Students never forget teachers and many students even after several years go back and meet their teachers. Apart from teaching, motivating students is a job that teachers do, but do teachers too need motivation is the question. The Covid-19 pandemic affected all and teachers are no exception.
Overnight teachers had to work, become tech-savvy, self-reliant in preparing the learning resources, monitor the ‘virtual’ presence of all the students in the online class, teach to a screen having just the names of the students and hope that the concepts have reached them.
Veni. R
Head of Education
Samsidh Group of Schools,
Bangalore
A gargantuan task indeed! These facilitators needed to be kept motivated, positive and in high spirits. Different ways of motivation work at different tiers. A variety of methods need to be used to keep up the morale of the teachers. Only if the motivators of children are motivated enough, can they help the children tide over these trying times. Some ways are:
Help the teachers acquire the technological expertise needed to take an online/ hybrid class. Provide means and ways of acquiring skills through various online courses.
Provide them with learning resources that they might struggle to make by themselves. Respect their personal time and space and not intrude into that.
Have Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) activities like, mentoring, huddle time, one-on-one counselling, etc for their emotional well being and make them confident.
The most important one – provide them with job and financial security.
In short, we need to look after their professional, emotional, financial wellbeing and be that shoulder to lean on or that ear to listen to for the teachers to remain motivated. The higher the teacher motivation, the greater the students are prepared to face the life. The greater the students are prepared to face the life, the better the world shall be! Let us be motivated! Let us motivate!
