Teaching was and will never be necessitous to classrooms and boards. All it needs is a motivating teacher and a passionate learner. Even the pandemic couldn’t stop us from teaching and learning.

Online class was never a surprise for us. As educators, we are aware of online teaching through long distance learning plans, crash courses for improving speaking skills or talk shows from across the borders. So why not use it every day. Year 2020 began with many expectations and new resolutions but the world came to a halt with the spread of pandemic. As the world was mourning the sudden pause in normal life, we educators gave hope to a new normal by initiating virtual learning. As educators we have led the entire world towards a new transition. We are the proud front liners to make learning virtually possible. We have brought classrooms to the comfort of our homes yet making it significant. We have proved that great teachers are those who can not only sacrifice their time and comfort but are ready to transform them for better education.

Education is one the most humble professions, yet we are capable of bringing huge transformations. We have shown the world how efficiently we can teach even outside the classrooms. Who would have thought that learning, exploring and discovering can be done from just a small screen. We at Global Indian International School, Abu Dhabi have gone out of the box working with some amazing applications, Google Classroom, online labs, virtual tours, simulation labs and 3D animations right from our living rooms. Students have enjoyed learning like never before.

There were many innovative steps, interventions that we took in the pandemic situation so that students’ teaching-learning process is not affected. With operation going on virtual mode there were a lot of changes in the working system along with onboarding of new students. Cross campus online classes were conducted on a regular basis where experts from different GIIS campuses were taking online classes. Teachers were asked to revisit the curriculum planning and make necessary changes in the lesson plan, broad plan and all learning resources. Art integration and artificial intelligence links were included in the lesson plan to make the delivery of virtual lessons more effective. Online labs became a hands on tool for students in virtual classes. All in all this has opened a gateway to the future of education.

The work done by the teaching fraternity in UAE was applauded when the world’s tallest building, The Burj Khalifa was lit to pay tribute to the ‘heroes’ including teachers and other community helpers for giving hope and courage to the distressed world. Though it was not easy to swim against the tide but a few brave steps and we gave a new vision and hope not only to students and teachers but the entire education system.

Education and innovation has always been two sides of the same coin. Education leads to innovation and innovation is inspiration. We have reached every part of the globe through this change. We have taught students to be independent yet have secure learning. We have conducted events and competitions and are available any time for students. We have broadened up the learning scope of each student by continuing the concept of inclusive learning. We have overcome the ambiguity between parents, students and also peers. We have moved from books to augmented reality where pictures and models come to life. Calculus and abacus is no more a scholar’s game. With the help of leading applications we can learn them easily. A student is free to choose any stream of learning or a combination of streams. All we have to do is get to the screen and click.

This explains education to me where a person, place or stream is not a barrier for learning. Knowledge is a never ending ocean. Its width and depth are incomparable. And an ocean cannot be put in a glass. We humans have shown our potential to change and adapt ourselves at every turning phase of life. It is time the world embraces this metamorphosis in the field of education and shuns the traditional ways of learning. And we teachers are ready to give it a go. This is a journey never imagined and unforgettable but twilight for a new dawn. We have shed the darkness of traditional teaching techniques and moved on to a beaming new era of teaching.  

Teachers all over, we are in this together.