How Exciting!!!

It has been often said that little kids can teach adults many a lesson in life. I am fortunate to be working with kids so there are so many magical moments that make me realize that there is really so much we can learn from kids. 

Today I came across this status which was put up on Face Book by one of my friends- ‎"There is real magic in enthusiasm. It spells the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment." - Norman Vincent Peal


What a wonderful statement! It is true that excitement can make a world of difference in our lives. I witness this enthusiasm in the little kids each day in all the various activities they do throughout their school years, specially so in their formative  elementary years. They are excited at all the little things and sometimes adults like us may wonder what is so exciting in this. The children get excited at the smallest of things. For example they are excited to hear that they are getting an extra PE period,  they get thrilled to see a smiley and a star in their class test they are exhilarated  when  they win a match against the next class and they feel on top of the world if they are  selected for any competition or presentation.


 Even something as minor as a teacher requesting them to erase the blackboard or distribute the notebooks in the class also brings them untold joy. It is this excitement , this joy ,that keeps them going. This very excitement makes the teaching -learning process so much more successful. In fact keeping the thrill, the novelty and the interest alive in the children is one of the first lessons we ,as teacher  trainees learn .Get your students interested in what they are doing and  your work is half done.


We all were all little once (though that may seem like it was ages ago) and have gone through this phase of total excitement. Where then has this excitement disappeared? Why don't we display the same excitement at our workplace now? Why do we take up all tasks as chores to be done instead of enjoying our work?

 Is this the reason why there is so much dissatisfaction all around? Of course, people are earning well but are they really happy with what they are doing? Is this why we are still craving for that something more which is beyond our reach?


Excitement in the little tasks, living in the moment and positive attitude is what we can learn from these little children who forget their minor scuffles, failures and disappointments and move ahead with renewed energy and thrill. I am amazed to see that even at the end of a tiring day at school the little children have a jump in their step and waste no opportunity to run or slide on the tiled floors, while we teachers give a sigh of relief to know that the day has drawn to a close.  What we need is to bring in the excitement back to our lives. Live the moment and enjoy the little pleasures that life has to offer. We all know that there are challenges in life but by brooding or getting depressed nothing will be solved. Look ahead positively  and a solution will be found.


So the next time you get an opportunity,  do play with your kids and join in their excitement as no one can teach us this better than kids. Better still why wait for the opportunity ,find the thrill in whatever you do and pursue a hobby which you have long forgotten. Love your work and see how you will find for yourself the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment. 

 Find the magic of enthusiasm and let it bring a sea of change in your life. 

Monitor Alert!

God made mothers because He could not be everywhere..............and teachers elected monitors because they could not be there in the classroom every time.Of course it was also to develop leadership qualities in children and assist in carrying out the classroom chores efficiently.

As is the norm ,each teacher elects the monitors for the class at the beginning of the year.Mind you,there are proper elections held wherein each child who is interested to stand as a contestant for the post can do so provided he/she has not been a monitor in the last two academic years.We follow this rule so that the same students do not get the chance to be monitors.The elected monitors' chest swells with immense pride and they take their designation and duties oh,so seriously!

I appointed two lunch monitors-a girl and a boy.They had to check that each student carried their napkin to school,washed their hands before and after eating and most importantly to see that they do not carry junk food or leave their food uneaten.There was a classroom discussion where the students themselves came up with two groups of food-healthy and unhealthy.They accepted that they would bring healthy food for their short and long breaks.They were allowed to bring junk food once a month if they wished and they readily agreed.This system made the parents very happy as the kids themselves reminded their moms that they had to carry only healthy food in their lunch-boxes.

So each day as soon as they had eaten their lunch the children took their tiffin boxes to their appointed lunch monitors who saw to it that everything in it was eaten.There were many occasions when the children did not feel like eating what was given to them.They had countless excuses for not eating.The monitors stood firm and did not heed to their excuses.At times I intervened and allowed some children to leave their food uneaten due to stomach ache or when I felt that their moms had given them way too much to eat.

