Multiple Choice Leaves No Choice...

As an educationist, I have always held strong reservations with the ‘Multiple Choice Testing System’. My strong opinion is based on the fact that although the system is promoted as an ‘objective’ tool to test children, it is in reality quite subjective. While the questions are judged and scored by a machine indicating ‘fairness and justice’, the questions are framed by humans who make all decisions related to the question format and possible answers.

Usually, in a MCQ test, the student needs to select the best possible answer, which itself indicates the possibility of an alternate possible answer. This further reflects the diversity of thought and reasoning that lies in human attitudes and behaviours. To narrow these down to a single correct response, appears quite unrealistic and unfair.

Multiple choice tests might work where no logical thinking or reasoning would be required. Normally they are most convenient to ‘identify’ the concept well, but that does not indicate any knowledge of how and why. Sometimes they are pure guess work on part of a student and therefore, a blur image to the complete picture.

In the same context, MCQ’s also leave the performance of the teachers questionable, who in reality might have consumed their own intelligence to solve the questions for the pupil to learn from, thus leaving no opportunity for the transfer of an important and pertinent skill called deductive reasoning. How did the student come to select  the best answer? Was it just good memory or a simple guess?

To be able to see the working of a child’s mind on paper, would require an ‘Open End Questioning System’. Framing questions in such a manner so as to leave ample area for the child to question his choices and place relevant reasons for them. Here the teacher would get to see why the student arrived at a certain conclusion or where he seems to be at fault. It holds a better chance for personal progress and individual growth.  Both for the student and teacher alike.

While it was a horror to prepare for an economics exam where I was expected to write at least four pages of information on “Keynes Theory of Liquidity Preference”, I believe a balance can be maintained in the amount of information that would justifiably indicate good knowledge and application skills.

Short examples to showcase the understanding of a concept should be welcome in an examination. Questions should leave some space for the children to express their understanding in whatever simplified manner they can communicate with. While scientific terms and technical language must be accurate, there must be some flexibility to accommodate the various levels of communicative skills.

I felt really proud of my middle son, who I believe has a philosopher inside him, when he answered a routine question in the science test. While all students defined a ‘Balanced Diet’ as the body receiving all the nutrients in the right proportion, he wrote, “ a balanced diet is when the body gets enough water and all the different kinds of foods that it needs to keep healthy.” It’s a simpler version of a technical definition but indicates a clear understanding of what a balanced diet is.

Just a few days back, I was interviewed for a teaching position by a renowned school. The interview went very well and I requested the Headmistress to accommodate my two and a half year old son in the school nursery. She agreed but put forth a condition. “We will be monitoring your child’s progress academically. If he is unable to cope with the letters and the programme, we would have to remove him.” I wondered what this ‘Programme’ was and so I asked her. She looked very serious and said, “ We are very particular about our students’ language skills and our levels are maintained with the aim to excel. Children who fail to cope with our standards are regrettably removed from the school.” I imagined the innocent face of my son and felt petrified at the thought of him being judged with such aggression. 

I left politely as  my mind was made up. My son is quite intelligent. When I see him playing with his toys, I observe his problem solving skills that are always in action. When he can’t  push the dining chair holding it from the top, he makes a quick judgement and holds it from the base to get the maximum force to push it in. When he wants to pull his pyjamas down, his long shirt comes in the way. So, he rolls his shirt up and tucks it under his chin to be able to reach his pyjamas comfortably. I have not taught him these secrets, but they come to him naturally. My primary concern at any school would be for them to have the understanding to recognize the brilliance of a child through his ability to find solutions and grow with this confidence.

And so, this brings me back to the system of Multiple Choice. Questions can be interpreted in so many different manners. It’s not necessary that the choices that you offer me, are the ones that I intend to choose from. As the Multiple Choice test always has the intended possible answer camouflaged with the many ‘distractors’. When making a choice, you are the best judge and the wisdom that leads you to make that choice, might not be visible to everyone or be comprehended well.

Therefore, it’s important to use methods and systems that offer some arena to give reason and a little turf to exercise self opinion to help develop a more logical testing system.

The Love Of Reading...

There was a time when birthdays were celebrated with wrapped up story books and comics. Today, we have replaced them with action figures, Barbie dolls and play station games. “That is what our children want. It’s their happiness that matters.” Quite right I suppose. Their wish list is our top priority.

This however, does not take away the necessity to read. To be aware and  informed. Creating a love for reading books, appears as a gigantic task, but in reality, it’s quite simple.

Introducing your two year old to a colourful picture book is a start. One word identification is thrilling for the child and quite an achievement in reality. Having a special shelf or book rack to keep the books is taking it a step further, inculcating good book handling skills. It’s always a good idea to begin with one book. You will notice that the child will learn to recognize the matter faster in comparison to having many books to share. Once the target language has been conquered, you can go buy a new one.

The process of purchasing books should never come to a standstill as that can take away the interest. Infact as the child becomes older, the bookstore visits should be together. Books can actually help design the working of your child’s thoughts to your benefit. When I was going to have my second baby, I took my son along who was four and a half, to buy him a book. We had a good look and my eyes fell upon a beautiful simple storybook called, “Our new Baby” by Egmont Children’s Books Limited. I browsed through it and immediately decided to buy it. It was the story of a 2 year old girl whose mum was going to have a second baby. And while sharing this story with my son, I actually learnt a lot about what to encounter in the coming days. It related the importance of involving the child in the preparations for the new arrival. It spoke of changes that happen when the baby comes home, purely from the perspective of a child. I used to read him the book everyday and indirectly prepared him well for the event that would otherwise be quite difficult to digest. I was amazed at his understanding of routines that followed and the way he played his role in the whole process. The story had really educated him well.

