The roller-coaster experience of learning during a pandemic

Ashlesha Misra

We didn’t truly realise how much we loved going to the school until the Covid-19 pandemic brought about an unexpected split between us and our alma mater. As a popular saying goes: Distance makes the heart grow fonder. Such was the case with all the students who longed earnestly to return to campus and bond with teachers and friends again.

 The past two years have been nothing short of a roller-coaster ride for many young learners across the world. None of us could have imagined or predicted that a pandemic would cause a prolonged closure of schools – the place where we learned, played, made friends, discovered new ideas and explored new concepts every weekday. But that is exactly what happened in early 2020. Schools and colleges in India shut down for in-person teaching and learning. Understandably, the students were apprehensive. “What will happen next,” was the question that topped our minds.

 The very curiosity to know the answer to that question had many students hooked to the latest news in the Covid-19 pandemic. We were keeping a track of the number of infections going up across the world. As the severity of the pandemic increased, it became clear to us that the schools would not open for at least a few months, or may be more.

 Those of us who feared that our education will be put off-track were placated with the school shifting promptly to the online mode of teaching. Using Zoom and other online forums, the teachers continued educating the students. Going from blackboards and chalks to PPTs and videos in a short time could not have been easy, but the teachers did quite impressively.

 The transition wasn’t easy for learners as well. We felt as if we were riding a roller-coaster that went up and down an unpredictable path. There were connectivity issues. There was lack of sufficient acquaintance with digital tools. There was also the problem of finding a quiet and secluded corner in the house when all the members of the family were compelled to stay in because of the lockdown.

 Sometimes, the online classes seemed boring and the temptation to play on the gadgets while the class was still on got the better of us. The temptation of pretending to have a bad connection just to avoid answering a tough question asked by the teacher or to leave the class early was strong too. Some students even came up with the clever idea of marking a proxy attendance by asking someone else to log in for the online class. And so it went until we realized that an online class was better than no class. To bond with our teachers and other students, even through an impersonal mode such as virtual learning, was way better than not connecting with them at all.

 As weeks and months passed, we even began to like learning in the virtual mode. Teachers made the lessons more engaging and interactive for us students. There were breakout room sessions, there were lively discussions, debates and even banter. Laughter returned to our lives after a long time. The school began to organize all the annual events like the Founders’ Day or Annual Fest in the online mode. Everyone participated enthusiastically. It was as if we were let loose after a long period of incarceration.

 Then, around the end of 2020, the silver lining shone. The news of the schools reopening in a phased manner came out. That got all the students excited. Even those students who, in normal times, looked for half an excuse to take leave, couldn’t wait to pack their bags and return to the school campus. The excitement was so real that it was palpable among us all. But then came the second wave of the pandemic and the roller coaster of our excitement went downhill, again.

 A few more months passed, during which the exams were held in the online format and many of us scored exceptionally well. But the joy was somewhat jaded because we couldn’t be on campus together. Progressing to the new academic year, our urge to return to physical classrooms grew stronger by the day. And then the much-awaited moment came when the government announced the phased reopening of the schools. This time, all of us kept our excitement in check, having learning well from the previous dashing of our expectations. “What if there is a third wave?” was the question on our minds.

 But the blessed hour came. The gates of the school were opened again and we returned to our classes. Sure, the students had to follow strict social distancing norms, hand-hygiene, and avoid all sort of exchange of meals, stationary items on campus. Sure, we were seated at a distance of more than four feet in classrooms, but we felt close to each other. We were just so happy to be with each other, to speak with each other, to crack the jokes, to interact with our teachers, to discuss, debate, and argue.

 We all realised that there were so many things about school life that we took for granted until they were taken away from us. Distance makes the heart grow fonder. The pandemic has taught us the important lesson — to cherish each other’s company, to cherish little things of life, to celebrate learning, to respect teachers, to never give up, and to always keep striving for excellence.

‘Education is not just knowing, but also applying. Learning is not just mugging up but also understanding. Living is not just keeping your heart beating but also having fun being alive.’

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