Parami community celebrates World Teachers’ Day as lifelong learners

Parami University celebrated World Teachers’ Day with an online gathering that brought together students, faculty, academic advisors, and staff. Through personal stories, a student panel, and messages on a shared appreciation board, the community reflected on what it means to teach, learn, and support one another.

The event opened with reflections from Parami faculty members, including Dr. Romina de Jong, Dr. Will Buckingham, and Dr. Dan Wessner. 

Dr. Romina de Jong reflected on her experience as both a teacher and a student. After pursuing another master’s degree following a decade of teaching and working in education, she said returning to the student role had been “such a good lesson” for her as an educator. 

She also recognized the many Parami students who study while teaching in schools, community centers, and other settings. “You carry assignments in one hand and lesson plans in the other,” she said, acknowledging the work students continue to do in Myanmar’s difficult circumstances.

Dr. Romina described teaching as an act of giving part of oneself so that someone else can grow. She reminded students that every lesson prepared under pressure, and every student who understands something because a teacher stayed patient, can influence future generations.

"Being a student makes you a better teacher, and being a teacher makes you a better student," she said. "The two are not in competition. They are the same gift moving in two directions."

Dr. Will Buckingham, who is also learning Burmese, spoke about the value of remaining curious throughout life. Drawing on a teaching from Confucius, he said that when three people walk together, one of them can be a teacher. For him, the third person represents the beginning of a learning community.

“When there’s a third person, when there’s the beginning of community, I think that’s when learning really starts,” he said. In the Parami classroom, he added, students and teachers learn from one another. “You are all teachers, and you are all students as well.”

Dr. Dan Wessner reflected on the teachers who had influenced him at different stages of his life. He spoke about mentors who encouraged him to keep going, cross borders, listen to others, believe in himself, and leave the world better than he found it. Their influence, he said, continues even after they are gone.

The reflections from faculty members also opened a broader conversation about the role of teaching in shaping lives. That role is not limited to the classroom or to those who teach as a profession. At Parami, many students have also become educators in their own communities, carrying their own experiences of learning into the ways they support others. 

During the panel discussion, students described teaching in conflict-affected communities, learning centers, mission schools, and local communities.

Niang Sian Lawh Lun, a member of the Class of 2027, shared how teaching displaced students from Chin State inspired her to pursue higher education. She said teaching also changed how she learns. Preparing lessons requires her to consider how students understand ideas and what words will help them connect with the material. Working with students from different backgrounds, she added, has helped her become more empathetic.

Aye Khaing Zin, from the Class of 2030, spoke about helping to establish a learning center that offers pre-GED and GED classes for young people in remote areas who were unable to complete high school. Because it was difficult to find teachers in the remote area, Aye began teaching as well as helping with the center’s management. She explained that one challenge has been finding alternatives to the memorization-based education many students have experienced.

For Iman Hasin, a member of the Class of 2030, teaching is closely connected to hope. Drawing on his experience in a displaced community, he said education is especially important for people who have been forced to leave their homes. “Education is more than learning,” Iman said. “It is a way of rebuilding the future.”

He also described teaching as helping students ask questions and gain confidence. “A good teacher does not only teach lessons,” he said. “A good teacher helps students believe in themselves and see possibilities for their future.”

Naw Esther Tun Yi, also from the Class of 2030, spoke about volunteering at a mission school. Esther’s experience taught her that teaching involves more than sharing knowledge. It also requires listening to students, understanding their needs, and helping them feel confident. She said she was grateful for the opportunity to learn from her students as well.

The discussion also highlighted a common experience among the student panelists: no two students learn in exactly the same way. Teaching requires patience, flexibility, and careful preparation to find ways of presenting ideas that students can understand and engage with. At the same time, they described the rewarding moments that make the effort worthwhile, from seeing a quiet student participate more confidently to watching a difficult concept finally click. 

The celebration continued with a Padlet appreciation board where students shared messages of gratitude for Parami faculty and academic advisors.  One student wrote that Parami professors had transformed “the way I think, learn, and see the world.” Another thanked professors and advisors for helping students see the world from different perspectives through engaging classes and discussions.

Other messages recognized the small actions that make a lasting difference: making students feel heard, sharing carefully prepared materials, encouraging creative expression, and helping students continue when they doubt themselves. One student wrote that teachers had shaped not only their education, but also “who I am becoming.”

On behalf of the academic advisors, Kedhar Wallace Bartlett reminded the community that teachers give students the tools to shape the future. He encouraged everyone to think of a teacher who had changed their life and, if possible, send that person a message of thanks.

World Teachers’ Day at Parami University was not only a celebration of faculty members. It was also a reminder that learning is shared work. Teachers guide students, students teach one another, and both continue to grow through the relationships they build.

Parami University thanks all of its faculty members and academic advisors for the time, patience, and care they dedicated to students. Their work continues to shape not only what students learn, but also who they are becoming.