Welcome, teachers. I'd like to thank all of you for being able to join us today. It truly is an honor to share this special day with you all. As most of you may already know, Teacher's Day also happens to be Confucius Day. I can't think of a better person in history for our esteemed teachers to share their day with.

So, what makes a good teacher? Well, that's a very good question.

Traditionally, teachers are required to be formally educated in the teaching arts. Personally, I don't think a diploma means much without passion or drive. At Joy, many of our teachers do not have a degree in education, and we've never made this a prerequisite. What we do and have always required is a genuine desire to excel, a devotion to the welfare of students, a passion for teaching, and an infectious appreciation for the English language—an appreciation that is hopefully passed on to the students.

Often I'll hear good news about Joy students. I feel an overwhelming sense of pride when I hear that close to 5,000 have passed the GEPT test; a considerable number have been able to get into top high schools; many have won national speech and writing competitions; or when I hear that they have secured good jobs. All of this of course is because of you … the teacher.

Teachers leave a lasting impression on students—whether you're good or bad (joke). Think back if you can at all the good teachers that you've had in the past. What made them good? What made them a positive influence in your life? The answer of course is … they cared.

You have the power to do all this.

This year we're celebrating our 25^th anniversary. You are cordially invited to attend the celebration event at the Howard Plaza Hotel this coming Thursday at 2 p.m. At the same time, we will honor the winners of First Annual Teaching with Creativity Contest, which took place last week. I hope all of you can join us.