But then there were the fussy eaters who made excuses and they were not spared.One such child came to the lunch monitor and said that the vegetable that his mom had prepared was too spicy for him so he could not eat it.The monitor was not one to give up easily.He looked at his food,picked up a morsel of his 'spicy' vegetable and ate it.He gave his verdict that the vegetable was not at all spicy so he had to eat it.The fussy eater went back to eat the rest of his food.Now no one complains about the vegetable being spicy unless it really is as they know that the monitors are going to eat and judge for themselves.

It was funny to see the monitor eat the vegetable to actually check whether it was spicy.Wonder what else these monitors will do as part of their duty!!!!

As a class-teacher I have to have lunch in my classroom  with my students so I enjoy all these little incidents that happen during the lunch break.

Let's Rap!!!!

Our school is part of the school exchange programme through which some of our students visited Netherlands and Denmark with a couple of their teachers.As a follow up of this,there are some teachers visiting our school this Monday.They are coming from Netherlands and as expected there is a huge bruhaha about it.There is hectic activity taking place in the school to make the necessary arrangements to showcase our school and its ideology before the esteemed guests.

Std 4 has been given about 5 minutes to present our item and I was given the task to do something to highlight our schools car pool project which was conducted this year by STD 4.Keeping this in mind I wrote a rap song ( for the very first time) and put it to tune.As we have 12 divisions of STD 4 we selected 2 students from each class and I began training them.

It was really a great experience, as though I have written and directed many plays and choreographed many dances for school functions this was something different.The children who were very shy initially to dance the 'oh-so-cool' steps for the rap song slowly found their groove.They enjoyed themselves and danced away and sang the rap song .Within half an hour they could learn the song and the dance moves.Young kids are fast learners!It was far more difficult to teach my co-teachers a dance which we were to present for a Children's day function.It took nearly 5 days to make them get the steps right. But then,kids are kids after all..........the best learners!

When I was given the task at the spur of the moment (on Friday) I was a little apprehensive as to whether the kids could master the steps and learn the song at such short notice but I was proved wrong .The kids made a few placards on car pooling for this activity too.I would like to share the rap song with you so that anyone can feel free to use it for their school project or activity to encourage car pooling.Of course, they can make the necessary changes to the song as per their needs.

The lesson I learnt is that it is not difficult to teach if the learners are willing to learn.Children learn best when it is something they really enjoy.As teachers we need to take their likes and interests into consideration if teaching needs to be more meaningful and successful.

As for me,I had a blast dancing the cool rap song moves as dancing is the best form of relaxation.Even today when I tell my hsband about how I taught dance moves to my kids, he asks me how I don't feel uncomfortable or shy to dance before my kids.My reply is that I am totally at ease with my kids.I enjoy teaching them action songs,dance steps and role play.It is wonderful to see their eyes sparkle with intense interest and excitement to see their teacher in action.It helps if you are a teacher who can go down to the level of your kids as this makes teaching-learning more fun for the teacher and student.

So on Monday I will have a few more practice sessions and then hopefully these little ones will make our school proud with their performance. Fingers crossed.........!

Here's the rap song.............

Boom-boom-chak!Boom-boom-chak!
The Sulonia car pool team is back!
Boom-boom-chak,boom-boom-chak!
let's now hear our carpool rap!

Don't get stuck in traffic anymore,
Riding alone is Oh,such a bore!
When you ride together,
You save on precious fuel,
To save our environment,You have to carpool!

Boom-boom-chak,boom-boom-chak!
The Sulonia carpool team is back!
Let's now hear our carpool rap!

So all you people-Do what is right,
Start carpooling for a future bright,
Reduce greenhouse gases,
Boom-boom-chak!
Reduce driving stress,
Boom-boom-chak!
Reduce fuel consumption,
Boom-boom-chak!
Make traffic jams less.
Boom-boom-chak!

Boom-boom-chak,boom-boom-chak!
The Sulonia carpool team is back!
Let's now hear our carpool rap!

Lessons in History

History has always fascinated me. A visit to the local museum has always been a source of delight and an enlightening experience. I am never tired of visiting museums and for this I am ridiculed many a times by my friends. "What is it in these old things that you want to see?" ask my friends. I tell them that there is a whole new unexplored world in the old relics.........a world that fascinates me no end.

