SCHOOLS SANS STUDENTS AND ONLINE CLASSES

The onset of Covid-19 pandemic locked the schools. We started thinking of alternative ways to reach students. Teachers were asked to creat What’s app groups of their respective classes and they started establishing contact  with the students. Some creative teachers started recording their lessons in small duration videos and shared them with their students. Students also started sending their responses to teachers through What’sApp. I also recorded some of my videos through which I tried my level best to educate students, teachers and parents about pandemic. Since all students did not have access to independent mobiles and contacting them became an uphill task. But this did not appear to be an appropriate alternative of offline classes.

Teachers started exploring technology which came to their rescue. We got apps like Classroom, Zoom, G-suite etc. in which the curricular transaction became better. Now teachers would give online classes through synchronous mode. But connectivity remained still a stumbling block. Here getting feedback from the students in the form of objective type tests became very handy. In our schools each student was given an ID and a password and the entry of outsiders was not allowed. But Principal/Vice Principal /HM could enter these virtual classes in order to supervise the ongoing academic transactions. Things started moving ahead,

This provided a challenge to the teachers as some of the parents especially in elementary classes would also attend classes to assist their wards in handling technological aids. The presence of parents improved teachers’ preparedness. And the technological knowhow of teachers also started looking up. Those teachers who always distanced themselves from using smart-classrooms-had no other choice than to equip themselves with the available technological tools at home. I consider it as the positive side of pandemic.

The level of interaction of a teacher with the students of her/his class in online classes was not up to the mark. Same was the situation of class control. Clever students could easily leave the class even without getting noticed. I noticed some students virtually attending the classes but on enquired they were found doing some other tasks like taking bath/breakfast etc.

Checking of homework notebooks is an important task of a teacher only if it is done honestly. There is no utility of giving such homework which is simply cut/copied and pasted. Creative teachers will always give innovative assignments which might be different from the routine textual exercises.   Through this, students come to know about their mistakes and teachers come to know about the corrective measures to be adopted to improve upon those mistakes. I think, homework should be given to reinforce the learnt concepts in regular curricular transactions. This important aspect has got a serious setback during the ongoing online classes. The checking of assignments/tests on mobile/laptop/computer-screen has increased the eye-stress level of teachers. Students are also not getting much benefitted.

Communication improves when we interact face to face with more and more people. In regular school students interact with their peers, teachers and junior/senior students. The more they talk to each other, the more fluent and communicative they become. This has taken a back seat during online classes as the students are confined to their respective homes only.

One more thing-the conduct of exams/tests-has reduced the fear factor as no teacher can keep strict vigil. And the sanctity of exams/tests is at high stake. Children are free to answer from any source-fair or unfair. Here the role of teachers becomes critical in setting the question papers. Such questions which test creative and critical thinking skills need to be asked. 

If given a choice to a child to pick up any out of a book or a ball –majority would prefer to pick up the latter. I remember students would approach me for getting extra period of sports. They love playing. When I see a flashback where students would run like fawns in the football field-my heart swelled with joy. Their bodies grow and bones get stronger in sunlight. Besides discipline and coordination-they also learn how to lose. They might be badly missing their playgrounds and games periods during their compulsive stay at home.

Students make friends. Sometimes the friendship grows so strong that it becomes lifelong. Each classroom is like a small world where love, hatred, smiles, tears, jealousy, competition all co-exit under one small roof. They learn, de-learn and relearn. They, I think, might be badly missing their classrooms and school.

For parents it must have been a big change. They might have perhaps forgotten to get up early. What would be packed in their child’s tiffin box -is no more a thought. The school uniforms which were purchased during pre-pandemic period must have become shorter by now. Students might not have worried to keep their school bags in ready-to-take-to-school mode.

Honestly speaking, I long to see students and teachers back in my school as it looks dull and lifeless without them. My ears strain to listen to morning prayer and national anthem. Hope my wish to be fulfilled soon!!