Teacher's Final Moments Spent Grading Papers: Why Drawing Boundaries Is Crucial

In a heart-melting photo, a teacher is seen grading assignments on his laptop while in a hospital bed. The photo was taken and shared by his daughter. However, sadly, a day after the photo was taken, the teacher lost his life. Read on to learn more about a teacher's dedication. 

As per reports, the teacher's name was Alejandro Navarro. His daughter Sandra Venegas took his photo in 2020 and posted it on Facebook. In the photo, Navarro can be seen working on his laptop while being on the hospital bed.

The daughter wrote a heartwarming caption

The daughter said in the caption that her father packed his laptop and charger with him when he was getting admitted. He was "worried about finalising grades for progress reports.” She also brought to light the fact that many teachers were overworked during the pandemic and very less of them got any recognition for that.

She further wrote, "I wish I would have closed his laptop and enjoyed spending time with him. Teachers put in so many extra hours, hours that many don’t realise. Even during a pandemic, even during a health crisis, teachers worry about completing their duties.” 

She urged people to take care of their family members who are teachers and help them set boundaries. She wrote, "If you are married to a teacher, help them set boundaries. If you are the daughter/son of one, don’t let them work once they’re home."

Recently, the photo was reshared by a popular Instagram page called 'Not Common Factx'. The post garnered a huge response with 72,000 likes.

The comment section of the post is filled with people either relating to the man or sharing condolences.  

What people think about it

An Instagram user commented on the photo and recalled about their own experience as a child of parents who are teachers. The user wrote, "My parents are both teachers, and I get to see the immense amount of work that they put in for their students, so much of it goes unrecognised, and they have a genuine care for what they’re doing and the lives they’re impacting. Respect to all teachers, may this man rest in peace.”

Another pointed out the low pay of teachers and said, "Stop this toxic culture of overwork and much less pay for our teachers. A society without good teachers won't last for long."

Yet another talked about how sad it was that the man didn't forget about work even while being hospitalised. The user wrote, "It might be poignant, but honestly it's sad AF that this man could focus on his own health during such a time. Work should have NEVER entered his mind before leaving for the ER."

The pressure of work is prevalent not only in teaching jobs but in other sectors too.

For example, during the COVID-19 second wave, one of the deadliest pandemics to date, a picture of a woman working in the kitchen while being on the support of an oxygen cylinder went viral. These days, we often come across pictures of women officials going back to work within a few days of delivering a baby. Some of us might appreciate such women for their dedication to their work- be it at home or outside. But this does not mean that life is supposed to be so hard just because they want to have a career despite being new moms. No one talks about lack of support that working moms have to deal with.

Recently, Narayan Murthy made headlines for his claim that youths should work 70 hours a week. This, he said, was a way to give back to the society. Moreover, with AI slowly taking the lead, the pressure to remain in the workforce has increased the anxiety and fear of unemployment among youths. As a result, many are ready to accept extra work under low wages. But why is this toxic overworked work culture being normalised and even encouraged? Why are we not giving enough care to a person's health- both physical and mental? Why aren't we realising that workers are after all humans with bodies that need proper rest and care before it does anything else? 

 Views expressed by the author are their own