Keeping my love for History in mind I chose History Entire for my subject for my M.A.It made me realize that learning about history in the university notes is a whole new ball game.I was better off visiting museums as the notes made me come close to losing my mind with all the dates and battles that made my mind swirl. With much difficulty I passed that period and got the much-coveted certificate. Never again, I thought to myself.

I decided then to explore History through the visit to forts and that I did. I have visited many forts till date like the Bassein fort at Vasai, Panhalgad, Murud-Janjira fort, Pratapgad, Panhalgad and the most recently visited Raigad fort.Each and every visit made me gaze in awe at the wonder of forts. Each fort had a history of it's own and it was thrilling to learn about each one. It brought before my eyes the battles fought and the valour of the brave kings and their soldiers .

My love for forts also took me to visit many photo exhibitions on forts. Be it forts or museums, they have a way of linking us to our past glory. As we move ahead into the future, in my opinion ,it would be great to know something about our past. As a teacher I have always believed that a knowledge about our past takes us towards a better future as we can learn from our past mistakes and take inspiration from the heroes of the past. The freedom struggle  for example can teach inspire a young child to have someone like Lokmanya Tilak or Swami Vivekananda as an inspiration rather than have Sharukh Khan or Katrina Kaif as their role model.

The ancient coins, tools, weapons, arts, relics and ruins have something to tell us. Are you planning to listen?

Why This Punishment Di???

Teaching is an Art and a Science.It is a tough job but once you are initiated into it all the day-to-day challenges give you the satisfaction nothing else can.Seeing the changes you can bring about in the little ones however big or small they may be, brings an untold joy.

It is rightly said that parents hold the key to the little one's hearts and souls but the teachers too have a spare one. Teachers can make or break their future.We ,as teachers have to be careful as we are not dealing with goods but with humans who have emotions of their own.

As a teacher I have seen children being ridiculed, insulted and beaten for whatever reasons. This leaves a scar on their little minds and hearts which , though cannot be seen, may have far-reaching consequences. Teachers are said to be trained in their fields. But is it enough if the training only deals with the methods and methodology and the knowledge about the curriculum?

What we need is the understanding of the child psychology, the needs of the child, how to react in a way that builds a child's self esteem. Sadly, the teacher training institutes are failing miserably in this regard. To make matters worse, there are many who have taken teaching as a profession not for the love of teaching but because of the convenient timings and the holidays teaching jobs offer.

It is high time the teaching fraternity realizes that we have a role to play in enhancing not only the IQ levels of the kids but also their EQ levels. We are dealing with young impressionable minds here.

Punishment can be substituted by positive reinforcement which is taught in the training but not  in practice. When will this scenario change?

Time for the teachers to introspect. Why this punishment , Di???

Just Like Mom.........

As a teacher in the Elementary section each year in the month of June I welcome my new batch of kids and they are mine for a whole academic year. I do my best to make the best of the time I share with them and at the end of the year I have a sense of immense satisfaction when I see the results, not in the academic front alone but also in the attitudinal and behavioural changes that I see in the little ones.

Each year the month of April draws near and I realize that these little ones will move ahead to the next level and then I will have another batch to nurture. I always wonder whether they will remember the teachers who have taught them even when they grow up to become youngsters and adults later on. Will they remember the values I have so vehemently tried to inculcate in them? Will they remember me as fondly as I remember my teachers?

So it was just another day at school today and I was observing the children as they were writing the notes. Kayzin had a complaint to make about another student who was not writing neatly and she blurted out aloud, "Mom, Shlok is not writing neatly." As there was silence in the classroom all the kids heard her and some of them giggled. Shlok thought this was a good chance to poke fun at her and said, "Mom??Is mam your mom?" To which Kayzin nonchalantly replied, "So what? Mam is also just like my mom." This reply made everyone silent once again. I gave Kayzin my best smile(if there is anything like that) and had a spring in my step for the rest of the day.

It made me so happy to hear that! It may seem so trivial to some but as a teacher it made my day............simple words but with great meaning. Who says teaching is a thankless job? We,as teachers,have the love and affection of our students.We touch their lives just as they touch and reach out to ours.Am proud I chose to a teacher.
Just like my mom..........Really??
Thanks Kayzin!

