Online classes during this “new normal” are really hard for students. And likewise, teachers are having a difficult time too.
That’s why Senior High School teacher Maurice John Ramos was really thankful when his university took a one-week academic break last month. He said that it was a great opportunity for him to relax from the stress brought by his workload.
So what’s the most amazing thing he did during this week-long rest? He bought a mountain bike.
“As a teacher, you know that stress is inevitable. I need my body and mind to decompress before the end of the day and biking is the best option for me,” he said.
This teacher said that he needs to be fit too. He decided to get a bike because he doesn’t want to go to the gym while there’s still a health crisis.
“The good thing about cycling is that it improves my cardiovascular fitness and boosts energy,” he said. “Apart from helping me have a good night sleep, it will also improve my mood for next day’s class.”
Sir Jao, as what his students would usually call him, told us that he prefers the traditional way of teaching where he gets to have a face-to-face interaction with his students. His main issue is his internet connection because there would be times when his presence would lag during his live lectures.
But despite his own struggles, he’s genuinely more concerned about his students’ problems.
“I notice that some students are struggling to keep pace during live sessions especially for slow learners,” he added. “In order to mitigate this problem, I usually send videos of recorded lectures for them to catch up.”
He observed that there are also students who do not find the virtual classroom engaging compared to the usual classroom setup. He pointed out that it’s more burdensome that there’s no physical interaction.
When online classes get too stressful, he goes out for a bike ride after work.
October 5 is World Teacher’s Day. Greet your favorite teachers today and cheer them up. Here’s a shout out to those people who taught someone how to ride a bike.
