Confined But Not Dejected

By Kanishka Kataria, 15, India

The last few months have been challenging for all of us, and in particular teachers. We sometimes feel the depths of despair and pessimism gradually enveloping us. But it’s very true that “it takes a big heart to shape little minds.” 

Teachers can change the whole world with their hard work and dedication. The world may have come to a standstill, but teachers are still doing their best to keep their students intellectually and academically engaged. They have accepted social distancing and school closure and have tried to find creative ideas to do their jobs effectively, because they genuinely care about their students’ future.

When it comes to online education, teachers are learners again. Acquiring new skills of using and managing live video-conferencing, collecting educational resources, and conducting an online class of 40 students is a new challenge for many teachers.

Our teachers need to know that they aren’t alone, and we’re truly all in this together. ‘Thank You’ seems to be an inadequate response to all that teachers do and they deserve much more. Here are a few ideas for how to make their tough jobs a little easier.

The first step towards appreciating our teachers is respecting them. Even when we’re sometimes frustrated by the hours of homework they assign, students should understand that teachers are doing their best to help us learn about the world around us.

We should show our appreciation to our teachers in many small ways. It’s not just about giving them flowers and cards on teacher appreciation week; in the classroom, a student should try to give their teacher back even a fraction of the energy and focus they devote to every student, every day. Thank them for the twelve years they’ve spent grooming us for a better future.

Try not to compare two teachers to one another. Every teacher is different, and every teacher is doing their best to help you succeed. Leave thank-you notes just to let them know how much of an impact they’ve made on your life and your future.

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This piece is dedicated to my teachers, who in this terrible lockdown left no stone unturned to keep up our studies and knowledge.

Instagram: @kanishkax.217

Photo by Element5 Digital