While teaching I often came across children whose parents complained that their child had no liking for a book. They were ready to purchase the books but it was a useless effort as they were mostly found covered with dust. These were parents who had missed the opportunity to begin early. No hope was lost as I would always be ready to take the pains to come up with a plan for the birth of such an important habit.

And so I came up with the ‘10 minute morning news clips’ to share. I asked the children to go home and at the end of the day, cut out one good news and one bad news from the newspaper and carry it to the school the next day to share. The next day, we shared the good news about more educational institutions being built in Bangladesh, and some bad news in the form of people setting an effigy ablaze in Egypt showcasing an act of hatred. Along with the reading, we successfully engaged in constructive debates and slowly became familiarized with the design of a newspaper. It was a daily ritual and the true reward came in the form of the feedback the parents gave where they informed me about the debates that their children were having with them at their breakfast tables and the sense of inquiry that had lead them to buy a few encyclopaedias.

The love of reading must also arise from realistic expectations. When you buy a book for your child, do not expect him/her to immediately read through. They may have appeared very enthusiastic at the shop, but the burden to read through can kill the thrill for a while. This should not get you to label it as a waste of money or time. Just like we play with our children to teach them about toys and their working, similarly, we need to sit with our children to teach them about books and book reading.

I used to have my reading class with my grade 2’s every week. The ORT (Oxford Reading Tree) series was quite popular with the children. They loved the characters, as I had drawn, cut and pasted them in my reading corner which I had created with a mat and a few books in the class room. They gathered every week to discover a new story. The fresh vocabulary would already be lying there on flashcards for everyone to share and determine the meanings before the reading began. I knew that the first reading of the story would be a distracted one with so many new pictures to look at. So I planned my lesson understanding this natural tendency in young readers. We would all take up the challenge to create what we thought the story would be all about by just looking at the pictures. The students covered the text with their hands and we constructed a story based on the clues we determined through the illustrations. Once the excitement of the pictures had settled, we had a serious reading session. I realized that the students had their complete concentration on the story this time as they were anxious to find out if the actual happenings  in the story matched with their conclusions. It was a successful method that was aimed at accomodating their inclinations and likings in reading and at the same time built the focus needed to read a book.

Sometimes it is also a good idea to encourage your child to create his/her own story book. You can set a good example by creating one yourself. Think of characters together, themes to follow and some fun action to make the story interesting. Keep it short accompanied by lots of pictures. Staple the pages together to give it a physical appearance. With a little more effort, you both could actually create a complete series of story books that you could boast about. Through this process, you will observe that your child will not only become literate about the structure and outline of a story but he will also read it many times feeling a sense of achievement. These are small ways in which we as parents and teachers can give birth to the love of reading books and appreciating this craft.

And while it’s quite evident that there is no super hero like Iron Man, or nothing more delightful than a weekend with a new play station game, it is no excuse to eliminate the very need to sometimes walk them into a bookstore and buy them a story to share.

Today, my children love to buy books. Sometimes, they follow it up seriously while at other times it’s only about increasing the volume of their collections. But each time, I allow them to indulge in this activity because I know the importance and relevance of this habit that will create a sense of inquiry and also the ability to interpret and comprehend well. The more you read, the greater the exposure, whether to language or life itself.

Be your own critic...

The classroom was mostly noisy. The teacher was always in a struggle mode to calm them down. The boy gang, though just 7 years of age, was the talk of the Primary School. The gang comprised of three boys. Each one committed to uphold the ‘principles’ and ‘cool image’ of the gang. The teacher was exhausted with the constant surprises and the high tone of the class. There were issues about ‘foul language’, ‘threats’ and ‘undermining the teacher’s authority’.

Here it’s important to point out that the teacher in question was a soft spoken and structured lady. She had all the will to deliver the lesson well, provided, the creativity in planning the lesson was imported. She was not a very expressive woman and that was failing the classroom discipline.

I was asked by the Principal to help out for a few days by sitting in the classroom and making observations. It started from the assembly. The line came through a corridor and entered the classroom running around the tables and chairs. The teacher came in and began to settle her bags and books. The boys were screaming and the girls sat quietly looking at them. The teacher looked at them and said, “ Alright, that’s enough. Sit down please.” They paid no attention and eventually fell to the ground while taking a sharp turn at a fast speed. There was laughter and anger. I noticed the teacher. She was even afraid to touch them. She asked them to sit down again. I stood up and walked to the front of the class. “Sit down NOW!” My voice was loud, angry and demanding. They immediately sat down. “Now, I am going to be sitting in your class to see how you all behave. I would like to write a good report by the end of the day. If the report is bad, your class will get in trouble. Do you all understand?”  “Yes, Ms. Shama.”

The lesson began. The board was used as the resource and while the teacher’s back was to the class, they all had their funny faces episode. By the time she completed the task of drawing the clues to the lesson, the children had already determined the answers and blurted them out, making her plans appear somewhat ridiculous.

