COVID-19 has brought along with it perhaps the biggest challenge a teacher could face. Teaching virtually has turned out to be a whole new ball game for them, but they have been at the forefront of adapting to the changes that the pandemic has forced upon society. Yet, they would all love to go back to school as soon as possible.
This Teachers’ Day, as the State honours its most important link of nation building, the festivities, though limited in scale, too have gone virtual.
Lack of proper interaction is taking a toll on teachers and students, with both facing some sort of psychological trauma. Teachers feel that teacher-student interactions are limited as classes have gone online.
“Teacher-student interactions have become too mechanical,” observes Varughese Mathew, Principal of Sr. Xaviers’ Arts and Science College in Kozhikode, who has decades of experience as a physics teacher. Lack of proper interaction is affecting the mental health of both students and teachers, he adds.
Teachers are also facing too much of a challenge, as they need to cope with a situation in which not just students but their parents too attending classes.
“Teachers need to be on alert as parents may also pose queries,” says Vadayakkandy Narayanan, a higher secondary teacher from Vadakara and pioneer of the SAVE movement, explaining that teachers have an added responsibility now due to parental interventions.
“Classes are not limited to 35-50 students as they used to be. Each class is accessible globally. As a result, teachers are facing the challenge of updating themselves,” says Prof. Mathew.
“On the other hand, parents have started sharing some of the responsibilities of teachers, as they monitor academic activities of their children,” says Mr. Narayanan.
Teachers also find many positive aspects in the current education system, as it has opened a wide digital world before students, teachers, as well as parents, who, though, despite the initial glitches, have adapted well to it.
“A trend these days is that students who used to be a bit inattentive and weak in classes have started excelling, better than bright students sometimes, in the online classes,” notes Mr. Narayanan. About 20% of the students are lagging behind in the activities assigned by teachers, he says.