The Teachers Who Built Us: Why Teacher’s Day Still Matters in 2025

I didn’t realise how much I owed my teachers until way after school ended. You know those moments — when you're stuck, uncertain, lost — and somehow your brain echoes something a teacher once said? That happens to me all the time.

It might’ve been a history teacher who believed in me even when I kept dozing off in class, or the math sir who stayed back after hours just to make sure I wasn’t drowning in numbers. Their words, patience, and oddly specific chalkboard sketches still show up in the corners of my mind when I least expect it.

Now that Teacher’s Day 2025 is around the corner, I figured it’s time to write something personal. Not a textbook post, not a bullet list — just something real about how teachers shape us. Because let’s face it: so much of what we become has a little bit of their handwriting in it.

In India, we celebrate Teacher’s Day on September 5th — the birthday of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, who was an incredible philosopher, academic, and our second President. But it’s not just about historical relevance. It’s about remembering that his students respected him so much, they wanted to celebrate his birthday. And instead of basking in that, he said, “Celebrate teachers, not me.” That humility? That’s the soul of teaching.

Beyond that, there's World Teacher’s Day on October 5th. A global reminder, organised by UNESCO, that teachers across the planet are often the quiet engines of progress. They build classrooms, but also communities. They teach subjects, but also humanity.

And honestly, we don’t thank them enough.

Let’s be real — teachers are doing more than teaching ABCs or algebra. They’re guiding us through mental breakdowns, bullying, stage fright, and our first heartbreaks. I’ve seen teachers act like counsellors, cheerleaders, crisis managers, and sometimes even second parents. They deal with their own stress and yet walk into classrooms with the same energy, hoping their words will reach someone, somewhere.

I still remember a teacher from school who said, “You’re better than you think you are, you just don’t know it yet.” I didn’t believe her then. But I carry those words now like armour. Maybe we all have a line like that — something simple that made a lifelong impact.

That’s why Teacher’s Day isn’t just some ceremonial event to me. It’s not just cards and cultural programs. It’s a memory lane walk with deep gratitude stitched into every step.

Celebrating teachers doesn’t have to be grand. You don’t need to flood Instagram with posts (unless you want to). Sometimes it’s just a message that says, “You mattered.” Or a small blog post like this that attempts to honour them, even if words feel too small.

I think part of the magic of teaching lies in the unseen — the notes prepared late at night, the effort to engage even the quietest kid in class, the internal battles they fight while showing up for others. That’s emotional labour we don’t often acknowledge.

And now, in 2025, their job is even more layered. Online classes, digital burnout, students glued to screens, rising mental health issues — they navigate it all. They’re learning new tech, adapting on the fly, and still showing up with compassion. That takes real grit.

The theme I’ve seen floating around for this year’s Teacher’s Day is:
"Empowering Educators: Inspiring Minds, Shaping Futures."
And honestly? It fits. Because teachers today are doing way more than they signed up for. They’re not just passing knowledge. They’re shaping how kids feel about themselves, how they cope, how they think, how they dream.

If you’ve ever been taught — and I mean taught, in a way that changed you — take a moment this Teacher’s Day to reflect. Maybe drop a message. Write a blog. Tag a mentor. Or just whisper a quiet thank you to the universe for that one person who lit a spark in you.

Because long after we’ve left classrooms, their lessons — spoken or unspoken — live on in our choices, our resilience, and our hopes.

So yeah. Here’s to all the teachers. The remembered, the forgotten, the strict ones who were right all along, the kind ones who gave us space to grow, and the brave ones still standing strong in this messy, beautiful world.

Image Credit: microstock.in