Little Angels

The little Kindergarten kids are gearing up for their Annual programme which will be there this month.I can see them practicing every day through my class window. These little ones have a mind of their own. It is easier to teach the older ones but it is challenging to teach the little ones. They have their own moods and fancies.

I watched them perform many dances and sing many songs. It was so nice to see them move their tiny arms and feet along with the music. Their teachers pains-takingly enacted their the actions before them so that they follow them. Some children simply refused to participate and either kept looking at the others performing or wandered about as if in a trance. The poor teacher kept running after them to place them back in the right places. What a sight it was!

The little ones sang action songs and even the patriotic Jai Jai Maharashtra Maajha........Oh, it was so nice to hear that in their kiddie voices! According to our school motto, each one should get equal opportunity to show their potential so each and every student is required to perform on the stage. I can imagine how proud the parents will feel when thy see their little darlings perform on stage.

Hats off to the teachers who handle little kids and provide them with a strong foundation. We rarely appreciate their efforts. As a parent just imagine how difficult it is to manage a little child, and a Pre-primary teacher manages with about 40 in a class!

When a kid passes out of any school the teachers of the Secondary Section are praised for their efforts at getting rankers for the school  while the Elementary teachers and Pre-Primary teachers' role is not recognized as much. Sad but true, the ones who are instrumental in giving the students a strong foundation for their later schooling years are denied due recognition at times. Hopefully, that will change.

Tolerance or Respect???

Every time we hear people saying that we should be tolerant towards other people or religions.We hear this as our nation is very diverse and we have people following different religions,speaking different languages and   people belonging to different castes living together.We say there is 'Unity In Diversity' in our country, but many a times we hear of clashes on the name of caste,language and religion.The politicians make the most of this diversity and fuel the fires of hate in the minds of people for their selfish gains.Unmindful of all this, there are many who succumb to all this and go all out to prove their superiority over another.

Since childhood I have been hearing from well-meaning adults, parents and teachers alike that we should be tolerant towards others.I do not know why we need to be tolerant when we should have respect for another rather than tolerance.The dictionary meaning of these two words made me realize this better.

Tolerance-The ability to accept things one dislikes or disagrees with

Respect-A feeling of admiration for someone because of their qualities or achievements / Consideration for the feelings or the rights of others.

Just a glance at the meaning of the two words will tell us why we need to have respect and not tolerance for others.Instead of tolerating others why not find out some good qualities in others and appreciate them?
Why not consider their feelings and understand their point of view rather than disliking and just accepting it to avoid conflict?

As teachers we can instill many a value in the impressionable minds.Are we doing our bit towards that or are we just meeting curriculum deadlines and making them experts at getting the best marks?

As  parents are we instilling feelings of hatred towards any particular community or religion in our children?

Are we even thinking about these things..............?

The Age of Rage

Being a teacher has it's special moments, but there are also times when I ask myself, are these the students we are teaching? It is saddening to see children resort to anti-social behaviour, disrespect elders, bully others, use cuss words and resort to violence at the slightest provocation.

The newspaper headlines screamed 'A fifteen year old student studying in STD 9 stabs his teacher to death in his classroom at Chennai' I realize that this incident was just an incident and was not to be considered as the trend but yet, something is wrong somewhere.

Are we, as parents and teachers, doing something wrong in bringing up our children? Are we taking them towards the right direction and are we really there at all to direct them,to goad them towards the right path and to be there when they stumble and fall at times?

So many questions...........!

Young minds are impressionable. The values taught to them at this age will lead them in good stead all through their life.We are so engrossed in provided the physical needs of the child, the luxuries and the rest that we fail to meet their emotional needs that can decide the path they will take in future.

Sad, but true. Parents and teachers along with the present social system in society are to blame for this rage in the kids of today. We keep passing the buck and blame it on the others. parents blame the schools,the schools blame the parents, they both blame the education system......the blame game goes on.

Will this ever change? When are we going to take responsibility for our actions? And most importantly, are we?

