Round the year

Last year was crucial for me and Eva.

 We have changed her medium of instruction and the school. Children are very flexible and adaptive to new environment so Eva started her new term with joy and talking about new friends. But that joy has faded away as soon as her syllabus has started. At her school, teaching means answering the questions in given manner and that too in written form. Eva has been used to this method. So, it is not surprising or new to her. But, she was struggling due to the change in medium of instruction. She cannot write or copy at the expected speed.  So at each page, she had a red big question mark and a note: finish it.

I did not insist her to finish it and asked her teacher that she may not come up with finished homework. Eva was so fearful to writing and reading that every time she asked me to read and go to any childish extent so I allow her copying. I read for her. Her favorite story in her Language textbook, I have read may be for a hundred times. She remembered the whole story by heart even though she was not ready to read. Certainly, she did not want to be ‘failed’. 

It was not all smooth for me. I got impatient and sometime wanted Eva to read and write. But that ‘tantrum’ never lasted for long and I managed to reach to her.

Eva would sit into my lap when I read and then she started inquiring, which line have we reached? She would peep up into the text or book in my hand and find that line by herself. That was just perfect for me. She IS reading.

For writing, I would speak the answer and she would write. That was the most agitating part for Eva as she wanted to copy. She kept arguing : it takes much time. And every time we would talk about ‘what does it mean to study?’ And for those who find the topic of our argument a bit ‘upper age’ type, I can only say that you haven’t heard her arguing.

She scored zeroes and two/ three in her first unit test.  I asked her teacher that I do not mind her score and as a teacher I know that she is learning and that is enough for me.

But, her teacher was a problem, very much affecting Eva’s self concept.

Eva likes to mingle with people and she is still free of social customary taboo. This line is very important as I have observed that ‘bright’ students or children from upper middle class families are not ‘free’ in making friends and playing certain games. Some parents in my neighborhood have stopped their children to play with Eva as she is always playing and not scoring good marks.  Even some of my family members found it odd that Eva laughs much ! Well, at school, something bad has kept on occurring with her which I could not manage.  Her class teacher would not ‘include’ her into activities like drawing or dancing. Slowly, Eva started behaving out casted. Her esteem was already low and it was badly hurt. And still, Eva loved her school. The very name of her school used to bring twinkles into her eyes. How innocent !

At home, she would play ‘teacher teacher’.  At a time she would play teacher, other time my mom would. And in either role, the most important thing was to insist loudly that Eva is a bright girl, she finishes her writing in time, she answers all the question and so on. We kept playing this. I knew what we were doing. Eva would repeat all the lines her teacher would have spoken in the class explaining a topic! I and my mom used to get surprised at her memory. Interestingly, she was not understanding a bit of those lines. I realized more deeply the role of memory and how a child understands things. This insight helped me a lot as a teacher also.

She gradually acquired reading and writing skills in their definitive terms, yet not at the expected level of her age, but I am not in any hurry, I want her to acquire the process of learning skills.

This year, she is in standard five, with a new teacher. A teacher who said in the very first period that in our class there will not be only studying, there will be play and fun. Amitbhai, a young teacher, shares his childhood stories with her students. There is a sort of belongingness in his attitude. And it brought all the joy back to Eva during her schooling time. He also teaches in question-answer and lecturing way, but Eva is picking up as the classroom environment is not studiously heavy.  Even though his teaching methods are not quite right, still he is able to direct Eva into participating in learning processes; because he loves the children.

As a teacher, this is very important lesson for me.  I have experienced the effect of a teacher on a child’s life.