This year’s September 1 was Teachers’ Day in Singapore, an official national celebration
and school holiday recognizing the dedication of teachers, whereby students would bring
little meaningful gifts to school for teachers or write letters and cards for them.

Teachers’ Day falls on January 15 in Venezuela, September 28 in Taiwan, October 5
in Bulgaria, and November 20 in Vietnam. Unfortunately, I have observed that the
commitment of teachers is much less appreciated in the United States.

Albeit being a community college, DVC instructors are no less than inspirational and
influential. The diverse pool of instructors I have encountered in my academic life as
a DVC student have played a huge part in shaping who I am today, which explains my
astonishment when I observed the lack of teacher appreciation from students on campus.

On the final days of instruction for the past three semesters I attended DVC, the most
significant form of gratitude I witnessed appeared to be people who thanked instructors
while shaking their hands. Others would simply walk away after submitting their final
assignments. Accustomed to much teacher appreciation in Singapore where I grew up, I
was bewildered by the disjunction between the amount students expect from teachers, and
how much they give in return.

Disappointed by the lack of recognition in teachers’ commitments to students, I am writing
this article as an acknowledgment of their dedication, by using specific examples that I
have experienced as a DVC student.

The first instructor I would like to thank and commend is Professor Benjamin Armerding.
The English 126 Critical Thinking class taught by him is by far the most mentally
stimulating course I have ever taken in DVC. Expecting an ordinary English class with
discussions of critical thinking, I was flabbergasted when presented with theories from
Rhetoric, Philosophy, Psychology, Sociology, Literature, and even Politics in this course.
When other people were writing five paragraph essays in other classes, we had to attempt
forms such as the Dialogue, Dialectic, and Manifesto for our essays. If anyone thinks that
was hard, our final assignment was a Literature Review of at least 10 pages, where we had
to imitate PHD scholars’ writings. Although the course was undoubtedly challenging, the
professor’s attempt to challenge stereotypes and encourage creativity is highly admirable.

The second professor that left an indelible impact in my DVC life is Professor Katy Agnost,
who taught my English 123 Literature class. Since the first day of instruction, her sincere
personality and bubbly disposition never failed to brighten the entire classroom. Not

only did she intensify my passion for Literature, she was also always ready to lend a
listening ear whenever I encountered problems and conflicts in my personal life. Professor
Agnost’s class completely redefined the notion of Literature in my perspective, as she
utilized graphic novels for two of our Literature texts. One of our short texts was even a
PowerPoint, complete with sounds and graphic images that flowed along with the storyline.
Her class was truly enjoyable and enlightening, and I feel blessed to have been her student.

Apart from these two professors, I have also encountered various distinguished instructors
in DVC that have amazed me with their extraordinary talents and unique personalities.
Professor Carolyn Seefer with her entertaining traveling stories and dedicated contribution
to the DVC Scholarship Committee; Professor Claudia Eckelmann with her love of cats and
adventure; Professor Martha Laham, a Business instructor who breaks social taboos with
her variety of tattoos; Professor Jacob Van Vleet, who wrote a book that is used as a text in
UC Berkeley and two Australian universities; Professor Kevin Young with his interesting
experiences around the globe after living in numerous countries; and last but not least,
Professor Beatrice Osborne, who highly encourage class participation and whose kindness
moved me when she willingly wrote my scholarship recommendation letter despite being
home bound after an accident.

I personally feel that there should be an improvement in teacher appreciation in DVC. After
all, William Prince once remarked, “Teachers appreciate being appreciated, for teacher
appreciation is their highest award.” Who ought we, as students, thank but the individuals
that have dedicated their lives to educate us? Without them, it would be impossible for us
to soar towards greater heights and attain goals for brighter futures ahead.

I hope that after students read this article, they would begin respecting and honoring
teachers who not only impart their valuable knowledge to students, but also serve as
paramount mentors who guide them towards the path of academic success.

“A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.”
Henry Adams