With the negative aspects of education taking up the headlines, Julian Stanley asks what there is to celebrate about being a teacher.

If you have been paying attention to the mainstream media of late, it seems to have been a busy time for education.

You are no doubt aware that teaching unions are joining other public service unions in balloting their members on strike action over changes to teachers' pension, which has provoked the standard amount of public sympathy and outcry. You may also be aware that a new study has been released that suggests 64,000 teachers are underperforming. The Sutton Trust believes that removing the bottom 10 per cent (about 40,000) of these underperforming teachers could lead to sharp improvements in the UK's international ranking.

You have probably seen that Barnaby Lenon, Chairman of the Independent Schools Council (ISC), has indicated one-in-five children "learn nothing" throughout their secondary education and the underachievement of the bottom 20 per cent of pupils is now the "biggest problem this country faces".

You may even have heard of the case of the teacher, who was a part-time stripper, or the teacher who has been banned for allowing his pupils to hug him, or the headteacher, who has been accused of assault after attempting to restore order in the classroom.

You are also sure to have seen that almost half of parents questioned by the TES believe that the cane should be reintroduced; whilst a fifth of secondary school pupils themselves say they back the cane as a reasonable method of punishment.

What you are probably not aware of, though, is that next week marks the annual World Teachers' Day. This day is, the website states, "an opportunity for UNESCO and Education International to celebrate the profession and to promote international standards for the teaching profession". More importantly, it gives us the opportunity to focus on the positive aspects of teaching for a change, which, as the stories above suggest, has never been more important.

I have mentioned in this column before that we asked teachers that use Teacher Support Network what they thought the public's perception of teachers was. 79 per cent of those that responded felt that the media did not present a positive image of teachers. Just over a quarter of these teachers thought more positive media coverage could help improve the public's perception, while another quarter thought publicity campaigns to raise awareness of teachers' good work were necessary.

Surely then, a day like World Teachers' Day is the perfect occasion to promote the good work of teachers?

Worryingly though, if, as I suspect, many of you are not aware of this day to celebrate the profession, what chance is there that the public at large know? They, after all, read the same headlines as we do, but unlike us, they do not have the added benefit of being in the classroom or in the staffroom to see the incredible benefits and achievements that good teaching brings.

So what can we do to promote the profession next week? At Teacher Support Network, we want to hear what you love about teaching. Tell us why teaching is such a uniquely challenging, yet ultimately rewarding profession. We will then collate your responses in our attempt to refocus the media's attention on the positive side of teaching. Tell us below.

As for what you can do this World Teachers' Day? It's simple. Celebrate! Celebrate with your friends, family, acquaintances, particularly if they do not work in education. Celebrate the young people who did learn something with another recording breaking year of GCSE and A Level exam results. Celebrate the 844,300 teachers in England who are not underperforming, as well as the many thousands more doing similarly good work in Scotland and Wales. Above all celebrate the teachers that go to work, teach their lessons and do a good job every day of the year.

These teachers may not grab the headlines or make good newspaper copy, but as I am sure you are all aware, they are the real story of education.