No Pressure,Only Pleasure,Please!!!

"How I wish I was a kid again!"

This is what we think many a times as adults.We remember those carefree days when we spent our childhood playing with friends,watching the few channels on television,eating 'ghar ka khana',time out with school friends,the rare movie in the one screen theatres and having a burden - free life .

Is this the same with today's kids????Not by a long shot!

The children of today are a burdened lot.Conclusive research has found that there are thousands of school-going children committing suicide these days.What is it that is driving these little kids to take away their lives at this tender age?

The answer is, sadly, we adults.It is the adults in society and their perception of success that leads the little ones to frustration and  lives cut short.The tender minds cannot bear the pressures they face in their life and they give up on themselves and put an end to their lives.

We,as adults think that our kids should be the very best at what they do.They should score the maximum marks,shoot the maximum goals,score the maximum points at each and every competition they participate in and be the BEST or better than the best.We label children by the marks they score.If he/she is not scoring good marks they are not worthy.We see their marks as their worth and also assume that the one who scores better is going to be more successful in life and the rest are not going to make anything of their life.

As adults,we are trying to increase the Intelligence Quotient (I.Q) of the children and not even thinking about their Emotional Quotient(E.Q)We teach them how to learn all the formulae,the tables,the answers to the questions in lessons,how to excel in sports,music,dance but we do not teach them how to accept failure,how to value and respect others,how to handle stressful situations and how to behave like responsible persons in society and be the messengers of change for the betterment of society.We instil in their minds that as long as you get great marks in the exams , you are good and if you don't do that , you are unworthy.What's more,the parents treat the marks their kids score as a prestige issue.They highlight their kids scores and successes to one and all and bask in their kids laurels.

We,as well-meaning adults, should realize that kids are ours to love and care.They are not to be treated as trophies that we need to display to the world.Each child is different and needs to grow at his/her speed ,as per his/her ability.Less marks does not mean less capable or less worthy.Let us stop assuming that only those who score more marks or only those who score enough to be engineers or doctors are worthy while the rest who opt for other streams are not .Just as much as we need engineers ,doctors and IAS officers,we need bank clerks,journalists,mechanics,writers,anchors,teachers,artists and the like.What is important is that a child should be happy with the field he/she chooses.

Even as school-going children the kid is under tremendous pressure to excel in studies and the extra-curricular activities.To ensure that he/she does that the parents enrol them for different coaching classes so the poor kid jumps from one class to another and has his day overloaded.Many times he/she has no time to play with his/her friends as he/she would love to.We should allow our children to enjoy their childhood as we did.I agree there is a lot of stress to perform and excel but it is we are putting this pressure on them and we can change it by learning to understand their individuality and capabilities.

As well-meaning adults,it is high time we worked on improving their EQ along with their I.Q.Teach them to respect themselves and those around them Teach them good values that will hold them in good stead in future.Teach them that is OK to lose at times and there are many more opportunities that will come their world.teach them how to handle stressful situations by being more organised.and disciplined.Teach them that you love them irrespective of the marks they score and the laurels they win or don't win.Most importantly,teach them that they are extremely important to you and try to make them good humans first before trying to make them good at scoring the highest marks.

What we need for the children today is more pleasure and lesser pressure. Let them do things they enjoy.Allow them to pursue a game or hobby of their choice.If they are scoring less,help them to do the best they can without comparing their results with another,let them better their own level.according to their capacities.

Most, importantly,let the children enjoy their childhood. They are not asking too much, are they????

Be a Sport!!!

The London Olympic Games drew to an end and there were accolades galore for all the medallists who made India proud with their haul of 6 medals at the games.To some it may seem- What is the fuss all about???It was only six medals won by a country of 1.2 billion,so what!
There is much more to the wins than that meets the eye.

These medals were not an easy win to say the least.I agree even the participants from other countries have put in their best efforts to win but there is a huge difference.Sports in India has always been given step-motherly treatment.Right from the school days,young children are weaned into believing that it is marks they score in academics alone that will take them far so they are not to take sports seriously.Even if the child is exceptional and does well at sports,he does not get the support he should to pursue it diligently.Lack of resources from the government or sponsors and the need to earn makes it impossible for him to continue with his dream to excel at the sport he is good at.At times even when this hurdle is crossed there is the red-tapism and political clout which works against him moving up further towards his goal.Compare that with the support the government gives the sports persons in other countries and you will know the difference.

