‘World Has Become More Digitally Focused’

The Covid outbreak has set norms for a new normal way of living and the impact has been greatly felt in the

Education sector. The teachers have explored pedagogy beyond the age old chalk and duster methodology by putting in additional efforts to incorporate new online teaching tools into the curriculum. Students willingly engaged in learning from safe and comforting spaces. However, one cannot ignore the fact that virtual learning has inevitably increased screen time for students. With increase in screen time, the students experience fatigue, headaches accompanied with lack of Motivation, poor Time

Management and feelings of isolation.

The sudden radical change in their life style where the element of Social connection with peers and teachers is missing may lead to depression, anxiety andloneliness. The teachers too have undergone a huge stress of a sudden plunge into an Online teachingmodule for which there was no prior mental preparation. In addition to this, they faced other accompanying challenges such as irregularity in the attendance of students, lack of attention of students, the fear of technology, poor internet connectivity etc. As the world has become more digitally focused, the inability to strike the emotional chord with the student along with additional workload generates concomitant anxiety in the faculty which is detrimental for their physical and mental well being. According to leading researchers and counselors, both educators and students need to practice Mindfulness by adopting the strategy of -Stop, take a breath, observe and proceed to overcome the otherwise life altering challenges of online teaching.

Dr. Bhawana Malik,

Principal, Lovely Public

Sr Sec School, PD Vihar