World Teachers’ Day 2019: A Message from humanworks Founder & President Jack MacNeill
The profession of K-12 teaching is unlike any other. Teachers are counted on to be community anchoring points and weathervanes of civic morality. They are expected to exude and emulate the best of our current cultural norms and be reliable examples of civility and good manners. They are expected to hold themselves to a moral standard that is beyond the community norm and remain shining examples for the next generation of our community’s youth to follow and exceed. Teachers live their lives with discretion and discernment, always aware of the public’s expectations and the moral obligation the profession requires.
Having grown up in a family of public educators and spending some time in the system myself, I know first-hand, the sensed moral responsibility and civic leadership teachers accept as part of the calling. I was raised knowing that what came with teaching was a civic role and moral bearing that extended beyond the classrooms, schools, and district offices. It all simply comes with the territory and teachers readily accept these obligations and embrace their roles. For them, their work is a way of being – it has been a foundational aspect of their identity throughout their life’s trajectory.
I have grown up always believing that it is important to honour and support teachers in their efforts to help prepare our children to live independently and contribute to the stability and fabric of our country. Teachers, through their commitment and drive, help craft our evolving culture. On this World Teacher’s Day, I extend a sincere and heartfelt “thank you” to every teacher near and far, new or seasoned. Whether we are conscious of it or not, there is not a single person out there who hasn’t been shaped or influenced by the dedication and hard work of a teacher. Teachers are more than educators; they are pillars in our communities. Thank you doesn’t always feel like quite enough.
Jack MacNeill
Founder & President
humanworks