That was 14 March 2020, when suddenly schools got closed due to pandemic covid-19 and soon after that unexpectable lockdown begins. Locking in our homes, I missed something like School environment and bonding with my students because that were not the scheduled holidays like summer vacations or winter vacation. Also had the thought in mind that what will happen about the regularity and practice in regard of a students’ education. 

So, an idea comes to my mind to link  with my students virtually. I shoot a video giving message for all students that how can they continue their bonds with their study and their teachers and then post it publicly on Facebook and YouTube. Then I made a WhatsApp group for online interaction with students.

Work shared by students through whatsapp 

I was just excited to initiate the online teaching learning class for Students, and very soon many students added to my WhatsApp group of study by their parents and guardian number. I made a proper time table for the online class including class of art and craft, Man ki baat to listen their problems and writing poem and stories, craft , science experiments, mathematical calculations and students actively participated in many activities, quizes, competition and daily subject homework. They learned to make videos confidently and do yoga. 

It was a little harder to convince Students in beginning and bring them on track of online learning but now it’s all ok, having a bond between me and students and with their studies also. Some of my students participated in state level child development program named “TEJAS”  which was for developing their confidence level, self belief, their creativity and to make them linked with environment. And the students was praised for their activities. Student makes videos confidently, they make many posters about nature, about mother’s day, and women’s day, Earth day etc. They make nest and water pots for birds, they do plantation, they made seed bombs for germination this rainy season, and many craft items. Beside this did science activities and experiments and send me online.

Painting shared by School students

Time to time I group call them by WhatsApp voice call or video call and interact directly with their problems. They happily shared with me their experiences and happiness to be involved in online teaching learning process. I am so happy to see my students developing like this digitally. 

All I experienced was very good but if it talk about negative experience then I feel a little obstacle in this growing technique of online teaching learning process especially with rural students. As most of the parents does not have smartphones and those who have the smartphones, not all have of good quality. Most of them have jio phones which they bought in 1400/Rs and many students shared with me this type of problems like- mam the videos which you are sending to us are not downloading properly and we are not able to to see them and answering the questions. Availability of phones to students is an essential need for the success of online teaching learning process. But I tried to overcome this problem and said to students that they can see the videos and do the homework other creativities with their neighbours or friends when the phones available to them. And also  tried to convince the students to support and help their friends who have no phones. 

Plantation drive by school student

I faced another challenge as not all students have phones on same time because their parents or guardians go  out of homes for some work and phones remains with them. So I free up this type of students that they can work at the time according to their availability of phones. But Problems doesn’t matter because they are part of every good work and we have to rise up leaving those problems behind. It was not so easy how to prepare rural students for this but it is a great pleasure for me  to initiate online teaching learning technique. Education officers of my district praised me and instructs other teachers to follow this and soon it’s become a compulsory track for the benefit of students. 

During lockdown time, students made mask and distribute them in village and also aware villages about prevention from covid-19 through some posters . They participated in a lot of competitions and got too many certificates also.

Mask made by school students 

I also got a great print media coverage for this and I am happy to say that most importantly students and the parents are well satisfied with me. And really really very happy, excited to continue my online class now also and my students are so excited and actively participated in each and every activity of the group. 

Recognition by local media

We all know covid-19 will leave many negative effects to our country but some positive thing it gives us direction in the form of digital teaching learning in government school also. Hope for the best in education field, for our students future and for our  country after covid-19. 

Stay positive! Stay safe!