It is past midnight and in a silent corner of the living room, under the lamplight, you see expert fingers feverishly working on the keyboard, followed by making copious notes, designing mind-maps for manifold concepts, stopping only for intermittent sips of coffee. Draws up typical imagery of a student engrossed in assignments to be submitted early next day, right?…… But let us turn your searching lenses to the infrequent side of the table; this is also the quintessential tale of the teacher who is no less intellectually and emotionally invested in her/his classroom. Then Covid-19 hit us hard which turned the teachers’ world upside down. Like always, the undaunted spirit that refuses to give up, sure we found a way to set it right again.

Online class was our answer! Online classes, the tell-tale of every webpage that you have recently visited. Starting from online classroom management tips to virtual assessment techniques, from virtual lesson plans to observing students’ behaviour online, they give you superfluous details of every aspect of the entire system.  Theory needs to be put to good practice, so our focus here is on these hushed warriors, who are adapting to the new normal with dignified ease. Overnight the home décor was changed to suit a classroom ambience.  Family portraits replaced by graphic organizers or meaningful teaching aids, most of which are ingenious DIY hacks. Not to mention this has now become our favourite spot of the house, we are most proud of. Family members, though attuned to the class timings, are frequent victims of nasty stares of eyes that pop from behind the laptop screen, in between classroom instructions, at the slightest household noise. This is our story- hectic and exciting, as solemn as it is frivolous.

Teachers, the singular driving force behind the cause of education are currently channelizing all their efforts in rebuilding a paradigm that will give young minds every possible reason to steer clear of hurdles till posterity, for they have the precise examples to follow. Individualized classroom plans, matching pace with the tech geeks and most importantly keeping the classroom spirit alive, does not come in easy. But who said we are looking for an easy option…?

 

Some highlights: