Teaching with a "Mask"

First things first. The satisfaction you get from teaching in a classroom is unmatched, even if it is "masked". It is almost after one year that I could see the response in the eyes of the students. It is the most rewarding experience for a teacher. So excited and concerned at the same time.

I am teaching Design of Steel Structures this year and my experience with this contact class has been much finer than expected. The students seemed a bit restrained initially, only one person in a bench, confused. Once the class kicked off, they started responding well. They responded positively, the classic head shakes, followed by occasional replies. I could see them missing the peer interaction though. Normally they help each other learn while doing numerical problems in class. Having one student per bench was an impediment for that. The speed at which they were grasping was also on the higher side - this is normally observed in revision classes when we conduct repeat session for topics that are discussed once. The online classes might have given them the basic understanding and the contact classes are probably bringing in more clarity to that.  It looked almost normal for the students, except for the mask. Of course the normal things in a class were observed - chatting in between, sharing books, the ringing mobile, checking the calculation with a neighbour and the unavoidable dozing-off.

My "masked" class!!

Yes, it is tough to lecture with a mask. The extra strain to increase the volume adds to the problem. The front masked portion of the mouth gets warmer and fills with spit and sweat 😢 and is very disgusting. One hour of class drains the complete energy and after a while, there will be a strong urge to remove it and get some fresh air. The thrill to be back in class overcomes all these discomforts. But, then again, I am not sure how long this will last 😉. 

Overall, the first class gave the impression that contact classes are beneficial. Eager to see how this evolves. Hope everything goes well.

Unni Kartha G

Professor & Head

Dept of Civil Engg.