A good teacher is like a candle ― it consumes itself to light the way for others – Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Former President of Turkey

KAVERI CHADHA describes the joys and challenges of teaching and learning during these Covid times

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the concept of formal education as web-based learning and online teaching has come as a boon, allowing a significant percentage of the 1.5 billion student population all over the world to continue with their learning.  In India, over 32 crore students in schools and colleges were hit by the Covid-19 crisis. However, with the reach of the Internet restricted to only 38 per cent of the student population in India, there surely are limits to online education during these Covid times.

Despite the limitations, one fact that has emerged from this crisis is that technology has proved to be a saviour for the world student population, including India. Earlier, technology was looked upon mostly as a means to entertainment and lavish lifestyles, more of a distraction for students’ academic activities; but the Covid-19 crisis has changed that view.

For teachers, adopting to a new technological mode of teaching has become a challenge, but looked at positively, it’s a great opportunity to devise creative and innovative methods of teaching, rather than the pure copy book style and learning by rote.

Kaveri Chadha

As a teacher, I am happy and proud to be part of what can be described as a new era in teaching children in the comforts of their homes and with methods that are so modern and appealing. We have succeeded in keeping the school curriculum in tact and complete. It seems as if we are there physically present ― both students and teachers ― as our online classes go on so smoothly. For students it’s a joyful experience of a new and exciting way of learning and for teachers it is akin to acquiring a new repertoire of skills.

I am not presenting a dream-like scenario. To be realistic, teaching in these conditions is extremely challenging and difficult. Most of us have to adapt to technology that we weren’t familiar with. As a result, the working hours have increased. Teachers have to keep a balance between the responsibilities of their work timetable, while at the same time ensuring that they are doing their household jobs and their own children get their education at home too.

Each child is different and not every child is in a stable environment in this home learning. Teachers are putting their best efforts to keep children engaged with different activities , and  are making the best use of technology to make sure that online learning is interesting and interactive. 

In spite of the availability of the content, how to use it and deliver it to the students in the right way is the real deal. Teachers are also ensuring  that students are engrossed in different co-curricular activities like yoga, art, craft, dance and music. These fun activities along with their regular curriculum help them to stop thinking or worrying about the things that may be troubling them, like missing the company of their loving classmates.  

I used to teach senior primary students, but I opted to teach students in pre-primary school. Some well-meaning friends and colleagues told me that would be akin to downgrading myself, but I stood my ground. During these Covid times, I have become doubly sure that I took the right decision.

The cognitive and phonetic methods of teaching that I employ to teach these kids, the basics of Maths and Language, gives me immense joy. I believe, I am laying the foundation for them to think for themselves and learn intelligently, rather than just mugging or learning by rote like they used to in earlier times. I feel like I am blessed by Divinity to do a job that I would love to continue doing for many, many years to come. I believe teaching is an intrinsic part of practical spirituality.

A big thumbs up to the all the teachers, who are with me on this epic journey of a new era of teaching. I would like to end in the words of Robert John Meehan, American educator and author of the book, The Teacher’s Journey, who said, “Teachers who love teaching, teach children to love learning.”

(Visuals by Kaveri Chadha)

Kaveri Chadha, a BA in Economics and also a B.Ed, has more than 12 years’ teaching experience in a reputed public school in Delhi.