Teachers miss in-person classes, but value hybrid schooling

They share their experience of teaching online through the pandemic

Over the last two years, teachers, parents and students alike have been navigating the tumultuous world of online learning. The pandemic had impacted the education system greatly, second only to travel.

Ahead of Teachers’ Day on September 5, Metrolife spoke to teachers in the city to understand how easy or difficult it was to adapt to a remote learning system.

Radha Swaminathan has been teaching for over 40 years. Currently working at Deccan International School, Padmanabhanagar, as a history and geography teacher, she says the pandemic opened up a whole new world of learning for her.

“There is no denying that initially, we had trouble adapting to this new way of life. Being in this profession for so many years, I was used to a particular kind of teaching. But the pandemic made me realise that this is the way forward and I am now thankful for how advanced our technology has become,” she adds.

However, she believes nothing can beat the value of offline learning. “Both the online and offline mode of learning has its pros and cons. But students learn better offline and even the teaching experience is better,” she says.

Hindi language teacher at Nirmala Rani High School, Malleswaram, Mamta Kashyap, agrees. She misses the bond she was able to share with her students in the classroom.

“Even though some of the kids have come back now and classes have resumed, there is a bit of disconnect. I was not able to understand my students and build a bond with them online the same way I would in a classroom,” she says. She believes if the teacher is unable to connect with her students, the education gets hindered.

“All in all, I’m glad we’re back at the school. It might take some time for both the teachers and kids to get used to this new routine. But I believe I can teach better this way,” she adds.

Technological advantage

Ashu Kharbanda, teaching faculty and ICSE coordinator at Vishwa Vidyapeeth, Yelahanka, is thankful for the technological knowledge she has gained through the process of online education.

“From knowing just how to use word document and make PowerPoint presentation, we teachers have come a long way. Despite the tough times we faced trying to adapt to this new system, I am glad for how technologically-advanced I have become now,” she says.

As students return to offline classes, some of the online elements will continue to be a part of the school curriculum, hopes Ashu. “Both teachers and students have grown together in this new system of remote learning. We’ve developed many skills, which make teaching easier and we don’t want to leave it behind,” she adds.

Work-life balance

Remote teaching sent work-life balance for a toss, says a mathematics teacher from Vijayanagar.

“Especially while dealing with younger kids, you have to be online all the time, whenever they need you. This made it hard to maintain a normal work-life balance, especially as we were on our own, with not much help from the school,” he says.

Archana Raykar, pre-primary teacher at Vishwa Vidyapeeth, Yelahanka, says she has learnt to adapt her life around this new routine.

“Younger kids need a little extra attention and we had to come up with innovative ways of teaching them online. It helped us become more creative. At the end of the day, it was all worth it because as a parent I understand the importance of online learning, so my colleagues and I created a routine around it,” she says.