Suddenly one of the children got up and went outside the class. The teacher said, “ Where are you going?” The child gave no answer, got his bag and took out some colours to bring to his table. He merrily came and sat on his chair. “Ok, now look at the words in the book,” she continued as if nothing had happened.

The children talked loudly while she distributed the note books to begin the written work. The children stood around her waiting for their names to be called out. And though she felt terrible about the chaos, she appeared helpless.

Work began and she took a round of the class to see if everyone had begun. Then she stood by her table, browsing through their homework books. Soon the first child ran to her table to get the work checked. She sat down and a crowd made a circle round her completely hiding her from the rest of the class. Some children sat with their pencils, struggling to find answers while others found the line to the teacher too long and decided to play for a while.

The bell rang and the gang rose to be the first to rub the board. The teacher was still there and the children were still doing their work. They jumped up and down eliminating all chances for the slow writers to complete their work. The next teacher in line stood outside the classroom dreading to enter this chaotic room.

I walked out of the classroom knowing, the teacher would need some help. I spoke to her later and instead of advising her with verbal instructions, told her that I would be the teacher for her class the following day. She would watch me from morning till home time and make all the observations. I wanted her to do that because when you become your own critic, there is a possibility for change. The students were informed about the special classes the next day and they left a little worried.

The assembly was about to begin. I stood facing the children. The gang stood together pushing classmates and having a laugh. I walked up to them and pulled them out of the line. They looked a little shocked. I spoke to them in a whisper, “Listen boys, the line is too long and I can’t watch everyone standing here. Do you think you could spread out a little and watch them for me. We don’t want any talking in the assembly you know.” They were super quick to nod. I signalled one to stand close to the front, one in the middle and one right at the end. The line was quiet. Someone sneezed and I heard a loud Ssshhhhhh! Surely, the assembly was taken care of.

As they moved out of the assembly, the line was managed by the gang keeping it straight and quiet. I signalled them to stop outside the classroom.

“Before we enter the classroom, I would like you to understand a few things. Firstly, no one will come out of the class to get something from the bag. So, if you need to carry something in, you will do it now. Secondly, once we enter the classroom, I expect each one of you to settle down quietly and get ready for the lesson. Am I clear?” “Yes teacher.” A few students walked to their bags to carry their pencil cases to class. The line entered the classroom and the routine was followed. I had already placed their relevant note books on to their tables. They had started to enjoy the change.

Before I turned around to write the day and date on the board, I asked them to read the first page of the lesson in the text book and underline all the interesting words. They got busy and I quickly completed the usual tasks. They had collected quite a bit of vocabulary. We went over the words, comprehending the meanings through games, sentence making and group competitions. It took us about ten minutes and I had gained their attention and liking.

The next step was to deliver the core lesson. To do that, I needed them to understand the objectives well. What are we going to learn through this lesson? The targets to achieve by the end of the lesson. I took a coloured marker and framed the objectives on the board. “But how are we going to come to these conclusions?” One of the gang members inquired. It was an intelligent question and I began to admire the child’s intellect. The other two members got excited as well and the level of noise increased a little. “I promise it will be fun if you listen to the instructions carefully. I will not repeat them, so this is your only chance.” They began to motion each other to be quiet and not utter a word. I noticed the three boys had quite a lot of authority in their manners. I wondered how their authority could be managed to the benefit of this teacher.

The instructions went smoothly and each group had a task to complete. They worked together but I noticed that the girls in the class were not at all aggressive in their approach to work. The realization came to me that the boys had created such loud and strong impressions of themselves that the girls had gone back into their shells. I made a slight change in the plan. “ I have a better plan! Why don’t we have a competition? Girls versus boys!” The boys shouted with joy but the girls didn’t react much. “Ofcourse, I am a girl too, so I will team up with the girls!” There was protest from the boys but the girls readily accepted the challenge. I saw that the spirit to do the best was on both sides. I walked around the class, giving suggestions and discovering their great talents. On observation, these boys were all high achievers who needed a challenge. They were logical thinkers and that was indicated from the way they approached their tasks.

While the students completed their work, I decided to speak to these boys individually. I started with the first boy. He sat happily on the chair across the table. I smiled at him and asked him if he had enjoyed the activity. “Oh yes! It was so much fun. We were the best!” I said, “You sure did well. You know ‘A’, I saw you yesterday and you were so different then. You were shouting, not listening to the teacher, fighting. I mean, why were you doing all that?” He wasn’t ready for the sudden questions. He sat quietly. “I’m sure you know that it’s completely childish to behave that way right?” He was finding it hard to let go of the oath. “ Teacher, they ask me to do it.” He said softly, feeling a little relieved. “But if you will not do it, they won’t be able to force you right?” “They will throw me out of the gang. We are the strongest.” I laughed at his revelation. “Really! You have a gang! I know what these gangs do. They sort of are like the Police of the class. They take care of all their classmates and clean up the classroom. They make reports on children using bad language and bullying. Stuff like that right?” I was cornering his conscience and he was just ready to give in. “ Infact, it would be so cool if the Year 2’s could have a Police Patrol! You could wear badges and hats! Every week these badges could be transferred so, everyone would get a chance!”

The excitement and news of the Police Patrol spread fast in the class. The notebooks were collected and placed in the allotted area. The gang was dissolved through logical conversation and energies were diverted towards positive programmes. 

