Countless good deeds (which include the mundane as well as the extraordinary) are carried out every day by school teachers. I know: I am a witness.

I am a fourth generation head of school and proud of it. I grew up hearing about teachers, listening even without fully understanding their struggles and their foibles, their creativity and their dedication.

My mother told us of the time children went to school wearing one shoe in conformance with the policy that they had to be shod. The other shoe was worn by a sibling or relative. My aunt spoke about teaching in Valletta during the war and taking air-raid warnings in her stride. I took it for granted that teachers are heroes in disguise.

I have been working in education now for over 35 years and I am not disillusioned: I still think that teachers are modern-day heroes. Of course, not everyone is born a hero but working with a staff of educators I notice that self-sacrifice has a beautifully imperceptible way of rubbing off from one person to another. Each teacher is there for others – a true giving of self.

Teachers have a wonderful generosity of spirit and do great things which, more often than not, go unnoticed. They touch hearts

Eventually there is a group of like-minded people caring for the children. That is what makes a school.

What is it that I like best about teachers? They have a wonderful generosity of spirit and do great things which, more often than not, go unnoticed. They touch hearts. How often is a sandwich shared? How many tears are wiped away?

I see the teachers’ exhausted faces at the end of a school day that transform into the cheerful ones I know so well the very next morning. Most inspiring of all is the faith they have in your child.

St John Baptist De La Salle, the patron saint of teachers, cut to the quick. He invited uncouth, rough young men into his house to train them to be suitable educators. In this way he began a revolution by recognising the potential of having self-giving, knowledgeable and innovative people committed to teaching the young.

Today, moving towards the tercentenary of the death of De La Salle, in 2019 I ponder on my past career and marvel at the opportunity I have had to work with other teachers to fulfill this dream.

Teachers today do more than instruct – they educate and accompany others. Teaching is a noble profession: may there always be a teacher for the children of the future.

Mariella Vella is head of De La Salle College Primary School.