The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic had increased the responsibility of the teaching and learning process. Teachers have to perform multiple jobs to sustain the teaching and learning process. Teacher role in the classroom involves taking online classes, assessment of student's work, covering subjects content, and preparing students for exams, but it seemed a big challenge for teachers to fulfill their job; due to the closure of schools. There are several reasons that would result in the mediocre performance of teachers during the times of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.
The first reason is the teacher's lack of orientation toward the use and working of digital tools. From the past few years, there was a debate about digital and smart university projects, but no one had given it a priority. Therefore, we have to learn from our experiences, and train teachers about the use and working of digital tools.
The second reason is the teacher's lack of training to fulfill the special needs of children in an online classroom. As there is a lack of awareness about learning disorders and disabilities in society. it is difficult for teachers to deal with these students through online medium. The prolonged closure will affect students' academic performance and result in emotional behavior problems. Thus, it is essential for teachers to acquired essential knowledge of dealing with students' special needs through online mediums.
Thirdly, there is a lack of interaction between parents, students, and teachers. This lack of interaction results in stress for students, parents, and teachers. A larger proportion of students belong to rural areas, and their parents are not much literate to facilitate their children learning. Consequently, it increases the responsibility of the teacher to communicate and facilitates students by making conducive interaction with parents. Therefore, learning is not limited to teaching math and science, but also about teaching social relationship.
Another reason is the barrier of communication between teachers and students. A large number of students reside in rural areas where there is a lack of basic necessities. Students have low access to technological tools such as the internet, computer, and android phones. Consequently, it is difficult for students to access digital tools, and meet the required skills that involve technology use.
Furthermore, the dropout rate of students will be increased due to the closure of the school, According to the World Bank’s “Learning Poverty”, “we are already facing a global learning crisis,” as 53% of children in underdeveloped countries cannot read and understand at age 10. Therefore, teachers and policymakers need to enhance the quality of teaching and learning process, otherwise, it will worsen the quality of teaching and learning.
In conclusion, it is not the idea to set aside and wait for a miracle to happen. Everyone has to fulfill their duty. it is a teacher's responsibility to upgrade his skills, acquired new knowledge, and incorporate digital tools in an online classroom to create an environment that facilitates and supports the teaching and learning process.