| By Gale Staff |
Every October 5, people worldwide have a special chance to acknowledge teachers’ critical impact on our communities. The Gale team is excited to celebrate World Teachers’ Day 2024, and we want educators to know how much we appreciate their tireless work.
The last few years have been exceptionally challenging for teaching professionals, and we should all be grateful for their perseverance and infinite patience with students. COVID-19 spurred educators to adopt to remote learning and quickly master associated technologies. They then helped implement Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) initiatives and continue to provide critical structure for students struggling with mental health. And now, despite ongoing staffing shortages, district leaders are asking teachers to help mitigate learning loss from the pandemic’s disruptions.
Society needs teachers, but the job can be incredibly challenging. With this in mind, World Teachers’ Day 2024 highlights an especially relevant theme: “Empowering Educators: Strengthening Resilience, Building Sustainability.” For our communities to thrive, we need to invest in teachers, and Gale’s platforms provide essential tools to help them save time, support students, and excel in their profession. In honor of World Teachers’ Day, let’s dive into the holiday’s history and discuss ways to better support our educators.
Share the History of World Teachers’ Day
World Teachers’ Day isn’t just any holiday—it’s a UNESCO-designated holiday. UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) observes world and international days to commemorate major human accomplishments and raise awareness for significant global issues. Other major UNESCO-designated holidays include Human Rights Day and International Literacy Day.
On October 5, 1966, world leaders met in Paris for a Special Intergovernmental Conference on the Status of Teachers. Together, attendees officially declared education a fundamental human right, and recognized “the essential role of teachers in educational advancement and the importance of their contribution to the development of man and modern society.” For this momentous occasion and all it signifies, we celebrate World Teachers’ Day annually on October 5.
Invest in Teachers
Post-pandemic learning loss is a major concern for U.S. schools, and K-12 teachers are the most important factor in improving the country’s academic scores. This year’s World Teachers’ Day theme emphasizes the need to invest in teachers, and Gale products are poised to assist in those efforts. With time-saving resources like our ready-made, curriculum-aligned lesson plans and vetted digital content, teachers can carve out more space for professional development, self-care, and work-life balance. We’re committed to making the teaching profession more sustainable (a nod to this year’s theme) while simultaneously improving student learning outcomes.
Provide Teachers with Tools to Grow
World Teachers’ Day is a chance for people to reflect on teachers’ hard work and make actionable efforts toward their sustained professional success. Gale aspires to empower educators and help them develop strategies to improve their teaching practice and hit classroom goals. Our online platforms host engaging professional development resources designed with teachers in mind. We offer timely content on pressing topics like teaching students to overcome bias and digital literacy. Find webinars, best practices, how-to guides, blog posts, Gale product integration tips, and eBook collections—all dedicated to teacher success.
Support Teachers with Individualized Learning Strategies
Students have diverse learning needs, but one individual can’t possibly provide meaningful interventions for each student in the classroom at all times. Gale’s K-12 platforms include valuable customization features that students can leverage independently, giving them a sense of ownership and empowerment in striving toward learning success. Adapting to challenges and overcoming learning barriers helps students build resiliency, a core feature of this year’s theme for World Teachers’ Day.
Our personalized learning tools include:
- Adjustable reading level options for elementary and middle schoolers
- Translations into more than 40 languages
- ReadSpeaker text-to-speech technology
- Consistent, user-friendly navigation tools across all platforms
Gale databases also house research materials in a wide range of formats. Students can find relevant information through essays, media articles, podcasts, videos, and easy-to-read summary pages. When teachers integrate Gale products with their lesson plans, they can trust that information is presented or customizable in a way that supports differentiated academic needs and meets students where they are.
Celebrate Teachers
World Teachers’ Day is a chance to reflect on the teachers who positively impact our lives and celebrate their contributions in our schools and communities. Here are some ways to celebrate and support the teachers in your community.
Advocate for Key Issues
One of the most important steps people can take to support teachers is to stay informed about education-related state and local bills. Talk to local teachers and take time to research the issues at hand. Many states are actively considering raising teacher pay, and some hope to expand teacher protections around controversial curricula. You can advocate for legislation that empowers teachers and call your local representative to show your support. And, of course: don’t forget to vote!
Host a Fundraiser
UNESCO designated education as a basic human right, but students don’t always have equal access to educational resources. Schools have limited budgets, leaving some classroom needs unfulfilled. Often, teachers pay for supplies out of their own pocket, and some turn to online wish lists for basic supplies and academic resources. You can leverage World Teachers’ Day as an opportunity to host a fundraiser to help fill those financial gaps. Use social media, PTA newsletters, and other outreach methods to help spread the word and share those wish list links.
Thank Your Teachers
Who was your favorite teacher while in school? Is there an instructor who helped inspire you and shape your career path? Reach out to them and share your gratitude. We don’t often appreciate our teachers’ impact on us until later in life, so take this opportunity to say thank you.
World Teachers’ Day helps remind us that student success begins with teacher success. Together, we can make our schools more resilient and the teaching profession more sustainable. With Gale, your school can show its support for educators year-round. Speak with your local Gale representative to learn more about our products and how they align with your curricular goals.
You can also visit UNESCO’s website for more information about and ideas for World Teachers’ Day 2024!