Teachers should not take their profession lightly as they are tasked with the responsibility of influencing one's life from childhood into adulthood.

As teachers are celebrated internationally, nbc News reporter Emil Seibeb and cameraman Thomas Amukwaya spoke to veteran primary school teacher Maureen Tjihenuna-Beukes.

Teaching is often considered a daunting career, not among the best paid and with the stipulation of having to deal with children who may be troublesome.

But most, if not all, have gone through a classroom, in one way or another, inspired by a teacher.

Known to her learners as Juffrou Beukes, even at home during mid-term break, she is busy with preparations.

The 59-year-old veteran educator teaches Natural Science and Agriculture to over 400 Grade Seven learners at Olaf Palme Primary School.

She swapped a nursing uniform for the classroom, and 33 years later, she remains an educator.

She says her passion for the blackboard, just like the smiles on the faces of the little ones, has not once faded.

Many of her former students hold a special place in her heart, and she occasionally runs into some of them while out and about in the city.

Those, she says, are her proudest moments. "Some of them are working in banks, some are pilots, some are doctors, they are in different professions, and that encourages me more. It is that I can see the changes that I brought into the lives of the little ones."

The teaching profession goes beyond the classroom, says Tjihenuna-Beukes, as she tries, at all times, to practice a holistic approach that includes social and other skills.

The theme for this year's World Teachers' Day celebration is "Transformation of education begins with teachers," and Juffrou Beukes has a short message for her peers. "You should have that love for children and for humans. You should know that the responsibility we have does not come from the principal or from the HOD, it comes from God. Once you neglect one little one, it is a big harm to their lives. Do not discriminate or pass judgment based on appearance; some students may not be receiving love at home or elsewhere and are seeking love from the teacher. Love them all."

The veteran teacher says she will miss her classroom when she retires next May.
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