Marissa Rousseau
Staff Writer
Guest speakers praised teachers and celebrated education during World Teachers’ Day on Oct. 5 in the McCarthy Forum.
President of Education Club Aleksandra Gosz introduced the guest speakers: Dean of Graduate Studies Dr. Yaser Najjar, President of Framingham State University Dr. Javier Cevallos, Sen. Karen E. Spilka and Senate President Stanley C. Rosenberg.
Through their own observations, experiences and involvement in education, the speakers offered their opinion on what makes a teacher great.
Najjar spoke of the International Education Program at FSU, that offers a master’s degree for teachers living and working overseas.
Dr. Cevallos discussed the importance of education and its impact on future generations.
Senator Spilka began with a quote from Henry Adams, “A teacher affects eternity. He can never tell where his influence stops.”
She then shared a story about her son, who is a teacher, and how proud she is of his work and the impact he has on his students.
Rosenberg spoke about how the quality of education has improved and its eRects on society. He then shared a story of his own experiences with a teacher who impacted his life.
He then shared a story regarding his high school German/geometry teacher who saw both his academic strengths and weaknesses. He said he excelled in his teacher’s German class but struggled in her geometry one. She went out of her way to help him improve his work, and upon his graduation presented him with a special award to celebrate his academic abilities, he said.
The Education Club sponsored the event to show appreciation toward FSU teachers.
Gosz said, “The reason we decided to have an event for World Teachers’ Day is because it’s so important to celebrate the individuals who, in my opinion, have one of the most important jobs in society. Our advisor, Dr. Kolodny, came up to me one day to discuss what could be done and after many meetings, here we are!”
She added, “World Teachers’ Day is a day to pay tribute to all the great educators out there who come into work every day, ready to inspire and mold the minds of our youth. It’s a day of celebration, but also a day to raise awareness for everything that has to do with the world of education, good and bad, and keep the conversation going.”
Junior Jocelyn Mingles said, “I thought it was very well put together. ... I didn’t know what it was going to be like before I got to the forum, but I’m glad I went because I learned a lot from everyone who spoke about how important teachers are in our society. I had never thought about the fact that a teacher’s influence is never-ending.”
Senior James Murray said, “I thought it was really nice to hear from people that deal with the legislative side of education. The speakers came from a side we don’t usually get to hear from, which was a great experience.”
Education Club member junior Marissa Gross, said, “It was a nice way to acknowledge and honor teachers and their hard work. I thought it was informative, and I enjoyed hearing the story about [Rosenberg’s] favorite teacher at the end.”