In spite of all the hardships after conquering all obstacles the winners  have done their country proud and hence the medallists'feats are highly commendable.What's more awe-inspiring is that most of these medallists were from the interior villages of India which live in poverty and lack even the basic amenities of life.It is not that we lack the talent as that is in abundance but we need to tap this talent,nurture it and hone it for future success.For that the government,financial companies,corporates etc. should willingly come forward to provide assistance to groom the sports persons.Proper training and resources can make a world of difference.

'Catch them young' should be the motto.For that the parents and teachers have to take initiative and groom the child from a tender age.The schools must make it compulsory for all students to pursue at least two games and master them.Parents should recognise the importance of sports and games for children.They should be allowed to choose the games they want to play and master them.The exceptional ones should get the desired coaching and sponsorship to pursue their game and compete at all levels.The media should give sports and sports persons the desired coverage so that people take interest in it.

If we give sports the importance it deserves,the day will not be far when India too will come back with many medals and be a country to reckon with.Sports is much more than cricket,cricket and more cricket.Even our national sport -Hockey is going through a terrible phase now.At this Olympic they were at their lowest low as they did not win any of the matches it played.What a shame!

Let us hope that sports is given due importance and the government ,policy-makers ,sports academies,corporates,media,schools parents and society at large collectively come together to make the required change.We have the talent we need ,what we need now is the push for sports in the right direction.

So,are we ready to do that???
C'mon ,be a sport and do your bit to propagate sports in your own little way.

In Gratitude.........

Being a teacher for the last twenty-three years of my life has been a wondrous experience that has taught me new lessons of life each day.I have always considered it my good fortune to have taken up this profession.I am proud to be a teacher and hope to be one all my life.Even as a teacher I am also a learner for life as we all should be.

Teacher's Day is celebrated in India on 5th September each year though International Teachers Day is celebrated on 5th October in most countries.I have always had great regard for teachers.I still remember my school days when we  had such wonderful teachers teaching us at the Convent Girls High School at Dadar.In fact I had a major crush on one of my teachers(who doesn't?).Those were the days when we tried to get into the good books of the teachers and waited to run errands for them.It was an honour to be called to clean the blackboard,carry books or give our textbook to the teacher.I am in touch with many of my school mates and they too agree that our teachers have inspired us to make us what we are today.I thank all my school teachers who taught me, right from those who taught me my A,B,C's to those who helped me with complicated Math and Physics problems in my SSC year.

Cut to my college years where I did my Diploma in Education.The teachers there gave me my first lessons in teaching.I can not forget my first classroom teaching experience at a school at Malad.From there there was no looking back.I realised that teaching is what I have always wanted to do and I pursued it with unbridled enthusiasm.I remember all my D.Ed college teachers with utmost respect and I thank them for initiating me into the world of teaching and making me capable of pursuing my goal to teach.

Years later I was back in college for my Bachelor's degree in teaching.It was here that I met some of the most fantastic teachers who inspired me and made me realise that there was so much I could do in the field of teaching to change lives of children for their betterment.It was here that I learnt to search myself and accept new challenges.I met some truly inspiring teachers and  I will always remember them with great respect.Hats off to all my teachers at Bombay Teachers Training College(BTTC) for their support and inspiration.

Life is a great teacher and we are always learning new lessons from her.It is upto us to remember those lessons and act accordingly for a better life.Life is not just about making the most money,attaining the highest position,or gaining new and expensive things, but about imbibing the true values of life.

I salute all my teachers who have made an impact in my life and have made me what I am today.
Thanks for being my strength and inspiration.
I hope I too inspire my children like you have inspired me.

Who Stole My Biscuits?

I always believe that as a teacher we have a great responsibility.It is not just the notes,curriculum or the tests and grades that matter but what also matters is what values you are inculcating in the little minds.

