Life of Teachers: Pre-COVID and Post-COVID
Albert Einstein has said, “It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge,” and this is what we have seen teachers do decades after decades. Teaching formally began in the early 1800s and has been an integral part of our society ever since. It is one of the most influential professions in the world. Each of us have had to begin our lived by being taught without which we would’ve never been able to achieve the many things that were desired in our careers. Early child education, primary education, secondary education and finally higher education has been a part of every person’s life years after years. All of these stages are provided by schools and an individual would need to attend the classroom sessions to complete these stages of education. This is the pattern was followed until the Covid-19 Pandemic struck the world.
The pandemic changed the lives of teachers all across the globe. With almost all governments declaring an emergency lockdown and shutting schools and colleges on priority, it was clear that this was just the beginning of the many changes that were about to unfold. Before the pandemic struck children were free to roam around in their school campus, mingle with their classmates, share lunch with the friends, have tussles, play games, run in the park, play in the mud and do many other activities that gave them joy.
Sadly after the pandemic struck these activities came to an immediate stop and children were confined to the four walls of their homes to ensure their safety. While all their activities were halted, their education and learning also had to take a backseat. But the question that arises is that how long can the learning be halted? The answer to this came within a few months of the lockdown and it is digital teaching and learning. Digital learning is now being explored by almost all countries across the world to fulfil the requirement of educating children. This has caused a great need for teachers all across the globe to be familiarized with this new concept.
Earlier, teachers being technologically savvy was an option and was explored only by the ones who found the interest to do so. Technology was minimally used as a means of delivering knowledge to students. There was a physical interaction that teachers had with students and classroom sessions were conducted in their presence. This was always how it was and teachers, over the years were trained to conduct sessions in this manner. With digital teaching and learning slowly taking over, the need for teachers to keep up with this pace is now imperative. This is steadily becoming the new normal and will stay around even after the pandemic ends.
Many counties will look at this transition as a good opportunity to transfigure their education systems. Teachers in that case will have to adapt to this transformation. They will have to master the use of technology to deliver classroom sessions virtually. Teachers will have to actively participate in this transition and redesign curriculums and teaching techniques. They will have to explore the different learning styles and incorporate it to ensure leaning retention and implementation. Teachers will have to balance out their personal and professional lives well since this transition will demand a lot of their time and effort. Innovation is the key to the success of this transition. Though there will be many challenges it will help deliver better education. Digital teaching and learning will help us stay ready for any such situations that may arise anytime in the future.
