Week 4 just rushed through....the only highlight was that i freaked out at
my class....ok for all those havent known me too well i get angry and i snap
badly.....so Monday to Wednesday my class absolutely drove me mad....none of
the kids were interested in learning; they were out of their seats all the
time....they kept talking all the time...jumped on benches....and what
not.....one of the kids Nihal drove me crazy! This lil kid has too much of
energy and so when he started troubling me too much i asked him to step out
of class for awhile, he went and locked all the classrooms from outside on
the ground floor.....it was both a funny and frustrating moment! My trainer
had to stand up at the window and shout out for help! A fellow from the
classroom next door gave us a call to unlock her classroom!
And dats when i absolutely lost it! I shouted at my entire class....so much
that i lost my voice....the kids dint get the words but they did get the
tone....and were quiet for the next 1.5 hrs till school got over....its a
different thing that i was very upset later! I went back the next day and
made things ok...so Thursday was the best day i have at summer school...my
class did really well on their short assignment! they finally understood
some lesson! Friday was ok too.....i was finally looking forward to week 4!
Week 4 was an experience in itself....my class was back to its original
self and i had to help them prepare a lil show for end of summer school and
the class was in mood to do that either....by Tuesday some kids had finally
started preparing a lil dance....bt i kpt feeling that i had lost out on
being a teacher...my kids loved jumping all over benches and lying down on
the floor....making them understand the value of minor things such as
cleanliness was an issue....
thursday i taught in another class.....cant explain what it felt like....ok
so i wasnt that bad a teacher...the new class was very interested in my
lesson and i taught them different types of claps (yeah we have these funky
clapping styles such as shooting star, firecracker, 'seal' of approval,etc.
il demonstrate those sometime)... Thursday was also awesome as the TFI staff
put up a lil show for the fellows which ended with free hugs and alot of us
crying (what do u do when there is a room full of ppl u care abt and you
know they wont be there after 2 days?!)
And then finally came friday....last day of summer school! My class did a
lil dance...heard the song 'in the jungle' from madagascar?? check out the
video! thts wht my kids did! the funny bit is...they had forgotten the
steps...so i went and stood behind where parents and other classes were
sitting and asked them to follow me.....alot of ppl turned and started
looking at me....mayb if u check out the attached video ul kno how funny i
looked doing it! (anythn fr my kids:):)) my class did really well...we evn
had a 2 minute skit on "king of the jungle" since that was our class
theme....
Now the best and most touching part of summer school...one memory i will
carry all my life.....at the end of the day, Nihal, the kid i scolded the
most came to me and hugged me and said "Didi, i will miss you".....i couldnt
control my tears...he wiped my tears and promised to be a good boy.....we
got an icecream and shared it...when it was time for him to go home he just
dint want to leave...it was tough for both of us to say bye:(
Iv spoken to Nihal everyday...he keeps checking if iv reached Mumbai safely
and how are other teachers from summer school doing....
Friday..something more happened.....there was a sesion on Child Protection
Policy....under the policy, a teacher cannot hit a child or even scold them
or raise their voice.....since me and my mini-cohort had handled the
toughest class, we were asked to share...that day i shared something that
took alot of effort...it was very difficult for me....it front of 99 fellows
and TFI staff heres what i said - " I failed...i failed at handling a class
of 20 kids, i failed at classroom management...i shouted at my class....i
was frustrated and not at my best while teaching....i did all i could...but
i failed".....i shared my experience with them and now im doing it with
you...believe me its not easy....and i have learnt what i should do and what
i shouldnt....
Saturday was fun...i had my last dinner with the TFI gang...50+ ppl at
Mcds...was super fun! dint want to say bye...i wish institute was
longer....Sunday was the closing ceremony....Chetan Bhagat was invited for a
small interaction as well......i dont know if any of you have read his
speech at the Symbiosis induction in June 2008...saw month, same
audi....just a differnt speech....weirdly i was there for both.....
I slpt thru sunday and monday mostly or caught up with a few friends.....it
was a weird feeling not being with a 100 ppl!:(
And came to Mumbai on Tuesday night...went house hunting today...havnt found
anythn....leme kno if any of u kno anyone in Malad....i saw my school...its
a dingy building...incase i dint tell u the name - MHB English Municipal
School and il b teaching grade 2 (55-60 kids) along with a
co-teacher....school starts on Monday for me:)
Heres what i think of Mumbai till now - Life in a metro...a city full of ppl
yet so empty....the sound of a fast local....or d dragging pace of a slow
one...Mumbai is the LA of India...its so full!!
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