A Bright Future for Education in Difficult Times

Najia is an English Language teacher at a prestigious school in Islamabad, having over 10 years of experience,  from grade 3 to O Levels. She shares her experiences of using teaching methodologies that the lockdown forced schools to adopt but at the same time hopes for a brighter future for education.

Holding on to Tradition

“I have always been a strong advocate of preserving old traditions and passing them on to the generations to come. Some might view this as an ‘old school of thought’, but for me, the present is the result of the past and the present holds the key to the future.

The knowledge of our ancestors and the methods used by them to accomplish tasks cannot be undermined.

As an educationist, I have always made it a point to revive the old traditional ways of teaching and studying and at the same time, I incorporate the approved new methods of teaching.

For me, technology was always somewhat an alien term. I believed that technology actually contracts our abilities to create. We no longer are able to recall phone numbers. Being greeted on our birthdays has become more or less meaningless as we know that it was the Facebook reminder rather than a thought behind the greeting.

We are no longer able to calculate numbers on our own. We have become lazy, dependent, and less empathetic by nature. Most of us are absorbed in our own worlds, with each one of us engrossed in watching or reading material that is available at the click of a button. Many are pretending to be someone we want to be on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts.

I can go on and on with this argument!

Having given you a sneak peek into my thoughts regarding the ‘smart world’, you can imagine how challenging it is to adapt to the changes that have been brought about by the current lockdown.

My Realization During the Lockdown

I have immense love for teaching; it has always been part of my personality. After realizing that in order to reach out to my students and communicate with them, I gave in. Surprisingly it did not even take a minute for me to start exploring the ways in which I can use technology to accomplish my goals.

I was someone who resented typing, but when the world around me turned upside down and the doors to the outside world were shut, I knew that it was time to change.

It has been forty-four days now and I have changed my perception about the use of technology. I am trying every possible method to do my duty; to reach out and impart knowledge and provide a helping hand to parents who might be struggling. We all have to do our part.

Whether it is making notes on Word, using PowerPoint presentations to teach, making videos and creating my own channel, and trying new applications such as Google Classroom or Zoom, I have tried to explore and incorporate all.

My aim is to be prepared and be fully armed so that the process of learning never stops. If I can do it, anyone can!”

So the Lockdown has made our teachers technically sound and up to date. This definitely shows dedication on the part of our teachers!