Ms. Neetha Kurian is an MPhil (law) degree holder and is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Law. At present she is working as Assistant Professor in School of Law, Christ University where she teaches commercial law subjects. She has a total experience of 16 years in teaching law in business schools and law schools in India. She is an enrolled advocate and has practiced as an advocate in lower courts and in the Kerala High Court, India. She has also worked in the capacity of a Lecturer in HELP University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Her area of specialization is Corporate Law. She has a few publications to her credit and has also presented many papers in National and International Conferences. Corporate Governance, Minority share holder protection, Insolvency and Bankruptcy are some of her areas of interest.
An Analysis of Student and Teacher Wellness in the Teaching Learning Environment
Abstract:
Teacher-student wellness was an area which was neglected globally till the Covid-19 pandemic struck. Though in the pre-pandemic era also academicians suffered burn outs and lack of work-life balance it was the pandemic that brought to the forefront the urgency and the need of addressing and resolving these issues. It was understood that unless these issues are resorted there will not be an improvement in teaching-learning and there will be a failure in achieving the course outcomes one envisages in one’s curriculum and course plans. In order to improve student welfare many universities brought in some major revisions in their curriculum. In our university, some of the steps taken include-revamping our course plans to make it more learner centric with due emphasis on blended learning, discussion forums and asynchronous assignments ensuring that the learners are connected with their instructors even after fixed online synchronous classes. On the personal front to cater to individual needs and to provide a caring environment- counselling sessions were introduced to help students to cope with the stress, isolation and sudden loss in families. Class teachers assigned to each class were made the first point of contacts. With the help of student class representative’s social media services were also extensively used to reach out to students. Introducing student mentoring and student buddy systems also acted as a catalyst in addressing the issues in a timely manner and in building trust and rapport with students. Teacher’s wellness was also addressed adequately by introducing yoga, counselling, prayers and mindfulness sessions and teaching simple methods to relax and rejuvenate the mind and body.