World Teachers Day is celebrated on October 5th. “Yay! But, I don’t know any teachers, have children, or work in education.” It can feel daunting, listening to the pleas of millions of teachers across the country begging for respect and support but not knowing where to begin. This article will give a brief overview of some struggles of classroom teachers and then outline five ways that any humanist can support teachers for World Teachers Day.
Teaching is an incredibly difficult jobs. There are infinite tasks, expectations, and distractions to compete with. Additionally, teachers are required to coordinate and collaborate with students, peers, administration, and parents to meet the needs of everyone, but often aren’t trusted as professionals in their own space. Aside from caring about teachers because they are people, we as a community should celebrate and support them because they are the foundation of the future. They plant educational seeds in students whose careers will blossom years without teachers ever seeing the fruits of their labor.
The first and perhaps most direct way that any humanist can support teachers is by volunteering. The easiest way to sign up to volunteer is by searching the school district’s homepage and looking for the volunteer sign-up. This will likely require a content form to complete a background check. If everything works out, you may be given a list of volunteer tasks: tasks like speaking to students about your career path, becoming a reading buddy, assisting a teacher in the classroom, doing campus clean-up projects, or tutoring, for example. Additionally, you may want to volunteer for specific events like fundraisers, sporting events, and chaperoning for field trips.
Another direct way that humanists can support teachers is through donations. Just like volunteering, there are a plethora of ways to donate. If you know a teacher or there is a school near you, you may want to reach out to the teacher you have in mind or to office support staff to donate things like deodorant, toothpaste, book bags, canned food, water bottles, or educational school supplies. Some districts may also have a free educational resource center for teachers. If you prefer virtual donations, try DonorsChoose, Adopt A Teacher, or search for #ClearTheList on social media.
Lastly, use your voice and vote to advocate for teachers. Often, many of the frustrations that teachers have cannot be fixed by one person. Instead, unified advocates must stand together and work toward legislative change. Teachers most commonly ask for higher salaries, lower student-teacher ratios, and more control over their classroom content. This election year is important for teachers because of Project 2025 (read our article about Project 2025’s treatment of public education) and with a former teacher running for Vice President. While you are at the polls standing with teachers federally, please do not forget to vote locally, as well, for elected officials important to teachers, including school board candidates.
It is so important to help support teachers this World Teachers Day. I listed off just three ways to do it: volunteer, donate, and advocate. There are many more ways to make effective changes over time. However, the most important way is to start somewhere. When we support our teachers, the whole world benefits.
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