Fun Outdoors!!!

Field trips are a source of great excitement for students.The excitement begins as soon as they get the circular regarding the field trip and it slowly but surely increases and peaks on the day of the trip.Inside the classroom situations these bundles of energy are manageable but once outside they are difficult to manage.

We planned to go in the last week of September and decided to show the movie Mary Kom ,an inspiring movie of the pugilist who made a name for herself and her country in spite of all the challenges she faced.A ride in the new mono rail was also in the itinerary.

The students arrived early and were a noisy lot as they sat in the hall waiting to board the buses.Teachers had a hard time controlling their excitement and after the roll call we boarded the buses.Had a great time singing songs all along the journey to Bhandup.They sang the parents day songs,a bharud and a Japanese song that I taught with gusto.Once inside the mall we made ourselves comfortable and watched the movie.The screaming and talkative kids watched in complete silence and enjoyed the inspirational movie.Immediately after they had a hundred queries about the movie like how can a small baby be operated upon,what does  hawaldar mean ,why they were not given food to eat at the sports camp,why her father did not want her to be a boxer,why didn't Mary's husband feel bad about not playing football,why she does not have a bigger and heavier  body if she is a boxer,why didn't the man who won against her in the street fight become a boxer and play for India if he was a better fighter than Mary Kom,why did he become a bad man later,why it is always so that mothers support their children more than the fathers,how is Nainai now,why didn't they show the real Mary Kom's husband at the end of the movie when they showed Mary and her kids,why they did not play the national anthem at the movie hall as they always did before the start of the movie,......and the queries kept coming and I did my best to answer all of them patiently.Yes,as teachers answering innumerable queries like these is a part of our daily job.

Thankfully by the time they got into the buses they were very hungry and food got their undivided attention.It was so heart-warming to see the little ones enjoying eating with their friends,sharing,laughing,talking and discussing about the movie.They enjoyed the burger and snacks provided by Adventure Tours and the yummy goodies packed by their moms. Stomach satiated,they now began their queries about the mono rail.Soon we reached the Wadala depot from where we were to start our rail ride.It was my first ride on the mono rail just as it was for all the other kids.We took turns and made groups of four classes each and rode the mono rail.The inside building was clean and sparkling but there were hardly any other regular passengers.There was a number of security and staff on the monorail premises.The view from the clean and well-maintained building was a contrast to how it was outside.All around ,as far as our eyes could see we could only see hut-ment colonies,garbage piled up,diminishing and encroached upon mangroves,polluting chimneys and the filthy Mithi river.We could also see high rises,fertilizer and petroleum plants and the express-way.

Anyway,with great excitement we awaited our turn and boarded the mono rail.We occupied the first compartment,right next to the motor-man's cabin.The noise and commotion the kids made inside the compartment!!!They jostled for seats and a place near the windows for a better view.Others made a beeline for the rods which were in the centre and the sides of the compartment.The security was dumbstruck as why these kids were so excited and kept looking at them(with a frown )as if they were from Mars.The few passengers who came in with us kept on smiling looking at the excitement of the kids.All through the ride the kids kept on their running commentary about what they could see.Some kids went from one window to another to look out while others tried to hang on to the handle provided for the standees.There were huge shouts whenever the rail made a sharp turn and when it stopped at the stations,The ride took us from Wadala Depot to Chembur and then back to Wadala Depot so it was quite a long ride.Anyone would assume that the latter part of the ride would not be too noisy but it was not so,the noise level was constant throughout and their excitement did not diminish one bit.After the ride we walked back to our buses and again the kids took out their snacks and sang songs on the way back to school.

We reached before the scheduled time so we sat in the classes where there were more queries to answer.Students said they saw all three types of pollution from the mono rail.The students had just learnt about pollution in the EVS unit -Cleaning Our Environment and they said they saw land,water and air pollution during the ride.There was a discussion on the causes,effects and solution to these problems of pollution .I was happy to know how concerned they were and their urge to do something about it.That is the special reward of field trips,the students get to see what they have learnt about in their curriculum.It gives them a first hand look at real life situations and conditions that they have learnt about through their books.Soon,it was time to leave and the kids kept talking about the exciting time they had at the field trip when they were handed over to their respective parents.Undoubtedly,these kids would keep talking about their days experiences to their parents right until their bed time.

What the kids really want is loads and loads of fun and excitement, be it indoors or outdoors! In the process they learn so many things ,this is the real learning.Will be reading about their experiences in their essay this week.Happy to be a part of their experiences and share their excitement.

Here are a few snapshots of the field trip.

The station as seen from the outside....

What's famous in Mumbai.....all these!!!

The hutment colonies....vote bank for politicians!

The beauty~!!!

View of the main building

With two of the teachers

The route we took....to Chembur and back.

Lights,Camera,Action!!!!

All the world's a stage and we are all actors.......

At some time or the other school life has given each one of us n opportunity to show our talent on the stage before an audience.I remember how exciting that moment always has been for me.The feeling of apprehension,the butterflies in the stomach,the jitters and the shaking and quivering before the show and the sense of exhilaration and accomplishment after it.I was a late bloomer and I really got a chance to show my true talent in the later years while I was in college.So I understand how important it is for everyone to have an opportunity to showcase their talent before an audience in order to have more confidence in themselves and to find their true calling.we can never understand where we will shine unless we try.

The Annual programmes in the school and the other competitions are a way to encourage the kids to participate and showcase their innate talents.as parents and teachers it is important to give each one of them a platform to perform,be it music,dance or drama.As a teacher it has been a great pleasure to see the little ones shine on the stage.How wonderful it is to see our efforts as teachers bear fruit when we see them perform on the stage before an audience.The teacher-student bond becomes stronger when we actually observe them minutely to fathom the role each child is to play.The auditions for the song,dance and skits give us an insight into where their strengths lie.Some kids are very sure of what role they want to play....and most often than not it is the main lead they are vying for.It is the responsibility of the teacher to make them realise that no role is small or to be demeaned and each one's role is important to make the skit or dance programme a success.The importance of team work can be taught while working on the annual skit or dance item.They learn to work together and understand that nothing is possible without practice,practice and more practice.When they are appreciated on their efforts they feel a sense of pride and accomplishment.T heir confidence soars to new levels and they are on cloud nine when they hear the thunderous applause after their performance.

Yes,there are also those who do not want to be in the limelight and want to be in the shadows.It is up to the teacher to see that each one has an opportunity to come forward on the stage, if only for a few minutes, just to make them lose their fear of facing the audience.Each one has some talent or the other and it is for the teacher to tap that innate potential of the child and bring it out.It goes without saying that favouritism should have no role to play in the selection of students for the performances and only merit in performance should be the criteria for selection.

Putting up a good dance performance or a skit by students is not an easy task but it has rich rewards.I have been fortunate enough to have put up numerous skits,dances and group songs in my tenure as a teacher and each time the feeling of accomplishment has not eluded me.I have won accolades for the performances at ward level and other inter-school competitions.It is challenging to get the best out of children,specially so if they are very young.For the little ones it is a stepping stone to future challenges.
We, as teachers, are not just readying them for their performance on the stage,we are readying them for life..............and that is a huge responsibility so we better do our best.The world is their stage and we are training them to face the challenges they will meet in their performance called LIFE!