INTRODUCTION

Since the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan, China (Phelan, Katz, & Gostin, 2020),
governments all around the world have shut down their systems, including education, in
an attempt to prevent the disease's communal propagation. The Global Education
Monitoring Report (2020) raised concerns about a variety of educational issues,
including assessment techniques. Schools have been found to implement new
assessment procedures such as using previous results from online mock exams,
employing instructor observational evaluations, taking prior grade expectations into
account, and internships. However, the importance of practice teaching shall be taken
with great consideration.

Practice teaching is a type of work-integrated learning in which students work in

the relevant industry for a period of time to obtain specific in-service training in order to
put theory in practice. Practice teaching is an important part of the teacher education
program at the undergraduate level. During this time, the student teacher has the
opportunity to put the skills and theories learned in the classroom into practice. Practice
teaching is an important part of teacher education and training because it allows student
instructors to get practical experience in the classroom. Student teachers believe that
witnessing professional teachers, receiving feedback, and practicing tactics are the
most significant components in their development as teachers, but there is widespread
dissatisfaction with the quality of most of the teachers who have gone through this
process (Atputhasamy, 2005).

According to Meier and Marais (2004), the phrase "teaching practice" refers to
the variety of experiences that student teachers are exposed to while working in
classrooms and schools. Teaching practice is a difficult but important part of teacher
education, especially in developing countries like South Africa, where a variety of
challenges can erode the effectiveness of teaching practice, such as geographical
distance, low and uneven levels of teacher expertise, a wide range of resource
shortages, and a lack of discipline among a diverse group of learners and educators. If
not addressed, these problems may have an impact on student teachers' performance
during teaching practice and, in the long term, their perception of the teaching
profession. On the one hand, student instructors should have the opportunity to be a
part of a real classroom setting, to get to know students, and to plan and organize
classroom tasks, according to Perry (2004). Student instructors, on the other hand, may
have reservations about their abilities to deal with novel situations, regulate and
manage students, or establish a functioning connection with their mentor or supervisor.
It's these conflicting emotions that can make or destroy a student teacher's career.

Teaching profession is a noblest profession at all, every teacher must play an

important role in making a child to realize their dreams. Teachers greatly affect in every
child in any way. They serve as a role model among the youths and fountain of
information where the learners acquire appropriate knowledge and skills for their further
development and to contribute to the progress of the society in which they belong.

Touching the hearts of every child and operating the mind of every child can give
you joy and contentment which money could not buy. This is the best thing a teacher
can treasure for her whole life. Teachers are the shadows of parents showing love and
seldom to the every child.

Teaching is not an easy task. It requires great effort, time, energy, focus and also
creativity to capture the attention of the children. With the diversity of the learners which
has become the foremost concern among teachers nowadays, future mentors must be
equipped with knowledge, skills and creative strategies to attain efficiency, effectiveness
and to meet the challenges in the field of teaching, this is what off-campus practice
teaching experiences as to be efficient effective and competent teacher in the future.

A teacher is one who must be willing to serve others. Teaching is a special

calling intended to those who deserve satisfaction from seeing others learn, understand
and grow. Educators say that teaching can be rewarding life work.