They work tirelessly to develop the talents of generations of children. A teacher takes a hand, opens a mind, and touches a heart.

Today’s the day to thank the people who assigned the evens for math homework, made you memorize obscure verb conjugations, and (hopefully) inspired learning.

According to UNESCO, nearly four million teachers will be needed worldwide by 2015 just to ensure that every child completes primary school. Broken down, that is 1.4 million new roles (as well as about 2.6 million more replacements) to achieve universal primary education.

A mere 81,000 are needed in central Asia, compared to a whopping 1.4 million in the sub-Saharan Africa region. Changing the status of teachers is one way for “overcoming any existing shortage of competent and experienced teachers.”

Thank a teacher today for being there, regardless of the external circumstances that they contend with on a daily basis. A little appreciation can go a long way for those who, according to the resolution, do no less than contribute to the development of the community and modern society. Tell us your favorite teacher story and remember to tag #thankateacher while doing so.