I spoke to them about their mature behaviour and how proud they had made me. The books for the next class were on the tables and the children were ready to greet the next teacher. 

My presence remained in the classroom for three days and eventually I called for the teacher who briefed me about her observations…

·        Involve the students in the disciplinary plans.

·        Loud and clear instructions before the beginning of the activity.

·        Set clear expectations.

·        Engage them in more hands on activities. Use the board less.

·        Be systematic and organized in the classroom. Label shelves and place materials to be used before hand.

·        Do not occupy yourself with your own work while the students are in class.

·        Do not ignore the faulty system. Have a counter plan.

·        Discuss the lesson plan with them along with the objectives of the lesson.

     Wrap up the lesson in time to leave the class in order for the next teacher.

·        Balance the spirit of inquiry and learning for both boys and girls.

·        Work through logic and reasoning with the students.

·        Communicate with students individually off and on to maintain a closer relationship.

·        Channelize their energies through positive ideas.

·        Plan challenging tasks for the high achievers. Keep their thoughts occupied.

·        Create a programme to convert their weaknesses into their strengths.

     Sometimes it is good to be your own critic and make your own observations...

  

Why Barney’s a better teacher...

Barney has a colourful costume…
Barney loves to sing songs…
Barney creates so many stories…
Barney enjoys playing with the children…
Barney is a great Mr. Fix it…
Barney plans with the children…
Barney loves to role play…

These are but a few factors that attract our children to the magical character of ‘Barney’. It’s amazing to see my two and a half year old son sing all his songs and move his head side to side enjoying the capturing tunes. It got me to think…

If we have a character that has the power to spread love and educate with such ease, why can’t we just adopt his ways and manners to teach our children in our classrooms?

We can begin with our wardrobes. Are we wearing interesting clothes that might gain us the attention of the children at school? The first success in a lesson taught, comes from gathering your children’s focus. I have tried that myself occasionally. I was following a “magic” theme in my class for a week and to wrap up the activity, I had allowed them to come dressed for the theme at the end of the week. They came in as witches and wizards. But what took their breath away was to find me in the classroom, dressed as a gypsy woman with her crystal ball! We turned off the lights, closed the blinds on the windows and I ran after them with a small torch, playing a dark room game. There was fun and laughter and lots and lots of learning. Therefore,  if you can’t do it everyday, make an effort to have a dress-up every fortnight.

If Barney can sing with his flat voice, so can you! Songs have an intense impact on the learning graph. Once a child picks up the rhythm to ABC, he remembers it for his entire lifetime. The first time I sang in front of my children, I thought I would look silly. I didn’t know, how they would react, but they were mesmerized. They were not expecting me to do that and my confidence transferred beautifully onto them. Now I am no Britney Spears but who said they are looking for her in you? You are someone who comes in everyday with a lesson plan to teach them new things. Then why should you be afraid to try new things yourself? You want them to try and not feel ashamed at not succeeding. Then why does your heartbeat increase at the thought of failure?  Why do you think that you would look silly? If you want a bunch of un-inhibited students in class, become a strong role model who can sing for them and with them.

During one of my Literacy classes, I was teaching my children in Year 3 the importance of having a ‘Point of View’. To help them understand the concept better, I sat with them and made up a story about myself. “Once when I was your age, my mum dropped me off at the hair-dresser for a hair-cut. She had to buy some groceries and asked the hair-stylist to go ahead with the hair-cut. As soon as she left, the lady in the salon asked me to sit and wait. She started attending other ladies who had come in after me. I knew she was doing something wrong, but I didn’t say anything.” There was an immediate response and effect arising from deep love and feelings for their teacher, “Why didn’t you tell her that she should cut your hair first? She was being unfair!” Another one exclaimed, “Maybe she didn’t say anything because they were all older than her. She was afraid to say anything.” And she held my hand, feeling the fear of being alone. “But, if we don’t say anything then we would sit there the whole time and when our mum will come to pick us up, she will be angry with us and fight with the lady!” The various ‘point of views’ were the result of a made up story that they could relate to and attach their  emotions with. And that is what Barney does very well.

Games are integral to learning processes. Being aware of what games the children in your class enjoy, is an added advantage to you. The most dreadful concepts can be translated in a few minutes through an interesting game. At the beginning of each term, I asked the children to write the names of their favourite games on paper chits and collected them. One by one each child would explain the working and purpose of their chosen games. The most popular ones were placed in my ‘Magic Box’ and every other day, I planned a lesson around one of those games. The ‘memory game’ was a great tool to teach them about nouns, ‘treasure hunt’ made the concepts in history quite interesting to explore and ‘hold hands’ was a fun activity to learn about odd and even numbers. Children love being close to you. They enjoy the child inside of you. And where else do you think you would be able to pour out the childish giggles and hearty laughter? It’s the best way to know your children well.

Barney is a great Mr. Fix it! Indeed you often see him turning moods around and teaching children right from wrong. Again, that requires a lot of observation on your part. Teachers who are sensitive to the individual needs of their students, mostly succeed in this genre. If you read my blog on “the survival kit”, it was a FIX IT action. Sometimes, a small thing as being unable to answer the question can be a daunting burden to carry through the day. A good teacher, quickly replaces the question with a simpler answer to ensure that the mind does not shut off for the day. My eldest son often used to forget his pencil in the school and I was struggling with his carelessness. I cannot forget the pains his grade 1 teacher took to teach him to care for his belongings. She labelled each and every stationery item of his in class and he became so particular about placing them in the allotted spaces, that I never had to worry about it again. A teacher is no less than a magician who can identify positive and negative energies well in time to fix them so that the spirit of learning remains intact.

