COVID-19 unleashed a societal shock that laid bare the harsh reality that what we consider as ‘normal’ is not ‘inevitable’. In fact, the situation we find ourselves in is the outcome of the decisions we take-as communities, as societies and as individuals. Clearly, what is considered normal today is likely to change and give way to what also is, well, normal for the changed circumstances! One area that has changed drastically is the education system as the pandemic has brought about a paradigm shift in teaching and learning methodologies, forcing educational institutions across the globe to re-imagine traditional classroom learning and transition to an online mode of teaching to provide uninterrupted access to education and knowledge. Learning has shifted from the classrooms (a shared public space) to online mode (a more personal area), and consequently the role of educators also needs to evolve. The exponential growth in the demand for online courses creates an urgent need for instructors to up skill, especially in the area of digital technology so as to keep up with their students, if not ahead of them. Teaching and learning both are becoming more personalized and this compels educators to adapt to innovative teaching methodologies that are tailored to suit the learner’s requirements. This paper attempts to answer the questions about what the dawning of this ‘new normal’ means for the future of education, how teachers & students must work towards identifying and overcoming the challenges that lie ahead, and what are the lessons learnt that will help to reshape the perspectives and practices in the post pandemic education system.