of history, every esteemed soul who has creatively and constructively contributed to the world - however small or big - to make this world a better place, would indubitably reflect with a profound sense of gratitude to a teacher, who was a living witness to virtue and knowledge, who was a “lamp unto their feet and a light unto their path”. An American Proverb poignantly encapsulates, the invisible presence of a teacher between words, sounds and colors of life, “If you can read this, thank a teacher”.