Every country endorses the need for schools to promote a secure and safe environment for the children to learn. It is an established fact that the mind absorbs information when it is engaged in a positive surrounding. Children have the right to exercise their views and voice their opinions in each and every matter related to the classroom. Whether it is arranging the furniture or displaying concepts on the walls. Mostly progressive teachers, invite their students to participate in decision making debates.  A few sadly, like to complete their tasks quickly and therefore, keep the diversity of ideas, out of the picture. Every year, Grade 3 held the ‘Earth Day’ in the school hall. I, along with the other two teachers would begin with the plans two months in advance. When you want to involve your students in event planning, it is a safe time margin to work with. They decided on the stations to set up, materials to collect, games to play, dances to prepare and so on. And quite honestly, each year, they would face many hiccups in the running of the programme. The beauty of these problems was that, they gave birth to solutions. Decisions to replace paint brushes with simple finger painting due to miscalculation in number of children visiting the station, is one such example of a life skill achieved. Teachers who believed in perfection actually complained about children being disorganized but little did they understand, that the amount of learning that comes from making corrections, is beyond comparison. So, that’s another Barney secret for you.

Last but not the least, he loves to role-play. I have many memories attached to this teaching tool. Role play is an amazing platform for a teacher to discover hidden desires and potential in children. I was teaching my students ‘adjectives’ and the topic had some animal pictures in it. I asked the children to decide on which animal they wanted to depict and each one came up with either a kangaroo, deer, or monkey etc. Now there was a quiet little girl in my class. She hardly ever spoke and mostly tried to avoid any active participation. This time however, she couldn’t escape her turn as I had promised them house points for the best act. When she came on stage, I asked her, “So, which animal have you chosen sweety?” The children blurted out before she could answer, “She must be a Rabbit!”  Actually, it was the most appropriate description that went with her personality. She looked a little annoyed and said, “No! I don’t want to be a rabbit. I want to be a ‘lion!” She completely took us all by surprise. She jumped at the boys standing around her roaring like a lion. She actually attacked everyone in the class literally unleashing the animal that she desired to become. She was expressing the need to break free and remove the label of being a rabbit. She had the potential to rule like the ‘Lion’ and wanted people to give that thought some recognition. A simple role-play, ignited the fire in a child to prove her worth and changed the opinions of people around her, to be able to look beyond the very obvious.

Therefore people, Barney is a much better teacher! And the next time you watch him on television, try to adopt the magic of this imaginary friend.

The Relevance of Change....

It was almost unbelievable to see her leave the school premises after sixteen years of service. There was not a soul she had not reached out to or helped during her presence in school. Her philosophy was attached to every lesson plan and her vision was pasted on the eye-catching displays on the soft boards. She had decided to spend some time with her children and family, and the teachers bid her a reluctant good-bye.

Before she left, she promoted me from the grade co-ordinator post to the Curriculum Planner for KS1. She had recommended my name on the basis of my strength to interpret the objectives of the core subjects in the British National Curriculum well. She had faith in my ability to transfer these targets to a set of relatively new teachers. It was a year of many changes and therefore, it was but natural to feel a little alone.

It was announced that a gentleman from South-Africa would be taking charge as the Primary Head. I had no picture in my mind and awaited his entrance a little impatiently. My work had begun long before he arrived and I was searching for an honest opinion related to my contribution to the system.

I was reporting to the Senior supervisor in his absence and was placed in her office as well. The comfort of being in the company of a woman was an invisible factor that eventually lead to some unfair conclusions on my part.

He was a smiling gentleman. He dressed with all the formality of a Junior Head. He had an accent that a lot of teachers found hard to interpret. He spoke politely and was always carrying his blue book to make his observations. He was learning the ways of the school and often approached me on issues that required cultural sensitivity. He met parents everyday and when I saw him interact with them, I found him quite thorough with the investigation and immediate solutions.

He was a little disorganized and the Yearly Calendar was a challenge to manage for him. He was able to meet the short end goals but the broader picture was unseen to him. He was loaded with new tasks and grievous parents who were probably also not being able to handle the sudden departure of a trusted human.

At such a time, I too was cluttered with comparisons in my mind. “She never used to throw these last minute tasks on my face!”,  “He keeps on asking me to update him on the way the school elocution was planned!”,  “He is quite lazy about informing teachers to plan their activities in advance!”  “He was Head of a school once, he should be familiar with the system!”

I was a little irritated by his extra attention. He constantly spoke in my presence and I would always keep my eye on my work to let him know that I was busy. He greeted my sons with a smile and once he gifted my younger son a huge tennis ball which he had probably received as a complimentary gift on a tennis match. My son loved it!

Whenever I would encounter a difference of opinion, I would head to my comfort zone, and discuss it with the management I knew so well. And before I knew it, I became a reliable source to relate about his parent management skills, his organizational skills and his plans for the Junior Department. I was unhappy with his entire approach to education and he was a complete disappointment in my mind. An opinion was being created about him that I didn't anticipate due to my personal feedback. 

