Teachers' Day

 

October 5 was International Teachers’ Day, a day not generally observed in Canada. It ought to be. There is no more important job than that of teacher. Confucius, the most influential thinker who ever lived, never held any higher position. Neither did Socrates or Aristotle; and who is more influential in Western civilization than they? Yet we know of them only from their students’ reports and lecture notes.

Actually, there is a more influential figure over the West than Socrates or Aristotle: Jesus. His followers, too, addressed him as “Rebbe,” “teacher.” We know him, too, only from their lecture notes.

I expect that most readers can, as I can, remember some special teacher in their past who influenced them deeply, who is responsible in some important way for what they later became. Mr. More in grade 6, who confirmed my love of poetry; of A. Pat Smith in grade 13, who drove me into literature; of Professor John Cooke at Queen’s, who lured me into comparative religion; of Paul Nowack at Ryerson, who found me too old to have had the influence he might have had, but who taught me again the value of storytelling. 

Since being a teacher is about as glorious a job as anyone could have, is seems odd that Canada has no “teachers’ day,” and that Canadian teachers often prefer to call themselves “educators.” As though reaching for some euphemism. Teaching has fallen into disrepute. While we may disagree on the problem and the remedy, we seem all agreed, including teachers, that there is something very wrong with the schools.

This is the more alarming, because it is improbable. We all spontaneously want to learn; we are programmed for it. We all remember with respect approaching awe the good teachers we have had. It must take some doing to poison that well.

Moreover, a culture or civilization that fails to produce great teachers is a culture or civilization that is dying. This is the essential task of a culture: to pass on the accumulated wisdom generation to generation.

The spectacular success of Jordan Peterson shows how deep the hunger is for good teachers. That is what Peterson is: he does not have an especially good record as a researcher. He is a teacher The world is responding..

What have we done to so badly mess things up?