My Delhi break was awesome! Thanks to all those who took time out to catchup! I slpt thru most of it though! So the 2 tasks I got complete during these hols were making upto ppl i hadnt spoken to in a long time and slping al tht i could!
I am writing to everyone today since I had an awesome day! And it was all thanks to a lil kid in class 1 in my school. Municipal schools start from class 1 so it is Sameer's first year in school. And like most of us did when we were asked to leave parents at home and go to school for the first time, Sameer too has been howling at top volume while coming to school evryday. Most days he sobs or pretends to be unwell so he is taken back home by his mom, who beats him out of frustration everyday! today was the second time i tried approaching him and helping him. Sameer was adamant about going back home...I didnt know how to deal with his crying..and unlike the last time i dint want to leave him sobbing...so i held his hand, patted his back and asked him y he was crying. he jst said he doesnt lik school. so i asked him if he wuld lik to sit in my class...and he agreed.quietly, holding my hand, he entered my class and sat on a chair besides mine. once the class started, i asked him if he was alright and would want me to tk him to his class and he nodded. i took him there, promising him that il b in my class if he needs any help. And so Sameer came back in break to share his lunch with me and making me promise him tht i wont leave school without him. When school ended he was back in my class and dragged me home! I have never seen Sameer talk so much or smile so much! He made my day!:)
Going back to post-Delhi...i went to ahmedabad from delhi...for the Teach for India retreat....before i tel u about the retreat, i must tell u about the amazing service Air India provides! I reached the international airport at 5.30pm for a 6.50pm flight and was at the check-in counter for 1 hr! wen my turn came the guy at the counter tells me my ticket isnt confirm! then he says there are no seats left! and finaly he upgrades my ticket to business class! While giving my boarding pass he said " You should feel lucky, tht I upgraded ur ticket', all i said was "Thanks to your slow speed, if im able to catch this flight in next 10 mins and get to Abad in time, I will definitely feel lucky!"...my flight got delayed by 3.5 hrs! i landed at Ahmedabad at 12.05 am, only to find the international airport had no taxis!no lounge!no food place! thankfully i had a frnd in town who came to pick me as i dint know hw to gt to the hotel either! so i stayed at my frnd's frnd's place...
During the retreat we had loads of reflection sessions, where we talked about the last 6 months and the struggles we were facing...but the fun part of the retreat was staying in a village! yep we stayed in a harijan village called Saraswadi for a night...stayed with a family there, sat on a tractor, walked in the fields, helped prepare food for a wedding, wash utensils with mud, cut about 50 potatoes, watched a gujju wedding, slpt with ants, had tea in a plate, ate khichdi (i absolutely abhor it!), chatted with the villagers, etc. etc. day 2 of the retreat was spent at Riverside school...tht was another first time for me...living in a school fr a day...we slpt on the terrace! Ahmedabad is a cold city!! the last day was full of activities...i played frisbee after years...! at night we all took a train back to Mumbai.....And was back in school the next day!
My kids were very well behaved the first 2 days...seeing a newly painted classroom and being back after long, they were in a trance..which ended after 2 days and they were back to their usual naughty selves :)....unlike most classes we had 50+ attendance the first day and the kids got to paint a corner of the classroom as an incentive for returning on time...
Schools been the usual except that im able to gt more stuff done with the increase in the timings and also we have started Circle time every Saturday where the kids can talk about anythn they feel like.....i went to some students' houses yesterday and today and will hopefully do more visits now...
i also recently attended a workshop for my community project...stayed in a school (Sri Sri Ravishankar Vidya Mandir) in Dharavi (the biggest slum in Asia)! It was amazing to connect with different people working to empower different communities in Mumbai...will hopefully be working with some of them soon:)
Its 2.15am and im too tired to write any further....and im sure ur tired of reading too...
Btw, I saw social network, harry potter and break k baad...social network is a must watch! i hope most of u have seen it by now!
Off for now....
Hope you have a great weekend! Also if you find time, please go thru my school's FB page - http://www.facebook.com/pages/MHB-Municipal-School/148248261889256
P.S. Forgot to mention a funny thing...so in order to teach my class commonly used sentences, i taught them " Please may i go to the washroom" instead of using the word 'toilet'... and here is wht some of my students said the first week...- please may i wash your room, i want a washroom (their other fave line is "i want a pencil"), please my wash the room, i go please wash the room....and many more of these!
