BY NIGERIAN AUTHOR AMARA CHIDINMA EZEDINIRU

On the occasion of World Teachers Day—October 5th—Nigerian author and business administrator, Amara Chidinma Ezediniru, salutes the members of this laudable profession to whom each and everyone of us owes a debt of gratitude. The writer, once again, graces us with the beautiful poetical writing she is known for.

I fell in love with this profession the moment I stumbled into it. Yes, I stumbled into it.

The only ‘snag’ in it for me is that it may never get me into Forbes list of the worlds richest. If only Forbes can have an alternative list of world’s life changers, there will be no doubt about making it. Can someone please pass this info to the hands and minds behind Forbes?

I call them gods; you call them teachers.

Are they not gods?

Who has the amount of patience they have?

Who works out of love the most?

Who has so much faith in a child and continues with positive affirmation in the face of greatest odds?

Who hopes against all hopes that a child can?

Who forgets themselves to make a child stand tall?

Teachers are gods!

Some years ago, my Saturdays were totally given up for the sake of three of my students who needed to catch up with their peers. Every Saturday, 8:00am till 4:00pm, I took turns with each. It was just a matter of time, each of them exceeded their expectations.

Don’t even ask of how much I was paid; how much would have compensated for all the resources that went into the work? Think about the resources, think outside the box, will you?

When you give offering to God, your sparse offering, do you compare it to all that you believe God does for you?

Teachers are gods!

Look at their remuneration.

See how parents fight them.

And yes, you fight them too.

Everyone looks at them with disdain.

They think they are doing them a favour.

Yet, teachers persevere.

They are calm in the face of all the insults.

They don’t renege in their commitment to their student, your child.

Teachers are gods!

One day, someone asked me “how can you say you are a teacher and live in this kind of place?”

I was astonished and asked further “what exactly do you mean ma’am?”

“Here is expensive, how do you pay the rent with your teacher’s salary?”

“Really? How do you pay the rent with your lawyer’s salary?” I responded.

What nerves!

The things we do to God, we do to teachers.

Teachers are gods.

Imagine the diversity in the school, in the class.

Imagine the voices coming all at once.

Imagine all the fingers pointing up at the same time and

The minds waiting on one person to be fed.

Just imagine.

Teachers are gods.

Many years after, all thanks will go to the pediatrician and optometrist

There will be trembling at the mention of a judge and a lawyer

The musician and politicians take all the money

Parties will be thrown for the generals and pastors

Monuments are laid for the writers

Laurels are given to the poets and scientists

The veterans are celebrated, they should

What comes to the teacher?

Teachers are gods!

How about we praise them today, just today.

Praise like you will a god for they are.

Teachers are gods amongst us.

Happy Teachers’ Day to all of us who took this path intentionally or otherwise. Your labour of love will NOT be in vain.

#AmaraInspires

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Amara Chidinma Ezediniru is a business administrator, human resource manager and a certified teacher. She is widely traveled, a compassionate Rotarian, an author of three books, and a mother. She is the managing consultant of Rald and Vid Consulting Ltd.