With Teachers' Day (Sept 1) round the corner, I thought that I would share some of my thoughts on the profession, having taught here for a decade.

Teachers, we need to change our pedagogical approach. Some of us are still relying on the 'chalk-and-talk' approach and rarely stretch students beyond what the syllabus required because we either believe that our charges cannot handle the harder work or because spending time on something that will not be assessed explicitly is not efficient time-management.

It may sound so cliched but we need to inspire our students. We need to believe in them. We need to look beyond examinations and help prepare them for the future. We need to educate, not just teach.

Children will rise to challenges and if we do not stretch them, they will never rise above the mediocre. A teacher once said to me, 'Don't be an average Joe, no one will ever look out for the average Joe. Strive to be outstanding in whatever you do. Believe in yourself.'

Parents, support and believe in your children's teachers.

Students, demand that your teachers challenge and stretch you. Yes, it will be mentally demanding and sometimes downright frustrating but look towards the sense of satisfaction you will get upon completing the task, never forgetting that in the real world, if you don't match up to expectations, no one will give you a second chance.

The world does not owe you a living and you will have to prove constantly that you are the best person for the job.

In conclusion, teachers need to remember that ours is the only profession that can realistically deal with the future. I would like to believe that our students can match the world's best, not only in maintaining their grade-point average, but also in terms of conceptual understanding, creativity and ability to discuss controversial issues like politics and religion.

Jason Charles Ingham