Teachers and students share their experiences returning from school-to-screen.
Just as stressed
Some students think that they can relax at home but the amount of school work is still the same.
My online classes are from 7.20am to 1.10pm.
Then in the afternoon there’s another hour of online lessons.
For me, learning online the second time around hasn’t been easier.
Since I’m home, I nap or read to relax.
There are students who don’t want to join the class and will use excuses like ‘no Internet access’ or say that there is a limit to the number of people who can join the meet.
I think they are just bored and do not like sitting down for so long to listen to someone.
Annie, 15, student
Device availability is still an issue
Just because I live in Subang Jaya, people think I have my own laptop or desktop at home. I don’t.
I use my mum’s mobile phone but I have to give it back when she needs it for work. It is a good thing my teacher gives us work that can be done in exercise books.
Then, I just have to take a picture and send it to him for checking.
I am missing out on some of the class discussions and I do not know if I will be able to catch up later on.
Adam, 14, student
Useful guidebook
The Teaching and Learning From Home Manual was a blessing. I applaud the Education Ministry for being very considerate in giving us guidance for both offline and online teaching so that our students can benefit even when they are learning from home. For instance, schools can employ a subject-based module which allows students with no access to the Internet or a device to learn at home at their own pace.
This is effective for revision work as most teachers would have completed the syllabus and are preparing for the year-end exams.
Some parents question why there are no Google Meet lessons for every subject or why the school timetable is not from 7.20am to 1pm but learning should be fun and flexible.
Students should not be stressed out with the work given by teachers. Instead, they should enjoy the experience of having varied teaching and learning techniques employed in the new normal.
S. Sri Murugan, English teacher, SMK Subang Utama
Better prepared
Teachers are definitely better equipped to handle the switch this time as we were informed in advance, giving us enough time to take our materials home and prepare for online teaching. We were also able to prepare a proper homework plan. Many of us have also explained to students what assignments will be given and how to go about it, so they now have a better understanding of learning from home. Parents are also in the school and class WhatsApp groups. So, it is their duty to sit
for a while everyday with their child and make sure the daily tasks have been completed. Students will definitely do their work if they know their parents are checking. And students do not have to worry about not understanding the lessons as they can always reach their teachers by phone. The situation is much better now compared to March when everything was so sudden and we had no experience teaching from home.
Susan Ng, secondary school Mathematics teacher
