My behaviour was so bad that I became depressed. I spoke to my headmistress and she told me it would become better, but I cannot just forget how I behavedn...
Dear Nadine,
I am a 54-year-old school teacher. I always thought I was a good teacher as my students seemed to like me, but due to the lockdown, like other teachers, I was also forced to teach online. I am not great with technology, and my computer proficiency was limited to using Word. So I found it difficult to cope with teaching online. I am afraid that many a time I lost my temper with my students when they were being frisky, and shouted at them. My behaviour was so bad that I became depressed. I spoke to my headmistress and she told me it would become better, but I cannot just forget how I behaved and how I shouted at my students who were just being their age! I was the one who should have been calm and composed, and ignored their pranks. Do you think I am unfit for teaching? Should I resign?
Depressed Teacher
Dear Depressed Teacher,
We have all been tested by this pandemic, and it has not been easy for anyone. Teachers in our country are generally not trained to teach online and the students also had no prior experience of taking classes on Zoom. So initially it was an ordeal for everyone, and teachers rose to the occasion by learning skills they did not have to teach their students. My dear, since you did not have any experience of teaching online, you were bound to have problems. I think instead of asking their teachers to teach students on WhatsApp and Zoom, schools should have first held training sessions for them. So don’t blame yourself; you still did your best, and the fact that you feel bad about losing your temper with your students clearly shows that you are a great person and a very good teacher who cares about her students.
If you think it will help, just tell your students that you feel bad about being a bit harsh with them when they were not attentive, and that you hope it will not happen again. Most children have a very high regard for the teachers who are good and I am sure your students will not want to lose a good teacher like you. So, instead of thinking about resigning, start planning something good for your students. This will help you come out of depression, too. Best of luck!