The winter break was nearing and he had plans to go home. By now, I was completely confused about my role in the school. I was suspended in the middle of the Junior and Senior school. As a counter action I was placed in his office to assist him well with the intention of meeting less mistakes. That’s when I learnt life’s greatest lesson.

He was over-joyed to be traveling to South-Africa. I sat at my table looking at some teacher plans. “You know Ms. Shama, I have bought a DVD player for my daughter. She is going to be so excited to see it!”  I smiled at him. “Yes, she will love it!” And then he would go in deep thought. For the first time, I felt a little sympathy for him. He was happy like a child. I had never asked him about his family and so I thought it was an appropriate time to inquire, “Mr. H, did you buy anything for your wife?” “No, she is not very happy with me. She did not want me to come to work here and I believe this was a good opportunity, so I’m here against her wishes really. She will come around slowly.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. It must be a tough decision for you. I guess with time things will work out.” He gave me an appreciative smile and said,  “thank you Ms. Shama”, “ I believe change does take a little bit of time to seep in.” He gave me a meaningful look. And on that note, we left for the winter break. 

When he came back, he was a different man. He was more hopeful, more enthusiastic and a little more confident. We greeted each other happily. He said he had a good time with his daughter who had just loved the presents he had carried for her.

The school was soon to encounter its Ministry inspection and the chaos had to be put to rest. That is when he came under a lot of scrutiny. He was struggling to pacify the management who was still unsure about his capabilities. There was a complete new set of teachers that needed to be trained in many areas. I found it very difficult to remain detached from the complete erosion of quality and sometimes jumped into situations without his invitation. I tried to be tactful in trying to resolve issues that I had witnessed my previous supervisor deal with effectively. This however caused a series of disagreements and one fine day, he openly asked me to stop interfering with his way of doing things. I distanced myself and left him on his own.  

Every day I saw him facing the questions left and right. He managed to overcome a few disruptions but mostly felt lost. And then one fine day, he just didn’t turn up. He sat in his apartment, drained with pain and loss. 

He came back after three days of absence, feeling sick and looking pale. I was engrossed in a file when he entered the office. There was an awkward silence as the news of his breaking marriage and possible end of contract at school had spread fast. I looked him in the eye and greeted him. He replied likewise. Then he walked towards my table and stood looking out the window. “They have asked me to leave Ms. Shama. I am going back to South-Africa. Yes, I don’t want to stay here anymore. I want to go back!” There was pain and intense loneliness. I kept on looking at him, but he did not want to look at me. And it struck me at that moment…

He had walked in a stranger, new to a country, new to the people and with hope to better his life. He had come in with no assumptions and an open mind to learn. But I had rejected the change without giving him a fair chance. I had comparisons that made it impossible for him to create a small space for himself. I could have been his right hand, but instead I chose to criticize his different manners. Had I accepted his authority, he could have exercised his beliefs with more confidence. So what, if he was a man? Instead of being professional, I had become personal? I was just the person to help him succeed in his endeavours. And I had failed miserably. It was not just his failure but the failure of an entire department.

He left quietly, feeling unachieved, but his relevance in my life stays strong. Today, I accept change with a simple antidote, “ let go and expect the best to come!”

I have learnt never to allow my emotions to get in the way to make reason. Change is inevitable. Welcome it with hope and embrace it with all honesty.

The four leaf clover

The four-leaf clover is an uncommon variation of the common, three-leaved clover. According to tradition, such leaves bring good luck to their finders, especially if found accidentally. According to legend, each leaf represents something: the first is for faith, the second is for hope, the third is for love, and the fourth is for luck.

In Primary grades, it is of utmost importance to identify student strengths and weaknesses and group them up accordingly. A lot of experimentation is required to fit in this jig-saw puzzle. However, sometimes, the not so perfect combination can also bring about amazing results. And that too accidentally.

The year had just begun and the children who had walked into my classroom were sitting in random groups. I had actually placed their name tags on each table and they placed themselves accordingly. My observation was a continuous process and here I hold distinct memory of a special group who came about accidentally.

None of the four group-mates was academically independent. They were average achievers and not very prominent in class. The first group activity that I gave to my class in the beginning of the First Term, was to learn about each other and create a group profile booklet. I introduced a few designs to them to choose from but gave them an open hand to decide on how they wanted to present or interpret their group.

Work began. I moved around quietly watching them all discussing how they wanted to do it. Some argued on ideas clashing and some sat quietly waiting to accept the final decision. I tried to keep my input as less as possible but intervened where I saw no progress. The perfectionists could not accept the abstract thoughts and the practical players found the idealists quite annoying. I learnt that these were young minds at work and their experiences were quite similar to what we as adults face working with each other everyday.

All these groups, had a lot of commotion. And then there was my special group, “Group A” where all four children had come to an agreement and were busy writing about themselves. I walked by their tables and stood for a while to see how they had managed to come about a decision.

Member A was writing… My name is “A”. I am from Sri-Lanka. My mum and dad work in an office. Everyday before we leave the house, we pray together. I know that if I will be good, others will be good to me. If I will help my group-mates, they will also help me out. If I will be in trouble, they can help me out. I will not do anything bad, because then nothing bad will happen to me.” ( Her writing reflected strong faith. She was a believer who was run by her conscience and knew how important it would be to be honest and induce positive energy in the group.)

