Worldwide, millions have witnessed the unpredictable, challenging and harsh consequences that were invited by the covid-19 pandemic. It took the shape of an unfortunate circumstance that unexpectedly escalated to a level where authorities were forced to shut down all educational and training institutes. The pandemic not only disrupted our entire economy and health status but also influenced the education system in a massive manner. The teaching profession as a result has been an underrated victim in this scenario where they were subjected to a series of difficulties including adapting to the online educational system, balancing personal and professional life and dealing with the stress of responsibility towards their students. The pandemic situation brought an interruption in the process of conventional methods of teaching which includes addressing doubts of students in a face to face interaction, encouraging student’s participation in group discussions and assessing student’s progress through conduction of proper examinations.
The enormous alteration in the system of imparting education also brought about numerous challenges for educators. One of the most common among those was the lack of experience in the digital educational system. The technological difficulties faced were frequent as many teachers are not habituated in that particular method of teaching. The internet network services have also been unreliable for many, which creates an environment of disturbance, wastes a good amount of time as well as hinders students’ concentration levels. This easily raises their confusion and stress levels. The accessibility, availability and affordability have been equally difficult to attain for countries with a poor socio-economic background. The long working hours that teachers are expected to invest in also compels them to sit before the screen for a lengthy duration of time which has led to highly negative consequences to their general physical health. There are several effects like severe lower back pains, headaches, indigestion, sleep disturbances and fatigue.
There have also been a number of cases where private institutions have eliminated employees so as to follow covid-19 protocols of social distancing and also due to the financial crisis. An article was printed in the newspaper ‘the Hindu’ by a staff reporter who during the pandemic in Bengaluru observed and updated that a group of thousand teachers protested and demanded a relief package from the government as a result of job losses and salary reductions. This has majorly stood up as one of the most distressing scenarios for the teachers as it results in monetary crisis which can easily lead to an anxious state of mind and severely depressed psychological condition. It was also reported by the Times of India, that a science school teacher of class XI in Ahmedabad started screaming suddenly during lectures without any noticeable cause. It was later found out after a consultation with a psychologist that she was suffering from anxiety and depression because of financial issues. Ragini Bharadwaj & Bharat yagnik, (2020). The salary reductions trigger hopelessness and also have a negative effect on their motivation and productivity.
Apart from financial stress, the expectation to devise innovative techniques in order to help students to stay attentive in a remote educational setting has easily built pressure and increased their responsibilities. However, this pandemic has in a way given an opportunity for teachers to explore creative methods of teaching and develop new skills which enhance their existing experiences but the competitive nature can also function as a source of constant stress. Another challenge of educators during a pandemic is to maintain a balance between work and personal life. The role an individual plays in his or her family life can interfere with one’s professional life as well, especially when the environment for both the duties remains the same. Teacher’s who are females are expected to cater to the needs of children as well as the elderly. It has been examined in various studies that in a country like India females are expected to fulfil roles that include household chores, child’s care and education. (Aryee et al., 2005; Ravindran and Baral, 2014). The work-life balance of teachers in a work-from-home environment has posed a serious challenge. This has resulted in increasing mental exhaustion and burnout for many teachers as, with a lack of cooperation and support they have to put rigorous and continuous efforts both at work and at home.
In the midst of unfortunate news of deaths and vast uncertainties that increased anxiety levels, different educators attempted to cope with it in different ways. There were methods used such as meditation early in the morning that helped in increasing attention span, acceptance, lowering frustration, aggression and stress levels. Teachers have also actively engaged themselves to develop and master their technological skills with time and patience. One of the most helpful strategies was to seek social support in times of distress as interpersonal communication with an empathetic friend or relative can alleviate feelings of worthlessness. The majority of institutions have also come up with different online learning tools, e-books, software applications and an arrangement of online examinations where questions measure a student’s in-depth practical understanding of the topics instead of theoretical materials of the book. There have also been several occasions where teachers have taken the extra effort to personally attend to issues faced by students by repeating those particular discussions with relevant examples and helping them with weekly assignments.
Hybrid learning has also been introduced that manages to handle both students physically present in the classroom and in remote conditions. There have been challenges regarding this system that can include student disengagement as methods to increase the concentration of both groups of students might not be feasible. This issue can be controlled through the application of student engagement activities that expand direct participation like quizzes. Another common challenge of hybrid learning is technical issues that are unpredictable and hamper focus. This can be managed through recording and sharing the class lecture with students learning remotely on a common online platform. Collaborative form of learning in the classroom is an extremely beneficial technique that helps in the growth of team working skills. To facilitate collaboration, however, stands as a challenge in hybrid learning but can be resolved through sharing whiteboard and screen while discussing ideas with the use of chat spaces.
Overall, the Pandemic has propelled all the citizens of the world to adapt to an exceedingly high level of difficult affairs where major practical adjustments had to be made by all. Teachers in this very challenging context have equally put strenuous efforts to establish and provide meaningful, informative and enjoyable learning experiences for the students. Educators all across the world have always been undervalued but their countless attempts to improve their skills in order to nourish students with knowledge during the stress of pandemic is worth appreciating.
– Urveez Kakalia and Debanjana Banerjee.