Teaching Profession and COVID 19

Education is one among many sectors, which is highly affected by COVID-19. The education of more than 90 %  students globally was disrupted by institutional closers. We cannot imagine of any other sector which is more impacted after public health by what we going through over the last two years of COVID pandemic.  The onset of COVID became clear that education is more than just focusing in academics rather it made all of us realize how essential school, teachers and students are to make our life being worked.

When pandemic stroke, the education sector was not well prepared and was searching for the immediate solutions, which was also very difficult. Even we teachers were almost in such a situation where we get paused like what to do, how to start, where to start ………………….. As teachers, our personal life as well as professional life, and family life everything collided in such a way that, it became very intricate to manage at a time. No was prepared for the sudden transition of Physical learning to distance learning or e-learning. Teacher had to move overnight transition from lecture to online, students from mass class to individual virtual class and parents as a new role of tutors, counselors, mentors, observers etc.

NO doubt, online education, e-learning, digital learning, virtual learning, whatever name we give to them, these all are the new experience and the only options during the pandemic, but what about students who don\’t have access to internet, laptop, connectivity, broken internet and many more issues. With this entire lacking situation, it was really a big challenge for teachers as well as students and parents to come in a platform of virtual learning.

For students, school s were not merely to get just academic education, but also a place to learn about socialization with their peers, teachers and take part in extracurricular activities like sports, dance, songs, art etc for their holistic development. Due to COVID, all these stopped which affected in the mental well being of the students as well.

It was really a complicated task for the teachers to make students engaged in virtual learning without receiving the adequate trainings before as it already mentioned no one was prepared for this kind of changing scenario and transformation of digitalization. Not only teachers, students also find it difficult to adjust themselves in virtual classroom. As a result, their report cards indicated that more middle and high school students are falling down in exam.

Lesson Learnt from COVID-19 crisis as a Teacher:

• Always be updated
• Be ready to harness the technology for teaching-learning process.
• Always be ready to deal pedagogical challenges and changes.
• Always stay connected with students.
• Keep your physical and mental health stable.
• Hygiene is more important to have better life
• Saving is very important for future.
• Nature has its own way of teaching everyone a lesson.

Indeed, COVID-19 pandemic has taught us so many lessons, most of not all, which we need as the economic crisis, stroked teachers the most. At the same time, it gives us the chance to meet ourselves; it helps us to introduce our own identity. It made us ready to face the possible challenges that we might get punch in near future too and many more life-changing lessons.

STAY HEALTHY

STAY POSITIVE.

Sakuntala Chhetri.