Among those who made the gloomy lockdown days better was my professor, Dr. Sripadmadevi. When virtual classes commenced, she spent the first session asking us what we had been up to during the lockdown and just spending time with us. “I miss seeing all your faces,” she said. Now that our classes are online, she makes an effort to keep them lively and interactive through digital aids. I have been taking a leaf out of her book and trying to be punctual.
My professors have shown more concern about our well being than ourselves. When our semesters moved online, they helped us adapt and sent frequent emails of encouragement and assurance. They quickly familiarised themselves with online tools and gave us tutorials on how to navigate them. I was among the few students who remained on campus throughout the semester and the summer and was amazed at how my professors went out of the way to help. At one point, we weren’t sure if we would be allowed to stay back in the hostel. A marketing professor offered to house as many of us as she could, in her staff quarters. My sociology professor offered to let some of us cook food of our choice at her place because the mess food was getting monotonous. Occasionally, a few professors would drop by the hostel to share home-made food with us.
I would like to thank all my teachers including those in BMS College of Engineering. Even during the pandemic, they continued to teach complex topics in simple ways, making test papers and checking them too, despite their household chores. A special mention to my college’s computer science department for all the guidance, specially my computer science teacher Mrs. KVN, who taught me C programming with great patience as I had not learnt this before joining college. She also kept in touch during some tough times.
Although we miss the campus, our teachers continue to play a vital link in keeping our focus on learning. Previously, we used the Internet for entertainment, but we now realise that it is for Edutainment. After the move from live interaction to distance learning, things have changed from “Good Morning, students” to “Am I audible ?” Although things have changed, I am thankful to my teachers for keeping our enthusiasm and learning spirit intact. They have again proved they are the backbone of education.
My teachers have really moved out of their comfort zones to teach us. My professor Nikhil sir told us how heartbreaking it was to see a college without students; it is just a building with a name tag. I also remember how Jose sir had trouble with his network. He went around his house holding his laptop, to get better range so that he could teach us without any interruption. All the teachers truly give their maximum to give us the best. I would like thank all our teachers who have put in so much effort in providing us the best through an online platform during this time.
It amazes me to see how my teachers have kept up with the transition and are coping up with the challenges, as the university shifts gears from the traditional classrooms to online learning. They address our problems through all possible platforms. While their work hours were limited to college timings earlier, now they are available to help us with notes and clarifications round-the-clock, without any complaints. Also, handling many students virtually, especially with uncertain Internet connectivity and speed, and explaining topics and clearing doubts repeatedly is daunting. But our teachers cope with a smile. They have taken a personal interest in our performance and participation in activities and also keep an eye on our mental well being. They took extra effort to connect with us personally through telephone, video conferencing and even chat, to motivate and keep us going.
Crackling voices and frozen screens. The ‘new normal’ classroom is nowhere near how regular classrooms used to be, but that hasn’t deterred any of my teachers from doing their job the way they used to. A sick professor took his practical class online, and this made me feel obliged to go the extra mile and pay more attention than I usually do.
As students, our greatest challenge was to cope with academics while being away from college and our teachers. But our teachers are facing a tougher challenge: of looking after their homes as well as conducting online lectures. Not just that but also the entire process of planning and scheduling required. Moreover, when we reach out to them, I see how they put away their personal work and attend to our questions, however silly they may be. They make us feel like we are with them, and are warm and comforting. I am grateful more to my teachers than before. I miss going to college and hope to be back soon for a hands-on leaning session with my teachers. Happy Teachers’ Day.
Our teachers rose to the occasion wonderfully as all of us worked to adapt to the online environment. There were times when Dr. Jatindra Kumar Dash couldn’t conduct classes as scheduled due to low Internet connectivity. To make up, he would forgo his Sunday and compensate. He even took an hour-long special class for some of us who missed sessions. He has been motivating us to research remotely, and even taught us how to do so. Thanks to his help and guidance, I might even land an internship from a prestigious foreign university. I was also impressed with how each teacher took our feedback on their online classes, and how they could improve. Hats off to all of them.