I try my best to teach them how to make the right choices and how to learn from the wrong choices they make.This is the age when they are learning about right and wrong,truth and falsehood and vice and virtue albeit in a matter of fact manner.This makes it more important for us as to draw their attention to little deeds or misdeeds that can help or harm them in the long run.

This brings me to the situation in my class yesterday .Birthdays are special occasions when the birthday kid brings chocolates or biscuits to share with his classmates and teachers.As I teach in a school having 12 divisions for one standard there are quite a few days when I go home with a biscuit or chocolate.So yesterday I got a chocolate bourbon biscuit and a melody toffee.As is the usual practice , I kept these in my lunch bag.That evening when I opened my bag I found the toffee but the biscuit packet was missing though I was sure I had kept it there earlier.

It was not a rare occurrence but it was for me as this has never ever happened in my classroom.Many of my teacher-friends have complained of missing biscuit packets ,pens, chocolates from their classrooms.they have ignored it and have let it pass saying that kids are tempted at times to do so and they do not realise that they are doing something wrong.

This incident saddened me,not because I wanted the biscuits but because this meant that it was a possibility that one of the children from my class had opened my bag and taken the biscuit packet.This may seem to be a non-issue for many (C'mon,it was just a biscuit packet!He/she is a kid,it's no big deal !) But for me it WAS  a big deal!

I felt that if there was a child who had taken the biscuit packet,he/she should be be spoken to but in a discreet manner.This could become a habit for him/her.I take pride in the fact that I try to instill good values in the children and regularly talk to them about what is acceptable and unacceptable behaviour.I do a follow up of all the values they learn through constant reinforcement (praise and appreciation or reprimands)

 I shared this situation in the class as I  believed that if anyone had taken the biscuits he/she would own up.No one did.

I told them that I was saddened to know that some child had resorted to stealing and voiced my fears about it becoming a habit.My kids too said that it was not the right thing to do.Frankly , I do not think this was done by any kid from my class.This may be the handiwork of any other kid who entered the class for language class or who entered the classroom when my class kids had gone for Art or PE.

My kids listened to the case of the missing biscuits and had so many great ideas to find the culprit.Here are a few suggestions from the brainy 9 and 10 year olds:

• Check the CC camera footage and see who entered our class when we were not here.
• Send your lunch bag to detectives to match the fingerprints on the bag.with those of the students of our class and the next one.
• Keep a bigger biscuit packet in your bag again and let us all see who takes it this time.We will catch him/her red-handed.
• Bring a police dog ,he will surely find the thief..
• Let us all hide and see who is entering our class to take the biscuit packet.We will hide under the benches and catch him/her.

So, the case is still unsolved.

Wish I had a way to find out.

Any suggestions???

When It All Began.....

It was during my childhood days that I realised that I wanted to be a teacher.This was roughly when I was studying in Standard 4.As do all kids,we played games like teacher-teacher,doctor-doctor and family-family.Yes,these games do sound absurd now but how we enjoyed them in those days!

Teacher-teacher involved all the children of the housing complex coming together on the stairs and using it as the classroom.We had a portable blackboard which was a slate and pencils.And you must have guessed that the teacher in this wonder class was yours truly.I took my designation quite seriously and taught with great dedication.What was taught to me in school by my teachers was repeated for all my 'students'

My students loved being in my class and listened in rapt attention to me.They were younger to me so for them what I taught was a bit of a higher level but it made it more interesting for them.Even now when we meet my friends tell me they still remember those lessons they learnt on white and red blood cells,plasma,global warming,food and hygiene etc.

So,that as how my journey as a teacher began.I am a first generation teacher.My mother wanted to be a teacher when she was younger but her family did not support her as mine did and I cannot say how grateful I am for that.I will always be thankful to my parents for supporting my decision to join the teaching profession.

I am so happy be a part of this profession and I am glad I followed my heart.It gives immense pleasure to do what I love to do.I really hope parents all over the world allow their kids to choose the profession of their choice instead of enforcing their choice on them.A lot of the fustration that comes with the work they do can be reduced if people love what they are doing or do what they love.

It has been 23 years since I first started my journey as a teacher and I am loving it!