We are all going through a challenging time due to the pandemic. This COVID-19 pandemic and the unexpected lockdown has surely impacted different sectors of our country in some or the other way. One sector which saw a bigger challenge due to the closure of schools, colleges, and universities is the education sector. At this time, one can’t deny the role of online education in lockdown and the role of teachers.

Online education is a new concept in India. There is surely a new paradigm shift in terms of the way in which we look at education. Online education has its own challenges. But the good thing is that many educational institutions are trying to give the best education to kids in lockdown. The management of many institutes have come together to arrange means to provide good quality education to kids sitting at home.

I would say the best role to play in online education are teachers. They are the real heroes who are managing their home and also taking classes for kids. Being a mom and an educator, I know it’s a challenge and not easy at all. They handle a large number of kids in a class but handling them online is something completely different and new for the teachers. My daughter’s school started online classes 2 months back and its surely something different for kids but I am glad she is not missing out on her education.

The benefits of online education in lockdown for kids and parents-

  1. It is a boon for working parents. I mostly work from home and the good thing is that my working hours and my daughter’s school hours are the same. In this way, I don’t have to worry about her getting bored or wasting her time on gadgets.
  2. Kids are not deprived of education. My daughter is in 9th grade and this is a time when missing school is not a choice. The kids need to finish the curriculum on time and online education is helping them to stay in touch with the topics and syllabus.
  3. It’s the best way to meet friends and interact with teachers- Keeping kids at home is hard. They can’t go out to playgrounds or go meet their friends. So, through online classes, they are happy that at least they are able to meet their friends online and interact with them in some way.

Role of teachers in online education in lockdown –

  1. Teachers are not used to this mode of teaching. They are attending webinars to learn how to teach kids and also use new online equipment.
  2. Teachers have a dual role to play. As someone who mostly works from home, I know it’s not easy to manage home and work together. Work from home is a new concept for them but they are managing both wonderfully for our kids.
  3. The change has happened really fast. Teachers didn’t get enough time to learn and they had to quickly change gears and buckle up for this new mode of teaching. It’s important to understand this as parents. Let’s not judge them for the way they are teaching or the way they are handling kids.
  4. They are making sure all the students get equal attention. I have observed my daughter’s classes and it’s really nice to see how teachers ask questions in between to make sure kids are attentive and are not missing out on anything.

My thoughts as a mom –

As a parent, I salute the teachers and school management to take this initiative of online schooling in lockdown. The sad part is that some of the parents are not understanding that teachers themselves are learning this new way of teaching. Let’s not judge the teachers and encourage their efforts by sharing our positive feedback to the school. I am sure this will boost their confidence and they will be able to teach our kids in a better way.

It’s good to see that in India, not only public schools but government schools are also trying their best to give quality education to kids. Teachers are not leaving any stone unturned to get used to the concept of eLearning.

Its high time we change our narrative around teachers and online education. Let’s stop judging and start appreciating and encouraging the real heroes, the unsung heroes, the teachers!

 

 

 

 

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