With schools all set to reopen after almost 19 months, Shamna KS, a visually-impaired teacher working at Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Government Higher Secondary School in Thodupuzha, is in a hurry to go back to school. This 35-year-old English teacher is happy with the government's decision to reopen schools as it provides a better teaching and learning atmosphere for all stakeholders.

"Although online classes were a better option during the pandemic, there are plenty of issues regarding the quality of education provided. When we take offline classes at school, even if I can't see the faces of my students, I am able to relate to their emotions through their responses," she says.

When Shamna begins her class, students volunteer with their names instead of raising their hands. Shamna, who has been visually-impaired since birth, navigates the halls with the help of her colleagues. But she knows these hallways well. "Teaching was a struggle at the beginning but then I realised that it's not about vision, but about connecting to the hearts of my students," she said. According to her, students won't learn anything more from a sighted teacher if they don't care about them as individuals. She adds, "For me, the benefit of having no vision is that I can't see them, hence I can't judge them as well."