No School, Kuch karo na!

This academic year ended on a really sober note.
As we entered the second week of March the Corona pandemic made its presence felt all over India. The ICSE  and ISC Board examinations had also commenced by then. In order to ascertain the safety of young students, it was decided to close all the schools. Even my school was closed and we, teachers began work from home.

For at least a week before the school closed, we teachers made our kids aware of the threat of the virus and encouraged them to follow safety measures. In order to maintain personal cleanliness, we told the children to carry soap or hand wash and/ or sanitizers to use whenever they had to use the washroom. I can't tell you how excited the children were to bring these to school. All through the day someone or the other took the liberty to use the sanitizer while the class was in progress. The smell wafted around the whole class for the day.During break time they had the most fun. They compared their stock and spent a good time at the taps.They had to reminded that they also had to eat their lunch. These very children who had to be reminded time and again to carry handkerchiefs everyday to school, never forgot to bring these hand washes and sanitizers! Selective memory at its best!

To make the atmosphere lighter with the threat of the virus looming large, I taught them a few new games that they could play during the break time.I am fortunate to be a teacher as the joy and excitement on their faces when the kids play games is worth watching. It was fun to see them rolling in laughter or simply scream out aloud as they played, fought, made up and thoroughly enjoyed themselves in gay abandon. They looked like they had no care in the world. It made me wish we adults too could learn to enjoy ourselves like this forgetting our worries at times.

The announcement of the closure of school came unexpectedly so we could not even end the academic year properly as we usually did due to the prevailing situation. This is the time when we, as teachers enjoy the most with the children as we bond with them for the whole year. Sadly, we could only see them till the second week of March , after which we started sending them worksheets to be done at home.You need to be a teacher to understand how we miss the students, especially when school closes abruptly like this.

The profile work, mark sheets ,worksheets and manual work kept me busy at home.The students too had their hands full with daily worksheets to solve. It was then announced that we would be conducting video lessons for the classes on Zoom App. It was a new experience for teachers and students alike. Once we logged in for the video session , it was really exciting. They were so thrilled to see me and so were their parents. It is another feeling  altogether seeing your students after a long time. Imagine a video lesson for 42 nine to ten year old kids! It was cacophony!Their enthusiasm was infectious. Even their parents, came to have a look and say hello to their teacher as most of them were working from home too .They took some time to settle down for their lesson as they were excited to see their classmates.They told me they wanted to come to school and missed school.They talked without a pause, asking how I was, when school was going to start again, what about the examinations, was I going to school.......so many queries!
 Finally, after answering them satisfactorily the video lesson began. It was a pleasant change to teach them like this, something new for us,  but we enjoyed it. After the goodbyes I realized how much I had missed my kids. They had brought a smile on my face. Hopefully I will meet them again when they come to take their profiles in April. Waiting to see their smiling faces!

How I wish this academic year had not ended abruptly like this. But then situations like these call for actions that take into consideration the safety of all.

In The School Bus.....

I travel to school by bus and in those seven minutes there are so many things going on in the bus that it serves as a good entertainment for me. Some of the little ones are still catching up on their lost sleep while the others are raring to go and meet the day with unbridled enthusiasm. There are so many discussions happening, which to any onlooker may seem mundane and ordinary but for the kids it is a matter of great importance. The discussions range from what grades they secured at the appraisals, baskets or goals scored during P.E period, a new pencil or story book, the trouble a class kid got into....the list is endless. Some of the kids open their books to show some new games or tricks learnt while a few studious ones try to read and prepare for an assessment.

The kids learn a lot, and I mean a lot, in the school bus. They pick up many cuss words, new ways of bullying, and also how to share. They learn to stand up for their pals and if needed they gang up on a few kids and trouble them. Their chatter goes on non-stop till the bus reaches the school and even as they walk up to their respective classes. There are arguments galore on the seating in the bus. All want the window seat and they vie for the seat next to their best pal. Numerous quarrels and fights take place during that short ride to school and back. Many a times they take the assistance of the bus assistant to solve their quarrels and fights. Sometimes the fights and bullying reach to such an extent that the teacher or parent is called as mediator. The travel by school bus is also a social learning that takes place where the kids bond and/or fight. Gangs and groups are made and broken here. Innumerable ever-lasting friendships are also formed here.

