Since 1994, World Teachers’ Day has been commemorated annually on the 5th of October. The goal is to urge the world to empower educators and to appreciate their role in creating quality education. Aside from that, we also celebrate the adoption of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers which was the foundation for educators’ rights and responsibilities.
Talitha Nurhaliza, a Communication Science student from the Class of 2021, who is currently conducting an IISMA program in Barcelona, participated in commemorating World Teachers’ Day. She did this by shared her experiences about the learning process in college and the lecturers. Talitha is an Ilkom student who is undergoing an IISMA student exchange program at Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain. During college, Talitha felt that the learning atmosphere and interaction at Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) and Universitas Padjadjaran (Unpad) were very different. The learning atmosphere at UPF feels calmer and quieter. She rarely finds other students conversing during class or gathering inside or outside the classroom, all students seemed more independent and only focused on the material delivered by the lecturer. In contrast, the learning atmosphere at Unpad is more active and lively. Usually, there are Unpad students who discuss the material during class and often gather after class. Although there are differences related to the learning atmosphere in both UPF and Unpad, Talitha still feels comfortable and happy to study at both universities.
Talitha also said that she was very happy and encouraged by the way the lecturers at UPF and Unpad teach. “I like the lecturers at UPF because they are very interactive, smile a lot, and try to relate to Indonesians whose culture is very different from theirs. Just like the lecturers at Unpad, especially in Communication Science, I like the fact that they are easy to understand and interactive too,” she said.
To commemorate World Teachers’ Day, Talitha said that we can appreciate our lecturers by doing things a good student would, like doing all of our assignments on time, being well-mannered, paying attention, taking notes, and actively asking and answering questions during class. So, let’s make this moment of World Teachers’ Day a reminder for us to always appreciate and give our gratitude to the teachers and lecturers who have taught and helped us in developing ourselves. Happy World Teachers’ Day! (Ed)