March 12 was my last typical day in the classroom before COVID-19 changed everything. When my district closed the following day, I assumed, as many did, that this was a temporary move. However, the closure did not end as quickly as we expected. As the closure continued, while I was glad that none of my students was infected with the virus, I began to worry that the growth of reading ability my first-graders and I worked so hard for would gradually disappear.

It is reported that only one-third of students in the US achieved reading proficiency at grade level in 2019. As the years go by, the gaps become larger, and students who are reading below grade level seldom catch up with their peers. These students often encounter significant social and emotional challenges as they become increasingly aware of their differences from their classmates. And school closures caused by COVID-19 have made the situation even worse.

So when my district reopened in the fall, we were faced with difficult decisions about how to best deliver instruction. At our school, all students have to take a series of short screening tests to assess reading ability at the beginning of the school year. Considering that one size cannot fit all, I adjusted my teaching plans in time throughout the year. If a student received a low score in a particular area, I’d conduct a follow-up assessment to learn about the real cause of the difficulty.

I also conducted exercises to help students practice reading skills. Using other online platforms, I created interactive

lessons with other teachers, in which students practiced reading and writing specific words, reading full sentences and answering corresponding comprehension questions. The platforms enabled us to see all students’ screens at once and gauge which students were on target and needed additional support. They also provided information for planning subsequent lessons.

As a teacher, I know I cannot make all children reach proficiency in literacy (读写能力) myself, but I believe what I am doing can really make a difference to their lives, and I will go on with it.

Education is a good opportunity for those of us who expect to better ourselves. But for people in full-time employment, getting the balancing act between work and studying can prove challenging. But look on the bright side. 【小题1】

University is often considered a logical step for people who wish to continue their education after school. While options of Master's degrees, PhDs and other postgraduate qualifications exist, many students leave after obtaining their Bachelor’s and head into the world of work. 【小题2】 They hope it may open up new opportunities or help them to get a promotion.

In terms of the benefits, learning new techniques that you can bring into the workplace can make you more of an authority in your area and a go-to person for advice. 【小题3】 In short, studying more could make you more promotable down the line and more helpful to the business.

If you study in a classroom, your experience of the workplace could bring a wealth of knowledge to other students and provide real-life examples for you to draw on. You may also meet like-minded people. 【小题4】 In addition, while adult learners have to consider things like children, home lives and work，many adult and part-time courses are more flexible. Some courses can even be done partly or entirely online, which means you can manage your time more easily and don't need to factor in travel time.

【小题5】 Increasing your skills may open up new careers in your professional life.

For Jaskirat Batra, the desire to take teaching as his career began in his childhood. As a child of teachers, he was often immersed (沉浸在) in the world of classrooms, chalkboards and textbooks. While deeply inspired by his parents, Batra’s desire was always to go beyond traditional teaching methods. As a graduate student in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Texas A&M University, he has established a unique style of teaching that might affect how engineering courses are taught in classrooms.

During his time at Texas A&M University, Batra joined the materials science program there. “I thought that it was the perfect place for me to combine my academic training in engineering science and electrical engineering with my research interest,” Batra said. “I couldn’t wait to jump in and begin my own research project.”

Batra began working on his research project, attending classes and taking exams. However, the turning point came when he was hired to teach an introductory engineering course to undergraduate students. During this time, he grew increasingly dissatisfied with the standard slides (幻灯具) based method, particularly because slides, which are 2D surfaces, were used to display complex 3D concepts.

“I knew there has to be a better way to help students visualize in 3D,” Batra said. “I want to develop an instructional strategy that would really help my students to learn and enjoy the process while they are in it.” He started to use 3D cardboard goggles (a kind of glasses) to study students’ motivation when materials science concepts were being taught: He found that when a slides-based lecture was combined with virtual reality, the students’ motivation increased by 77%.

“I always remember what my parents taught me about the power of a pen in shaping society, and the influence of a teacher on the future generations of teachers, scientists, engineers, etc.,” Batra said. “In addition to being an educator, in the future I would love to have my own research lab where I can work with future generations of scientists to make discoveries and solve problems.”