There are also some hilarious moments in the school bus. Today I took the school bus on my way back from school. I saw a few kids enjoying a lollipop. The rest who did not have the lollipop were really curious. One kid even asked the bus assistant how the rest got the lollipops and was told that they got it in school. The lucky ones with the lollipops enjoyed licking them with relish, while the others stared at them with longing. It was really fun to watch it. At times a poor kid starts the day with tears in his eyes when another points out that he/she has not brought any material for a project or not completed the assignment for the day.

On the way back the kids are dropped at their respective stops and they are picked up by their parents or grandparents. The minute they alight they start talking about the happenings in their class, their version of course! The first thing they do is hand over their school bags to their parents and some of them get hugs and kisses as if they have come back after a fortnight from a long trip somewhere.

So if you think that the school bus ride is just that, think again! It is a short journey the kids take each day during which they learn many things and build their attitude and personality. This short ride teaches them social skills and makes them deal with new situations. It excites them and gives them those few minutes with their friends to enjoy before their day at school.
So a school bus ride is much more than just a school bus ride......

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.

www.tellmewhy.com

Kids are curious....always curious....always very curious.

They want to know each and everything, in full detail.
They will keep on asking you questions until their thirst for the answer is quenched and that ,mind you, never ever happens.They ask a question,you answer it and lo and behold.....another question awaits!!!

The queries of the little ones comprise of a vast range of topics.They want to know everything there is know about ships,parachutes, houses, UFO's ,super humans,games,how babies are made, animals and birds,poison,assassins,great leaders, algae, the solar system......and the list goes on.

These queries many a times create hilarious situations where adults like the teachers,parents and grandparents are in a position where they don't know what to  reply.Even the well-meaning and so-called intelligent adult is thrown off guard by an innocent-sounding question.

I am sure each one of us has been bombarded with such questions that have left us confused and at a loss for words.We adults need to understand their point of view and realize that this curiosity is the one thing that will make them better thinkers and greater achievers.Allow them to explore and be curious,do not let this curiosity diminish as with it will diminish their thirst for knowledge.With the urge to know more they will learn to read more and satiate their curiosity and no one needs to be told that reading is the window to the world.Readers are leaders.

If you are at a stage where you do not know what to respond,don't just push them away angrily.Tell them to get back to you and then find out the appropriate response with some help,maybe from the internet or another experienced adult.You will be surprised to see how much you have learnt in the process. Really,kids can teach us adults a lot if only we are willing to learn.

These innocent queries from the tellmewhy.com brigade will keep us on our toes and also make them grow as inquirers and knowledge seekers. Isn't that what we want them to be rather than passive learners or listeners?

So next time a kid asks that question that makes you want to tear your hair in despair,take a deep breath,be calm and patiently answer his/her question as convincingly as you can.For the little ones you are the search engine and they want the answers to their questions, so do not disappoint them.

Mind Your Language......

Being with young kids most of my waking hours, I have seen kids how kids behave, how they react to certain situations and what makes them excited or what irritates them. As years pass I have seen a drastic change in the way they react to certain situations .Earlier they had reserved reactions to things around them. They were more patient and not very vocal nor physically charged all the time.

The scenario has changed and I am saddened to see how the little ones behave. The children have become very impatient and demanding. There has been a noticeable increase in the destructive and abusive tendencies in children. Language used by them has turned from bad to worse. They use cuss words and derogatory terms without any qualms. When I hear the language used I wonder if they actually even know the meaning of the terms they use. It is not just what they say but even how they say it. A majority of them have forgotten how to be polite and soft-spoken. Loud and uncouth language is the order of the day. What is worse is that little ones as young as those in the Fourth grade are using filthy language. In my previous school I was flabbergasted when a Second grade student complained that another student was showing him his middle finger!

Even in a reputed school like mine we have children using filthy language, misusing school property, bullying, hitting and abusing each other. There is a pent up anger visible in some children .There is lack of patience and an open distaste for authority of any kind.

The reasons for this may stem from the violence and language used in the films and television. Maybe abusive language is used at home or in the immediate environment of the child. The children, at this impressionable age are prone to be influenced by what they hear or see unaware of it's consequences.

As responsible parents and teachers the onus lies with us. We have to make a sincere effort to see that children do not use foul language and refrain from destructive behaviour. For that we should lead by example. Stop using derogatory language and inculcate the right values in the child. Once their values are in place it will be difficult for them to be influenced.

Charity begins at home. Starting today resolve never to use foul language come what may.

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!

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???