Honouring the Heart of Every Profession: World Teachers' Day at St Joseph Development Programmes
By Gregory Ndubi
On Monday, 5 October, St Joseph Development Programmes joined the world in marking World Teachers’ Day with a celebration of the people who shape our learners’ futures every day.
Teachers from across the programme came together for the occasion. They included educators from the Upendo OVC programme, tutors from the St Joseph Vocational Training Centre, and teachers from the St Joseph Technical Senior Schools. They shared breakfast and lunch, and the students were also served special meals in honour of their teachers. The day closed with a cake-cutting ceremony.
Leadership took the floor to thank the teaching staff. The Principal, the Dean of Studies and the Head of Programmes, who also serves as Human Resource Manager, each spoke of the dedication, patience and commitment teachers bring to their work, often well beyond the classroom. They encouraged the teachers to keep going, and assured them that their efforts are seen and valued.
Many teachers also shared their own reflections. Some knew from an early age that teaching was their calling and had prepared for it for years. Others arrived in the profession unexpectedly, never having imagined themselves in front of a class, but said they have come to love the work and could not see themselves anywhere else.
One message ran through all of the speeches: every doctor, engineer, entrepreneur, artisan and leader started out as a learner in a teacher’s classroom. As one reflection put it, every profession in the world passes through a teacher.
For St Joseph Development Programmes, the celebration was a reminder that investing in teachers is investing in the young people and communities they serve. We thank all our teachers for their service and for the lives they are shaping.