Zoom Classes: Expectation VS Reality

By Mridula Chunduri

Schools across the world went into lockdown rather suddenly. Some had literally an evening to move on to the online platform, and some of the luckier ones, a few months to prepare. The second category of schools had time to gear up for the eventuality of starting the new academic on the virtual platform. They did not waste a minute of this precious reprieve they got and researched all over for the best online teaching practices. Not a blog went unread, not a resource went untapped. Everyone connected with everyone to give themselves some insider information on how to pull it off. They created documents upon documents, held practice sessions after practice sessions, ensured laptops were sent to teachers, coached parents on what to expect, and were as ready as they could ever be.
And then the children came online.

Zoom Classes as planned by schools were EXPECTED to go like this.

Teacher- Good morning children. Hope you all are safe and taking care of yourselves. All of you will stay muted and will raise hand when you need to ask a doubt. Let us begin. Today we will be working on Compound words.

Zoom classes in REALITY go more like this:

Teacher- Good……

Pinky – I can’t see you Ma’am.

Teacher- Morning…

Bunty- I can’t hear you Ma’am

Teacher- Hope…

Tinku – Hey look Rinku has a virtual background. Ma’am he is not supposed to have it.

Teacher- you….

Rinku: See, I can even make your picture into a virtual background.

Teacher- all

Pinky- Hey look look I got a new pet. Let me turn my camera around.

Teacher- are

Tinku – Who is scribbling on the screen?

Teacher- safe

Bunty- Tinku check your chat, I sent you a message.

Teacher- and

Rinku – Ma’am mute everyone. We cannot hear anything.

Teacher- ……….

Pinky- Hey why is Bunty the host?

Tinku- Ma’am got disconnected! Bunty make me host.

Rinku- I want to share screen.

Bunty- Who is this TransformerT-Rex2020?

Tinku- Hey that is me! How do you like my new screen name?

Pinky- I can also change my name…See I am UnicornQueen!

Teacher- Sorry children got disconnected. I should disable the waiting room. You guys took forever to let me in. Shall we start?

All children- Yes Ma’am. Spotlight me first, I want to show you something.