Celebrated annually on October 5, World Teachers' Day marks not only a time to celebrate the contributions of teachers on a global scale, but also to recognize and mobilize around the challenges facing them every day.

This year’s theme, which highlights the invaluable role of teachers in fulfilling the fundamental right to education, reminds us that we cannot realize our goal of literacy for all without teachers who come through high-quality preparation programs and are given meaningful professional learning opportunities and experiences on an ongoing basis.

Here are five key resources for developing prepared and motivated teachers:

• Standards for the Preparation of Literacy Professionals 2017 are the first-ever set of national standards guiding the preparation of literacy professionals. Drafted by a team of 28 literacy experts from across the United States, the updated standards describe the characteristics of effective literacy professional preparation programs, integrating research-based promising practices, professional wisdom, and feedback from expert stakeholders during public comment periods.
• In addition to setting the standards, ILA, convened a task force charged to review and analyze the research on teacher preparation for literacy instruction. This joint effort with along with the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), produced a research advisory, that discusses common features of successful teacher prep programs.
• Democratizing Professional Growth With Teachers: From Development to Learning reimagines a more “democratic” model of professional learning that allows educators to participate in its planning and implementation.  
• “Personalized Professional Development: At the Center of Your Own Learning,” a Literacy Daily blog post, discusses the value and practical applications of professional learning networks.
• Teaching Tolerance provides a range of instruction, teacher leadership, school climate, and other resources that help educators shape their schools into strong, equitable communities.

Alina O’Donnell is the communications strategist at ILA and the editor of Literacy Daily.