One day a wise man asked a teacher, “When do you feel the most excited and the most nervous at the same time” The teacher immediately responded, “In the months of March and April”. Puzzled, the wise man asked the reason. “A farmer is excited and nervous at the same time when he is about to harvest his crop, similarly, the teachers all around the world are excited and nervous during these months as these months signal the end of an academic year along with being the harbinger of another academic year”.
2020 will always be remembered as an exceptional year because of the outbreak of novel Corona Virus, closing doors to schools and offices and confining people to their homes. Social distancing has made “work from home” a common phrase. Teachers, known for their extra ordinary efforts and significant role in shaping the future of society are also on the forefront of battle against the virus. In such distressing times, they are fulfilling their prime responsibilities of teaching, learning and assessment using technology.
At BHS, teachers are taking online classes, giving and collecting assignments, appraising and correcting submitted works along with motivating pupils to read and write using multiple applications and software.
I am proud to say that I am also one of those magicians who are trying their best to equip the children with skills and knowledge that is required in the current scenario using this leisure time to hone and polish their hidden potentials. Every night, while going to bed, I think of ways to engage my students effectively and productively like my other colleagues.
On Monday, the 30th of March, 2020, Class VA & B were asked to note down ten questions that they would like to ask Corona Virus in person. The students received a detailed message describing the unique experience they would be having. They were told that Mr. Corona virus will come online and they will get the opportunity to interview him. Students were also instructed to wear their masks and carry a bottle of sanitizer along with them during the class as the virus is highly contagious.
At 11:00 Am, the excited students logged in. The teacher greeted them. The class began by exploring different kinds of sentences emphasizing interrogative and assertive sentences as the students were about to ask questions from the virus. Later on, the teacher announced that the guest Mr. Corona virus is coming online so the students should wear their masks.
The conversation that took place between Mr. Corona virus and the students was eye opening as the students asked interesting questions such as “why are you so contagious”, “which age group is mostly your target?”, “do you also attack animals?” and “where were you born?” along with many others. Some students told the virus sternly to leave the world while some innocently chided it for invading Pakistan. A girl valiantly wrote that she and her friends did not fear him because they are taking precautions”.
This unique idea of meeting the virus helped children learn the following things:
- Abbreviations and acronyms
- Contextual vocabulary
- Questioning words and their use
- Taking notes
- Writing an interview
The children recorded the responses given by Mr. Corona virus in their notebooks. They are asked to write an interview. For the next class, they desire to meet a doctor who is fighting corona virus out there. As for us, we are looking for a doctor who can take a live session with our students. Please recommend someone highly energetic and enthusiastic as our students are excited to interview a doctor.
