Salaam Teachers!

“I’ve been enjoying working in lockdown. I get to interact with my students, have heart to heart talks with my colleagues, I’m not subject to long hours of commute. Of course, there is a downside that with no domestic help allowed in the building, we have to split responsibilities for household chores. And, I’m not able to give enough time to my daughter for her studies as I am forever innovating with technology and trying to make classes interesting for my students. I am sure my daughters’ teachers are also thinking the same and she will gain from them. Plus, sometimes kids and parents have doubts at odd hours, and there’s no longer concept of a weekend…! Going with the flow, and I do not mind some of the shenanigans. I have learnt animation, webinars, video conferencing, voice over and what not! I miss being in the classroom with children, the smell of the school, the hustle bustle. The Zoombombing, abuses and people peeping into my living room is a bit discomforting, but guess this is a new experience for all of us. Nonetheless, I am giving it my hundred percent, every day” said an excited Jimmy Lucknowwala, talking about classes, activities, ups and downs and daily work schedule as a teacher of a leading K-12 School in Delhi NCR. Jimmy is not alone, as the role of a teacher in continuum with societies becomes more apparent and critical than ever before.

As students’ make-do (and at times struggle) to learn-from-home, two things have happened: (1) the role of parents as true partners in the teaching-learning process has emerged and (2) gratitude for teachers, their skills, and their invaluable role in student well-being, has risen. The Covid19 induced pandemic has made the topic of parent and family engagement a burning issue, and it’s only fair that leading educators globally are recognizing parents as true allies, and promoting the same to their colleagues, to provide learning both in and out of school over a long period of time.

The often stereotypical and cruel joke of teachers themselves lacking learning capabilities or technology overpowering the teacher has now been thrown out of the window, and thankfully. As the society at large struggles to make sense of guiding and mentoring children- who, by the way, are true champions too for braving the situation – we are moving fast towards a transition in the educational process where technology is truly an enabler, peer learning is easier than ever before, and case- studies, flipped learning and student-led classrooms are becoming a reality.

It is a crazy reality that when the dust does settle, education on the whole will emerge stronger than it was ever before, with more access for all towards education equality thanks to technology, and frankly, lack of alternative. As our teachers innovate with new tools, so is the society at large; this is so heartening to see that real issues are being faced, tackled and discussed without inhibition. It is not unheard of where teachers are sharing ways of implementation with other members of family of their students. Remember, teachers had to jump into the line of fire without prior warning or training, and have faced it head on. Innovation does not stop with synchronous or asynchronous classes and even pedagogy has seen massive improvements despite of the limitations. Kudos to schools and authorities as well who have braved the situation and synergistically looked at progress instead of being bogged down by the dawn of the pandemic.

The heartening case studies of teachers are coupled with often also coupled with the doubtful lens that the fraternity is being scanned with, and that is truly heart-breaking. Anonymity often makes the thumbed warriors emerge with their videos switched off and their incognito windows in action. In many of my webinars, many-a teachers share with a chuckle and a tear that no matter what time of day or night, no matter their house be in containment zone or not, no matter what their individual responsibilities towards their own families be, or if some near or dear one is faced with testing Covid19 positive, they must perform 100% to the “script”. “Many times when students call at 6:30AM to once again ask for some files,or if they’ve misplaced login details password etc, they make a video call and expect us to be sitting at our work station. Blasphemy, if we cannot place the exact details right away, or worse, be in the kitchen in our home-clothes making a cup of tea. But, it’s all good.” says Jimmy to me with a broad smile. Of course, ensuring course completion, learning beyond content, completion of all registers as per formats, and keeping children engaged is the teachers’ responsibility too, personal life not withstanding. Of course, not to mention how disturbing it can be when the naysayers quip in with ‘but what is the teacher doing? Only being an online baby-sitter. Schools should not make any money, all this online teaching learning is rubbish’.

Learning cannot wait. Growth of a child should not wait. As we move towards over 6 months of facing the pandemic, please start valuing teachers. Trust the teachers. Give them space. Do not devalue the role of teachers for the growth of the nation. As technology becomes all pervasive, do remember that the role of an educator is not to be a software operator, as is clearly evident with the goingson of the pandemic. As teachers borderline toxic productivity, time has come when teaching is not as a matter of lack of choice, but a profession of choice, as it is a profession of immense pride. It’s not merely a technique; teaching an art. The world of today and that of tomorrow is being held together by teachers of the world. Let us salute them!

I am a teacher. I have other roles too. A father, a son, a husband, a brother, a friend, a neighbour. But, I am a teacher. Like everyone else, I am also facing the pandemic. Like everyone else, I too am working round the clock, trying to make the best for everyone who’s involved with me- my immediate family, and also my larger family- the 30,000+ students and their families associated with Jaipuria Group, the 2000+ educators working with us, bravely, day in and day out and everyone who is directly or indirectly associated with us. Like everyone else, I too face network and device problems, fading light, echoing voices, fear and anxiety about the pandemic, and like everyone else, I too, am hopeful for a brighter future, and feel that this pandemic has given us a stronger sense of survival, a stronger backbone. Like everyone else, I too am ready for the new world.