American author Esmé Raji Codell opens her book (How to Make Your Child a Bookworm) with the example of a basket of potatoes. She says: If we only had one basket of potatoes and a professional teacher, he could teach children a lot through it. He could cut it in half, plant one half, and teach them a practical scientific lesson by watching it grow. He could dig up the other half for the children to use to make shapes, letters, words, and foods, or teach them mathematics, fractions, and many other academic subjects.
From this idea, the author drew inspiration for her famous "Teaching with Potatoes" method, which focuses on broadening teachers' horizons and using whatever capabilities they have, no matter how simple, to educate children and develop their skills.
It's great to build schools and educational institutions according to the latest models and the best international standards. It's also great to equip classrooms with modern educational tools, high-quality technology, and various devices. However, they remain lifeless materials. What's most important and beautiful is that the teacher who uses this technology is experienced and proficient, and fully aware of how to present knowledge with or without technology.
Luxury buildings and advanced technology are wonderful motivators, but they do not constitute the basis of a successful educational process in and of themselves.
The teacher: the cornerstone of effective education
The educational platform should only be occupied by those who love and appreciate it and understand the honor of the place they stand on. Therefore, a method must be found to screen applicants or occupants, whether through professional licenses or other evaluation and assessment tools. Investing in empowering, developing, and training teachers, enhancing their performance and awareness, and stimulating their creative energies is the optimal way to achieve the various educational outcomes we aspire to. An aware and competent teacher turns nothing into a model lesson, teaching lasting and meaningful education. He can know what students need and has enough flexibility to provide them with a rich scientific meal accompanied by practical exercises and intensive training with the simplest means. Meanwhile, the average teacher with low competence is unable to provide even a quarter of that meal, despite the luxurious building and modern means. I do not belittle modern technologies and the necessity of their presence, but I prioritize the competent teacher over them. The competent teacher is the cornerstone of building successful education, about whom the famous verse was said:
I know the most honorable and noble person who builds and creates souls and minds.
Dear teacher, we place our hopes in you and hope that, in our sincerity to our educational message, we will reach the status befitting the heirs of the prophets. May God grant us success and benefit the people of this dear nation through us.
With your awareness and diligence, you can shape the minds of future generations and build a bright future for this beloved nation. Continue striving for progress, innovation, and inspiration, for you are the true agents of change.