A new experience in Taiwan's Teacher's Day tea ceremony

Adam Woolfolk

       In light of Teachers Appreciation Day, it's important to understand its purpose while respecting the diverse cultural perspectives it involves. This celebration involved students serving tea, bowing, and delivering short speeches to express their gratitude toward their teachers. However, we should acknowledge that this tradition may not carry the same significance in all cultures.

        In Western culture, historical contexts, such as servitude and slavery, have influenced perceptions. Therefore, having someone prostrate themselves in front of another person, especially a person in a position of power, can be viewed as inappropriate or even offensive. From a personal perspective, I wouldn't want my child to bow to anyone or formally serve a drink to an adult who was not a close friend or family member.

        It's worth noting that, in most Western cultures, there isn't an official Teacher's Day. Instead, expressing appreciation for a teacher usually involves excelling academically, maintaining respectful behavior in class, or occasionally leaving an apple on the teacher's desk as a symbol of fondness. However, other gestures, such as offering coffee, bottled drinks, or similar items, would also be acceptable and appreciated gifts for Teacher's Day.

        In conclusion, while I genuinely appreciate the sentiment behind Teachers Appreciation Day and understand its intended spirit, I would recommend a more subdued approach in the future. Consider delivering trinkets, gifts, cards, candies, or other small tokens of appreciation as a less embarrassing option for both students and teachers involved.

Armon Nakprasert

        Being served tea seems to be an important cultural tradition, not just practiced in Taiwan, but all throughout Asia. It symbolizes respect towards elders and teachers. Having spent my early childhood in schools in Thailand, Huey Deng's Teacher Appreciation Event, the tea-serving ceremony, was of little surprise to me. However, in my opinion, I find it a bit out of place when this tradition was never practiced in the six years that I have been at Huey Deng. I much rather prefer a note or even a verbal appreciation from students who were not forced to serve their respective teachers. I have received and kept all of the teacher's day thank you notes and letters in the past.  They were sincere and genuine, and I will always cherish them and the students who took the time to write to me about how much they respect and appreciate my classes.

Fredrik Johansson

        I had a fun experience participating in the Teachers Appreciation Ceremony. It was a nice way for the students to show respect and gratitude to their teachers. In Sweden, we do not have this kind of ceremony, nor do we celebrate Teachers Day. In fact, we do not have any celebration that is even remotely similar. I think it is a great tradition to honor teachers' role in society and foster a close relationship between teachers and students. I am very thankful for this opportunity to celebrate with my students here in Taiwan.

Jamaine Evangelista

       October 5th marks the annual observance of International Teachers' Day. This has been celebrated globally since UNESCO declared the day as an official date to commemorate teachers in 1994.  In the Philippines, Teachers' Day is a month-long celebration from September 5 until October 5 every year, and it is called the National Teachers' Month. During this period, students in all levels engage in different elaborate activities, such as performances, dances, and shows to express their appreciation for the country's beloved educators. Interestingly, teachers pick their model students who will act like them and take lectures for a week. By doing this, students understand the hardship and dedication of being a teacher. Indeed, this celebration is a reflection of how the world values our dearest teachers.

Robert Farnon

        I recall certain moments as a child, when out on excursions with the family, my grandfather, a retired headmaster of an elite preparatory primary school, being approached by distinguished middle-age professionals who would kneel down next to his chair and thank him profusely for pushing them to excel in whichever career they chose. The degree of respect afforded my grandfather was profoundly evident in seemingly every aspect of our family social life.

        As a student, I most greatly appreciated teachers who unpacked their subject with patience and compassion for their students who required inspiration to develop their knowledge and understanding of each aspect of their learning.

        Culturally, traditionally, teachers were feared and respected for their influence on society, yet loved for their persistence and diligence against what was often a war of attrition between them and their students. Over the years, this respect has been eroded by a social shift towards limiting teachers' reach in classroom discipline, and parental involvement in the management of the classroom environment has led to an increased undermining of the relationship between teachers and students, as the latter have recourse to question the demands of teachers to achieve the optimal output, and teachers are now required to excel consistently in increasingly creative methodology to ensure the best outcomes.

        How respect is demonstrated for teachers is by support from the home environment that accords with teachers' visions of the necessary skills required by society to succeed in whichever form that takes, and not limiting their ability to find the best for each student in every permutation of their character and their ability to manifest it as a positive contribution to themselves and society at large.

        Teachers are not developing products but people who are the developing future. It is increasingly difficult to assess the needs of this future, and the only way to achieve respect for teachers is through acknowledging that challenge, and understanding that the relationship between the students and teachers is not one that benefits from too much external interference and needs room to breathe. Parental support is essential, as they are often the pivotal contact between their children and society, and consequently the key source of support for the teachers guided by the management within the school.

        British education has undergone significant change in recent decades, and the relationship between teachers and society has been complicated by a decline in trust—worthy or otherwise—weakening the stature of the profession.

        If students wish to learn, that is enough respect.

Lukas Vanek

        This year was my first time to experience students serving their teachers tea. While I cannot claim I was thrilled about this, it was an interesting cultural experience, and as such, I am trying to embrace it and learn from it rather than judging it.

        In Europe, teachers, just like other educated members of the society, used to enjoy high social status nearly automatically right after graduation which proved that they acquired a certain level of knowledge. Things have changed though.

        Basically in all fields, some of the information people had been given during their university studies became obsolete. Those who have complacently stuck to what they had learned, refusing to adjust to the development in their field, started to lose the general admiration. Merit, rather than status, has become the social benchmark.

        Dates of memorable days, like Confucius' birthday, the Teachers' Day in Taiwan, do not change while everything else does. For me, this makes it a rare constant, an annual reminder. A reminder that people in Taiwan still highly value teachers and that I, to live up to these expectations, have to make up for my past mistakes and never stop learning so I know that I honestly deserve that cup of tea next year again.