Bengaluru Professor's Note To Students: Miss You, Admire Your Heroics

A professor of economics at Bengaluru's Azim Premji University has shared a note on the challenges of holding classes online and recognising the role of students in making it successful. "I'm writing to note to students who may be reading that we know and recognise your efforts, which are often really heroic," wrote Arjun Jayadev in a Twitter thread, citing the example of one student who braved a thunderstorm to get an Internet signal.

The student's story, Mr Jayadev wrote, came up during "a very interesting discussion with SAS faculty on online teaching."

During the discussion, it was revealed that a faculty member, who would call students directly if they were having trouble connecting online, heard thunder and rain in the background while speaking to that student over the phone. It transpired that the student, who lived in rural Karnataka, was sitting outdoors under an umbrella, braving heavy rain to get a signal.

"Turns out the student, who lived in rural Karnataka was outdoors, under an umbrella, in the only location outside that could receive a reasonable signal," wrote Mr Jayadev, adding that it wasn't an isolated incident. 

The professor concluded his note by asking students to "keep at it" and saying that the faculty missed them. "We will do all we can to make this online trimester work for us all," he wrote. " We want to know and want to help you learn. We miss you and look forward to see you in person when we can."

The Twitter thread has collected several 'likes' and appreciative comments, with many thanking the professor for highlighting an important issues.

Educational institutes across the country have resorted to digital learning amid the coronavirus pandemic. Teachers have been holding classes virtually or recording lectures for their students - an exercise that comes with its own set of challenges, given the lack of resources and training in many cases. 

Over the past few months, several examples of teachers going the extra mile to help students during online classes have come to light. In June, a chemistry teacher from Pune had earned praise for her 'jugaad' or hack for holding classes online.