Amid 2nd year of pandemic, educators fondly celebrate Teachers' Day
Some of them share their experiences of online teaching and how cooperative have been their students
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New Delhi: STUDENTS and mentors across the nation celebrated the much-respected Teachers' Day on Sunday, a day to recognise the efforts and guidance of educators in India and to mark the birthday anniversary of former President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
In the second consecutive year of the pandemic, the education community remembered their teachers and their teaching experiences amid ongoing challenge of restrictions and overnight switch to online classrooms.
Bizz Buzz spoke with teachers to understand their journey as mentors to students and how the pandemic shaped their idea of teaching without the luxury of physical classroom.
Ritomaitree Sarkar, the 29 years old Assistant Professor, has been teaching at Inspiria Knowledge Campus, Siliguri, West Bengal for two years now and started her teaching journey just 6 months before the pandemic hit the nation.
"Initially it (online class) was hard because I've realised that students who were going to college, suddenly couldn't enjoy that traditional academic life. They had to sit in front of the laptop, computers for 4 to 5 hours a day and we as instructors were also new to this digital classroom experience," Professor Sarkar said. Sarkar believes that students, inspite of having a supportive relationship with their teachers and instructors, learn better in-person.
Pradhan Singh, a 54-year-old a private tutor in New Delhi, said that shifting to digital classroom experience wasn't easy but was possible through the guidance of his students who taught him how to operate webcam and online classroom apps.
"I am hoping to see my students in-person soon as Delhi government has given nod for schools to resume teaching. I am thankful to my students for being so patient with me through these 17 months as all of us were adjusting to the virtual mode to connect, teach and learn. It certainly wasn't an easy journey," says Singh, a mathematic tutor for 26 years.
Ashwathi Muraleedharan, a former Teach for India fellow, said that even though she has not been actively teaching for over a year now, as her primary focus is PhD research, her former students wished her on the day.
"The messages I received were mostly about their memories with me and the 'pep talks ' I was known for. It's good to hear from students even when you have discontinued teaching them. Makes you feel special," Muraleedharan said.
"Every teacher and student is trying to connect with each other in their own unique way. Both must try equally to get the best classroom and beyond classroom experiences and you'll be surprised at the change people can make if given an opportunity," she added.
