Classes in school students used to attend,

Now on the laptop they join ‘meetings’ my friend,

Pre-Corona kids were transported to school,

Now ‘zooming’ into classrooms is the new cool.

Earlier question papers were distributed by the teacher,

Sending children ‘links’ is now the new feature,

The answers in ink the kids had to write,

Now MCQ’s are simply ticked on the site,

No more pages in neat hand writing to fill,

Little fingers now have to master the typing skill.

Teacher pinning the inattentive with her hawk eyes we’ve seen,

Now the inattentive kids can ‘pin’ the teacher on the screen!

Chatting in class was a strict no-no,

Now we have a ‘chat-box’ but for writing all you know!

If late the school gates you’d find closed,

No such problems by a late entry are now posed!

Now ‘Ma’am’, a bad internet connection has become the saving grace,

No cooking up excuses, no wrath of the teacher to face!

Fun interactions with teachers and friends seem to belong,

To an era by-gone, since Oh! So long!

Hats off to teachers who are struggling to make the future of our dear children secure,

Amid’st the great pandemic furore,

On this Teacher’s Day, A salute from this ‘has been’,

To all the teachers of the new class room on the screen!!

                                                                                           ~ Anjana Dutta

                                                                                            New Delhi, India