A salute to teachers

RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE

A little over a year ago, the Covid-19 pandemic affected the whole world. Lockdown was imposed in the country, schools closed and exams cancelled. Teachers and the management staff were worried about what they are going to do about the exams and classes for the following year. Later, the government allowed classes to commence online which was quite hard to adapt to at first. We students thought that it is easier for the teachers as now they only have to prepare presentations.

After nearly a year of online learning, I have realized that online classes are also hard for teachers. In offline classes, teachers could explain lessons in a way that students could understand and they could pay individual attention to students who need it. Teachers would also have control over the class and ensured that each student paid attention to what was being taught.

Teaching offline classes is hard enough already but now in the online mode of education, teachers had to learn how to teach on a new medium, face cameras, oversee students and make sure that every student understands what is being taught. They also need to prepare presentations, explanations and have to make sure that every student attends all the classes.

Students are also coming to terms with the digital mode of education, I have noticed many a time when a teacher is conducting a class, some students don’t mute and they are also unaware that they are disrupting the flow of classes. Often students, while asking doubts, seem to forget that there are other students present too and start voicing their doubts at the same time, with no one being heard and the teacher not knowing who needs to be guided and answered.

I am also trying to understand the anxiety that a teacher goes through before a class. After understanding all the efforts that teachers put in, I am more in awe of the patience and understanding that they bring to their work. They are striving hard so that our futures are bright.

It also saddened me that teachers were not paid in full and that they suffered just like so many others. It also pains me that the people responsible for our foundation, instilling discipline, imbibing good values, imparting knowledge and moulding us into the best versions of ourselves also had to bear the economic brunt of pay cuts.

Having known that regardless of the pandemic the teachers are still so motivated, energetic and encouraging students to be the best and to work hard for what we want, the least we as students can do is pay attention, give our 100% and improve our punctuality in every class.

(The writer is an eighth grade student)