Oct. 5 is World Teachers' Day. For me, one of greatest joys of working in a university in China is the opportunity to teach so many amazing, dedicated and enthusiastic students. Sept. 10 was Teacher Appreciation Day in China. A reflection of the high regard for education in this country, China has celebrated this day since the 1930s, though the date has been altered from time to time. The present date of Sept. 10 appropriately corresponds with the start of the fall semester and students' return to school and university.

World Teachers' Day activities are varied and many. In some cases, children bring a gift for their teachers from their families. In some schools, children record video testimonials expressing their gratitude. Some use the opportunity to watch a film about teaching. Some recommendations include: "Mr. Holland's Opus," "Stand and Deliver," "Freedom Writers," "Akeelah and the Bee," "Dead Poets Society," "To Sir with Love," "Lean on Me," "Finding Forrester," "To Be and To Have (Être et avoir)," and the Chinese films "Not One Less (一个都不能少)" and "The Road Home (我的父亲母亲)."

Teaching is one of the most important vocations in society, and great teachers see teaching as far more than job - it is a "noble calling," a life choice to take on the important responsibility of educating and inspiring the next generation. Every day at school during which we are engaged with our teachers and fellow students is a day that is charged with significance, because what happens during that day may shape our whole approach to learning. If our experiences are positive and encouraging, we will maximize our learning during our formative years of education and develop lifelong habits from which we will benefit for the rest of our lives. If children's experiences with school and with teachers are negative, they may struggle with the ability to learn for the rest of their lives. For good or ill, as writer and educator Henry Adams famously wrote, "A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops."

Most teachers choose teaching as their "calling" because they were inspired by one of their teachers when they were in school. While I had the benefit of many excellent teachers and wanted to be a teacher from my earliest years, the standout teacher for me was Roger Rozendal. The word "educate" means to draw or lead out. I was at the time a very quiet and shy first-year university student, and Mr. Rozendal saw something in me that I didn't see myself. He got to know me as a person and helped me to overcome fears and inhibitions so that I could maximize my potential. Mr. Rozendal got to know me personally. He realized what poet Maya Angelou observed years later when she noted that, "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." My experiences in Mr. Rozendal's classes and working with him as my debating coach changed my life and inspired my dream to become a teacher in order to help others unlock their potential.

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