Member B had this to say… My name is “B”. I am from the Philippines. I love my class very much and my teacher. My group-mates are all nice. We have to work together all year. I know that we will be a good team. My group-mates are like my family. We help each other and work together to make our group the best.” ( She was definitely a team player. She was an emotional factor who would bring warmth and sustenance to their group. )

Member C was deep in thought… My name is “C”. I am from the U.A.E. My father works in a company. I have a pretty mother. My sisters take care of my baby brother. I have a big Villa. All my family goes to the park every Friday. My new class is very big. It has nice boards. My friends in my group are very clever. They all like me. I am thankful to Allah for this class.” ( I smiled to myself. Here we had a lucky charm that saw everything as beautiful and counted his  blessings well. His appreciation of what his group would offer him through the coming year, would inspire them to move forward at all times. )

Member D had almost completed his comments… My name is “D”. I am from Pakistan. I am a very good boy. My class is good. I like my new friends. My father works in a bank. He says he works hard to make everyone happy. My house is in Karachi in Pakistan. I will become a policeman when I grow up. I will protect my country from bombs and have peace. Then we will be happy to go home to meet grandma.” ( It was delightful to see a dreamer in the group. He had an element of hope in his persona and would prove to be a strong anchor in difficult times. )

And so to me, this group was an amazing discovery of human strengths. A realization of many cultures coming together. Each one offering its own strong influences. There was faith, love, luck and hope all coming together as in a four leaf clover. I dared not change their group arrangement as I had been lucky to find such visionaries by accident.  

The Cookie Competition

This memory dates back to my initial years of teaching. I was quite young and was in-charge of the Grade 4 children. It was a small villa school in Dubai, but gave me all the space to experiment and learn as a teacher.

Iraq was at war with Iran and the Middle East had become home ground for the U.S Marines. UAE too became a common host to these young officers. Many such Marines became regular visitors at our school. At first I didn’t understand their agenda in the school, but often found them cleaning, scrubbing and helping out with the maintenance of the building. As per the Principal, the school had been adopted by them and so, two army officers painting the school wall became a usual sight.

It was in their presence that I was awakened to the complexes that some of the Asian communities have inherited and hold onto with such fiery grasp.

One morning, during the assembly, it was announced that a high ranking naval officer had readily invited all students from Grades 3, 4 and 5 to visit the U.S Ship that had anchored in Dubai. The purpose of this field trip was to high-light the life of a navy marine at sea and also marvel the complexity of the huge and sophisticated vessel itself.

Children clapped with excitement. I too was thrilled to be a part of this adventure. I had never been on a ship and the idea appeared quite romantic at that age.

The buzz on ‘visiting a war ship’ carried through the day. I asked my children to bring small note pads and pencils to jot down their observations. I also asked them to think of some relevant questions to ask and be prepared for a rocking ride.

While the buses got ready in the morning, we formed the lines, waiting impatiently to begin our journey. The children wanted to know if there would be ‘firing’ and ‘bombing’! I laughed at their innocent fears and constantly teased them about forgetting their helmets at home!

While we were entertaining each other, I could see MS. X, as I don’t want to name her, loading her lot of Grade 5’s with a list of instructions. Every child in that line was standing upright, no smiles, all business and looking at their profiles, you could have imagined, we were really going in for a battle!

I pity children who are handcuffed for a complete year with some dictator who basically produces photocopies of herself at the end of the year.

“You will address them as ‘Sir’. If they ask you a question, don’t stand like statues. Answer them and be polite. Show your manners. They will be looking at the way you talk and behave. I don’t want anyone talking out of place and being disrespectful. If you want to use the toilet, what will you say?” Nobody dared to answer. “You will say, Please Sir, Can I use the toilet?” And the detailed resolution was never ending.

On a field trip, discipline is managed more through actions then verbal orders. The reason is related to natural child behaviour. When children enter an exciting new place, their senses are filled up with their surroundings. It’s difficult to connect through words at such times but a sign language can do wonders. I had taught my children certain signals that indicated. “Be quiet now”, “move straight”, “raise your hand” and “line up”. When the noise level is high, they work well. And I didn’t want my children to be quiet and have nothing to say. I wanted them to have as many exclamation marks that day as they wished or desired.

This sad story continued through the bus journey and I was unfortunately teamed up with Ms. X on that trip. Just before we were to get off the bus, I stood up to face my children. I said, “Alright now, we are there. Will you remember to follow our sign language?” “Yes Ms.Shama”. “Good! Ask as many questions as you like and be careful not to touch or fiddle with any equipment without permission. All clear?” I purposely instructed them in an Admiral’s tone which made them laugh! They in return gave me a salute and shouted, “Yes Sir!”

We were received by the Captain. He smiled at us and welcomed us on board. “The pleasure is all ours Sir. We are honoured to be here. Aren’t we children?” Ms. X gave her introductory speech. By now, the word ‘sir’ had started to pick on me. I looked at his name tag and it read, Captain Charlie. “Hi! I’m Ms. Shama. How are you Charlie?” He got completely confused but offered a hand shake which was a cultural shock for Ms. X again. “I’m fine. Thank you. So, how do you want to go about this tour?” We thought it would be best to move in lines with teachers and helpers to monitor each end.

