Teachers’ Day: 'Superheroes' at the heart of education recovery

Dubai - Over the past year and half, teachers have been under huge pressure to adapt classroom lesson delivery to a fully online or hybrid model

Teachers are indeed our superheroes.

Ever since the pandemic struck and our world turned upside down, our teachers have splendidly risen to the challenge to ensure that education continued unhindered even as schools went empty and remote learning became the new normal.

It is indeed right that this year on World Teachers’ Day, October 5, these superstars are being celebrated under the theme: Teachers at the heart of education recovery.

Over the past year and half, teachers have been under a huge pressure to adapt classroom lesson delivery to a fully online or hybrid model. They have kept classes going, conducted exams, completed academic sessions and even carried out complex standard operating procedures (SOPs) to keep everyone safe when schools reopened.

Teachers helped students cope with the ‘new normal’, and now they are once again realigning to initiate a post-pandemic recovery as full in-person learning commences again.

Khaleej Times touched base with a few veteran teachers, to bring their stories of struggle and triumph to you.

Pandora of the digital world

Daisy Justus, who is a senior English Teacher at GEMS Our Own High School – Al Warqa’a, has spent 41 years as a teacher. She is GEMS Education’s longest serving teacher. She said she had to adapt to the massive change when the pandemic struck.

“During the lockdown period of the pandemic, our students and staff had to adjust quickly. Our priority was ensuring a smooth continuation of teaching and learning for all our students and caring for their well-being through an unprecedented event. Teaching through a screen daily was challenging. However, our students also helped and supported us – we’re always learning from each other.”

The veteran arrived to the UAE in 1978 and joined what was then Our Own English High School in September 1980. “I had the privilege of being interviewed by the late KS Varkey himself (father of Sunny Varkey, GEMS Education founder and chairman) and was guided through my profession by Madam Mariamma Varkey who passed away earlier this year.” she said.

Justus is driven by a passion for teaching. “What I have always loved about teaching is that I could inspire and be inspired by the young minds that enter my classroom every day.

“One of the biggest changes I’ve seen over the years is the delivery of the curriculum. When I started out, it was the ‘talk and chalk’ method; now teaching is multi-dimensional.”

Teachers said that while technology and digital platforms dominated education last year is here to stay, the human element of teaching can never be replaced.

“It is now a challenge for me with the restrictions in place on how to realign my active classroom sessions.”