Most of us remember only a fraction of what we were taught in school. The formulas fade, the definitions slip away and even some of the books we read for examinations become unfamiliar. Yet when asked about a teacher who made a difference, many of us can recall the person, the classroom, the words they used and the moment they made us believe we were capable of more.

The relationship between a teacher and a student is one of the least visible dimensions of education. Conversations about learning understandably focus on curriculum, results and access, but a teacher’s influence on a young person is far harder to measure. Children spend a large part of their formative years in school, which makes teachers some of the most consequential adults in their early lives.

Through encouragement, guidance and the expectations they set, teachers shape how students see themselves, what they believe is possible and how confidently they engage with the world.

For many students, it begins with being encouraged to raise a hand, attempt a difficult question, write a story or try again after getting something wrong. These moments never appear on a report card, but they build confidence, character and ambition long after the school year ends.

The work of a teacher has always extended beyond the subject being taught. A teacher may enter a classroom to teach mathematics or science and still spend the day encouraging a struggling student, recognizing an emerging talent or challenging a young person who has begun to doubt their ability. Today, they are also helping students navigate new technologies and a world that demands critical thinking and adaptability.

That is why I think of teachers as quiet architects. They are building something that may take years to understand, often without knowing what the finished structure will look like. A teacher may encourage a child at ten years old without ever seeing where that encouragement leads, yet that student may become an engineer, entrepreneur, artist, doctor or teacher whose work is shaped by the confidence received years earlier.
 
World Teachers’ Day is an important opportunity to recognize this contribution, but it should also prompt a broader conversation about what it means to value the teaching profession. To truly value teachers is to recognize the conditions they need to do their work well: the opportunity to continue developing professionally, the resources to teach effectively, a working environment that supports them and the professional respect to have a voice in the systems they serve.

UNESCO’s 2026 World Teachers’ Day focus reflects this broader understanding, highlighting the need to strengthen teachers’ recognition, professional standing and working conditions.

The quality of education depends not only on what we expect from teachers, but also on the support we give them to meet those expectations. As UNESCO puts it, “The working conditions of teachers are the learning conditions of students.” If teachers are expected to prepare young people for an increasingly complex world, then the systems around them must give teachers the tools, support and environment to meet that challenge.

Supporting teachers cannot begin and end with a message of appreciation. It has to show up in the systems, resources and everyday environments in which they work. Governments have a role in shaping policy and providing the resources education systems require. Schools and education leaders must create environments where teachers can do their jobs effectively. Parents and communities have a role in reinforcing the value of education and the work of educators. The private sector can contribute through partnerships, resources and initiatives that complement these efforts.

At BIC, this connection is close to our work. For decades, our products have been part of everyday moments of writing, learning and self-expression, from the first letters a child learns to write to the notes, assignments and examinations that form part of their education. But the tool is only one part of the experience. Before a young person has the confidence to put an idea on paper, there is often a teacher who encourages them to try.

That belief has shaped our approach to supporting education and educators. Through initiatives such as Canvas of Change, BIC has worked with teachers across Nigeria to help them leverage creative methods and hands-on tools that make learning more engaging. We have also supported educators with teacher guides, lesson resources and classroom aids, ensuring that teachers are not only recognized but also equipped to succeed. Through our Back-to-School and Global Education Week activities, BIC continues to place essential writing instruments into the hands of both students and teachers, helping to provide some of the everyday tools needed for learning.

In September 2025, BIC also backed teachers on a larger stage. As headline sponsor of the Let There Be Teachers Conference, convened by One Million Teachers,  BIC stood with over 5,000 educators who gathered at Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos to celebrate teachers and set a Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of teachers. The conference closed with a call for reform, urging governments and stakeholders to strengthen policies on teacher welfare, curriculum development and education financing.

These efforts reflect a simple principle: recognizing teachers should go hand in hand with supporting them. The people shaping the next generation need the resources, professional support and wider ecosystem required to do that work well.

There is often a teacher behind the stories we tell about who we have become. It may be the one who encouraged us when we struggled, challenged us when we doubted ourselves or introduced us to an idea that changed how we saw the world. Many of these teachers may never know the full extent of their influence. Yet the confidence they built, the curiosity they encouraged and the possibilities they helped us see can stay with us long after we leave their classrooms.

This World Teachers’ Day, we should recognise teachers not only for what they teach, but for the possibilities they help create. Their work extends beyond lessons and examinations. They help young people find their voice, believe in their abilities and imagine futures they may not yet see for themselves.

Because long after the lesson is forgotten, the belief a teacher placed in a student can remain. That is the quiet power of teaching, and it is why those who shape our future deserve to be supported, respected and recognized, not just on World Teachers’ Day, but every day.

Anthony Amahwe is the General Manager, BIC Nigeria. He writes in from Lagos.