The influence of an educator can never be underestimated. Educators are one of the most important pillars of our society. They give children purpose, set them up for success as citizens of our world, and inspire in them a drive to do well and succeed in life. The children of today are the leaders of tomorrow, and teachers are the sculptors that mould children for their future.

Children use what they have learned to influence society. Today’s youth will become tomorrow’s leaders, and teachers have access to educate the youth in their most impressionable years — whether that is in teaching kindergarten, high school, college, university or even in coaching classes.

In reality, teachers have one of the most important jobs in the world. Those who have an impact on the children have the power to change lives. Not just for those children themselves, but the lives of all mankind. But despite playing such a critical role, we all as individuals are guilty of not celebrating the teachers who shaped us.

Let’s do a small activity. Think of all your favourite teachers during school-time. The ones who paid special attention to you and made sure you understood a concept properly. They taught you and your friends with a smile and though they might have scolded you, you now know it was for your good.

Do you remember the last time you thought of them or tried to contact them? Do you know if they led a comfortable life? Can you be sure that their income as a teacher was enough to support their family? Do you remember them getting awards during School Annual Meets?

There is a good chance that we forgot them as soon as we left school or college and got busy with our work. But isn’t it unfair that the ones who spent so much time providing answers to students are forgotten so easily? They gave meaning and purpose to the young minds but their purpose has remained unappreciated.

If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants. ~ Isaac Newton

We are who we are because of the people who taught us and shaped us with their words and actions. Even the most intelligent person in the world has learnt from his/her teachers. Year after year, they work in polishing uncut gems to create shining diamonds in the form of students who bring make our country proud. But as a society, we tend to forget these invisible sculptors and end up praising the sculpture.

This is evident is the many awards we see around us felicitating almost everyone except educators. Every stream of performing arts, from acting to singing, has awards to encourage the best talent to come up. This is true for almost all fields you can think of – science, industrialists, businesses, sports etc. In schools and colleges, even students are felicitated for their achievements.

These actors, industrialists, businessmen, sportsmen etc. all have been influenced, trained and coached by their teachers. However, awards are given only to those who make a monetary or visible impact on the masses.

The Vedant Foundation saw a gaping hole in this giant wall of awards and recognition for educators and plans to fill it by establishing the Educator Excellence Award. We believe it is high-time that educators get the recognition they deserve. Educators are like candles – they sacrifice themselves to light the way for others. Hence, as a society, we must come together and honour their work.

We hope the ‘Educator Excellence Award’ inspires educators to come forward and share their notable work and also works towards inspiring students to become teachers and give back to society. By celebrating the achievements of educators who are the true changemakers, we want to give credit where it is overdue.

Just like in other sectors, great educators deserve great awards in the field of education. Awards impart a sense of success and appreciation. They recognise many qualities: ability, struggle, effort and, above all, excellence.Awards provide validation to an individual for his/her contributions.

Hence, we hope that with the Educator Excellence Award we can provide validation for years of hard work and sacrifice by teachers and other educators. We hope our initiative paves the way for many more such honours for our respected educators.

How the Educator Excellence Award is different

Now that we have understood the importance of teachers and the need for them to be recognised in our society, we can now try to understand the Educator Award better. This award requires going above and beyond the regular duties of an educator to truly make an impact on the students and indirectly on our society.

The Educator Excellence Award takes into consideration several factors to decide who would be the winners. The evaluation criteria are transparent and straightforward with a point system in place. Given below is a list of aspects that make this award stand out from any other award.

• 360-degree feedback – We value the educators who have earned the respect and admiration of their students and have a positive relationship with colleagues. We are asking for feedback from the students, peers and seniors of the educator to get an overall picture of the educator’s potential.
• Overall effectiveness -. We evaluate the disciplinary depth, the methods of instruction, and the quality of communication with students for this aspect. We also appreciate if the educator regularly collaborates with other teachers and school staff and also takes on positions of leadership.
• Teaching methodology – The educator’s unique teaching methodology will be evaluated. We will also assess their style on how they teach while keeping learning sessions interesting for students. If an educator can pick the right instructional methods for every learner individually it will be quite commendable.
• Published contributions – The educator can earn points if they have published books or articles in their field of expertise.
• Impact on community – We also highly value those educators who work to make the community a better place and are involved in awareness initiatives and programs that empower the needy and marginalised.
• Aptitude – We also conduct a general aptitude test which does not require any special preparation.

As an educator striving for the Educator Excellence Award, there are no losers. The competitive nature and acknowledgement process is thought to help motivate educators to do their absolute best for students, and feel recognized for their above and beyond efforts. We also hope that our initiative sheds light on the vital profession of educators and inspires students to take up this noble profession.