When we were barely getting aware of the Corona virus outbreak in China, in January 2020, little did we know that soon the so called virus would eventually engulf the whole Earth. It did and it did so calamitously! The world’s economy came to an instantaneous standstill and along with it all the livelihoods. Undeniably, every work sector has been on a real downer and so has been my job as a teacher.
With schools shut and no means to teach, out of the blue, teachers were introduced to the new system of online teaching. And here laid all the perplexities. The entire teaching fraternity stumbled upon a series of technical deterrents: whether all the students had access to smartphones, laptops and a good network, were some of the thoughts that hit us to begin with. Another hitch in the system was making the not-so-techno-savvy teachers familiar with the digital world. Overwhelmed, we had only begun to scratch the surface.
Furthermore, we were frantically gathering instructional material to make the distance learning efficacious. The endless parade of sleepless nights, downloading and uploading, browsing and surfing, typing and printing was quite agonising. I underwent brainstorming episodes to formulate innovative and creative approach towards teaching and effective learning. At times, the walls seemed to be closing in, but we carried on, determined, one day at a time.
In all honesty, I missed the classroom teaching. I have come to realise that no form or mode of teaching could possibly replace the student-teacher learning covenant. We are living a reality of superficial learning, glitchy network and an utter technological mayhem. Yes, the students are at a disadvantage, but resilient and continue to learn, igniting the fire within.
Alternately, e-learning has engineered surfacing of new ideas. The pathway into the virtual world is supposedly intellectually stimulating. The concept of virtual field trips has completely changed the way we look at the new age learning. Within seconds, sitting at the comfort of their homes, students can be virtually transported to any continent, a remote Hawaiian island, the deepest ocean trench, a spooky forest and even another distant galaxy. This could be our pre-eminent chance towards digital literacy.
Teachers all over the world are trying to put their best foot forward to ensure uninterrupted learning of their students. Unprecedented obstructions demand ground-breaking response. There exists a virtual divide among the students, in terms of accessibility to electronic Medias but teachers are relentlessly trying to bridge that gap and reach out to them. Maybe by forming WhatsApp groups, recording videos, constantly being in touch with parents and students through phone calls and so on. We have glorified doctors, nurses and other medical personnel in these difficult times. This Teacher’s Day, let us also celebrate our unsung heroes, our teachers for their mettle and tenacity. Lastly, I quote, ‘teaching is a colossal weapon that can create educated masses or can annihilate the universe if not manoeuvred properly’. A big shout out to all the educators, students and parents for their unwavering faith and perseverance!
Ashodi Ferro