Climate Education
Teachers are Our World
October 3, 2025
October 5th is World Teacher Day, the perfect opportunity to honor all those educators who have shaped our lives for the better. Today, we’re celebrating the incredible educators who’ve inspired, challenged, and championed us through every chapter of our lives. After all, teaching isn’t just about textbooks and test scores; it’s about lighting sparks, opening minds, and guiding young hearts through the adventure of growing up.
Here are some of our favorite teacher (or teaching) moments celebrated by EARTHDAY.ORG’s own staff – some of whom are former teachers!
Eggi Triyadi – Campaign Specialist
My favorite teacher was my high school art teacher, Mrs. Rina. What I remember most from her is the importance of trusting yourself in whatever your craft is, and learning to love the process. She showed me that to be great at anything, you need to value the journey, and that’s something I still carry with me today.
While the finish line is important, the process of getting there matters even more. That always puts things into perspective for me, and I thank Mrs. Rina for that.
Emily Walker – Senior Education Coordinator
I have quite a few favorite teaching moments from my own career as a teacher, but the ones that stick out are often not related to academics. Teaching elementary school students is by far my favorite group to teach because they want to build connections with you and others. This means I had many moments of bursting into tears from laughter or utter surprise. This happened often with my students as they are curious and uncensored at that age.
The small moments – in the morning when a previous student would stop by my classroom to say a simple “hello” or when a student drew a picture of me and my dog. Those small bits of connection they showed were my favorite moments.
Bryce Coon – Director of Education
My favorite high school teacher was my social studies teacher, Mr. Beach. I took a number of courses with him—economics, world history, world religions—and he taught them all with a unique passion and introspection. He had a gift for connecting his lessons to the larger picture, always ensuring he was helping us become better versions of ourselves.
I recently had the chance to reconnect with him and share how my own journey came full circle. It was a powerful moment to tell him that his inspiration is what led me to teach for 11 years and how my current role with EARTHDAY.ORG is impacting students around the world through our climate education programs.
Sarah T Davies, Director Communications & Media
I had a brilliant biochemistry teacher when I was at Aberystwyth University, going back to college as a mature student, don’t ask me why! He was wonderfully open to being challenged if we didn’t understand anything, which was often for me! I was struggling to grasp something called Beer’s Law (to be precise, the Beer-Lambert Law) that had nothing to do with alcohol but is vital for doing biochemistry properly.
It states that the absorbance of light by a substance in solution is directly proportional to the concentration of that substance and the length of the path the light travels through the solution. Yep, you have to learn how to use it because it’s this law that’s widely used to determine the concentration of molecules in a sample.
I plucked up the courage to tell Dr. Lamb that basically none of us understood the formula, including me, and he set up a special ‘Beer Law Bootcamp’—it was a game-changer. Come the exam, I think everyone in the class scored over 90% on that section, and it was all thanks to Dr. Lamb’s kindness and willingness to understand that we weren’t stupid, just confused. I still love biochemistry with a passion, which feels bizarre as I was useless at chemistry at school!
Dennis Nolasco – Education Coordinator
My favorite teaching moment was when I was teaching English Language Learners and I had a student from Germany, Nikolas. He hated reading, did not enjoy practicing his English and appeared pretty disinterested in class.
However, I learned that he loved soccer and invited him to join our after school soccer club which I ran. He had a blast playing and felt more comfortable speaking English and quickly made friends. Soon, in class I recommended graphic novels about soccer such as “Booked” by Kwame Alexander. Nikolas devoured the book and soon started asking me for more book recommendations about other topics. At the end of the year, Nikolas gifted me a German National Team soccer jersey.
I learned that even the most seemingly disinterested student can become engaged when given the right opportunities!
Aminah Taariq-Sidbe – Manager of End Plastics Initiative
My elementary school teacher, Brad King, taught me to love STEM. I loved when he instructed us on how to build rockets, or when we would project stars in a dark room and teach us about space. He passed away this year, and I hadn’t gotten the chance to thank him as an adult. But I know I will carry on his legacy of educating and inspiring the love for science.
Terran Fielder – Media Specialist
Sometimes, everything aligns and the right teacher shows up with the right lesson at exactly the right time.
I’ve always loved learning about history, especially how it shapes culture and drives innovation. During my junior year, I took U.S. History with Mr. Brewer (coincidentally, at the height of my Hamilton the Musical obsession). I was fully invested in the subject, but memorizing dates? Definitely not my strength. That said, thanks to Hamilton, a few key ones stuck.
I’ve never been shy in class, but I’d hold back if I wasn’t sure of the answer. On the first day, Mr. Brewer asked when the U.S. declared independence. I blurted out, “1776!” From then on, he encouraged me to take risks, to speak up, and to trust myself, even when I wasn’t 100% certain.
When it came time for the big state exam, I got sick and was worried that everything I’d worked so hard for would fall apart. But I passed with flying colors…not just because Mr. Brewer was a great history teacher, but because he taught me something even more lasting: confidence.
To all the teachers out there: thank you. The world needs you, and we see and appreciate everything you do.If you’re an educator passionate about making a difference beyond the classroom, we invite you to join us at EARTHDAY.ORG. Help us bring climate education to every student, everywhere. Explore our free resources, get inspired, and become part of a global movement to empower the next generation through knowledge and action.