The tour began with the control room. Children strolled on the open decks and got to touch the anchors. They were amazed to witness so many bunk beds in a narrow space. The ship’s wheel was the real treat. Everyone got to hold it for a while. The boys couldn’t stop saying ‘cool!’ while the girls giggled at the funny faces the friendly crew made to make them feel more welcome.

“We have a special treat for the teachers and the children to offer in our on board cafeteria. Let me lead you to another interesting place on this ship. We prepare our own meals on the ship and to kill the hunger, prefer a lot of snacks. What our crew has baked for you today are yummy chocolate-chip cookies!”

“Yeahhh!” There was a loud cheer and we entered a small space with many square tables and chairs. Everybody sat down chirping happily. I sat with a group of teachers while the crew distributed two cookies per child. The children ate happily and were busy exchanging news on the ‘cool stuff’ that they had seen. Ms. X was on guard as usual and constantly kept wiping crumbs off the children’s faces.

“Alias” was a chubby little boy in my class. He was clumsy in his manners and often created a lot of laughter in class. His classmates loved him for his simple answers and funny expressions. He had thoroughly enjoyed the cookies and merrily walked up to the Captain and said, “Captain Charlie, I would like some more please.” And that was it! Ms. X approached Alias and pulled him back. “What’s wrong with you? Everybody got two cookies right? Sir was kind to treat you this way.” And what she murmured in her breath was heard by all. “Such greedy behaviour!”

The Captain was completely taken aback by the sudden intrusion. He spoke politely to Ms. X, “We do have a lot more to share…” but she did not let him complete his sentence. “Of course not! As it is you have been very kind to us. This boy is very ill-mannered!”

Poor Alias sat with his head down in shame. She was moving closer to him to further lecture him but little did she know, she had crossed the line with me. He was ‘my child’. And she had humiliated him in front of his friends and strangers.

A child’s dignity and self-esteem are key elements to his success or failure in life. Therefore, the blow that he had faced for a simple request had to be erased without losing any more time. “Captain Charlie!” I almost shouted in panic as I wanted every one’s attention. “You said you had a lot more cookies to share. How about a Cookie Competition?”

He looked a little puzzled but the applause from the children made him nod his head. I walked up to ‘Alias’ and sat opposite him. Children gathered round to witness what was going to happen. “I bet I can eat far more cookies in a set time than Alias here. In my house, I am the Cookie Monster!” The children laughed heartily. The boys who had felt the injustice of Ms. X towards Alias, sided with him encouraging him to win this contest. He was still unsure, when I held his hand like in an arm wrestling contest and instigated him to participate. Suddenly the atmosphere was that of a boxing ring. There were children calling out our names in a frenzy of excitement. The cookies were piled up in a dish in front of us. He looked into my eyes to see how serious I was about it. “Let’s see who the real Cookie Monster is!”

The whole event is very vivid in my memory. His enthusiasm had returned and we both set on eating as many cookies as possible. It didn’t matter how messy we got, or how dreadful we looked. We were enjoying the moment and as soon as he won the contest, he was picked up by a tall officer who carried him on his shoulders, declaring him the ‘Cookie Monster’!

I reported the incident to the Principal who spoke to Ms. X about her inappropriate handling of the child. What I wished in my heart was for someone to inform her that the ‘colonial era’ had long been deposited into museums and historical books. The inferiority complex that consumed her was her own figment of imagination. 


While most Western nationalities keep an open mind policy towards their eastern counterparts, the desire to please them and justify all our actions is but our own created demons. We strive to project perfection in their presence, we correct our manners for them and are even ready to sacrifice the simple joys of our children to run a fake programme. 


The cookie competition was an attempt to break free from following a rule book, to escape falling into the trap of racial discrimination, to move forward and embrace the spirit of being human and playing a fair game to build the trust.


There was a lot the children filled in their note pads that day, but the 'Cookie Competition' remained the high-light!

The Survival Kit

Hussain was like any other child in my class. Naughty, talkative and full of zooming energy. He enjoyed coming to school and being with his friends. He had a sweet innocent face which was partly covered by his black framed glasses.

His smile was infectious and so it was no surprise when I found him surrounded by all the children feeling a little down. “What’s the matter everyone?” I asked as I was worried to see the usually cheerful lot wearing such gloomy masks. “Hussain is leaving us. He is going to Canada with his family.” The girls being extremely emotional were all teary and had probably already started missing him. The boys sat quietly reflecting on the loss of a great ‘Tag’ player.

Hussain appeared a little confused with all the reactions. He was happy to set on this new adventure but the depression that filled the classroom probably made him realize that ‘good bye’ was not going to be easy.

Quite honestly, the news was quite sudden and in the middle of the final term. I checked with the front office and they confirmed that his father had requested for a transfer certificate. I called up the father who informed me that they had applied for immigration a while back and it was finally time to move. He requested me to handover all of Hussain’s books by the end of the week, as he would not be attending school after that.

Another day went by and the classroom was still quiet. Suddenly it struck me that this was a good opportunity to teach them about “Happy Good-Byes”. I came home that day and went out to buy a few gifts. I bought a sketch book and some markers, a reading book, a tour guide book on Canada, a Contact book, a chart paper and a little bag pack. I also purchased a few delicious chocolates and sweets.

I loaded my car with an empty small water carton, some coloured paper and glue. My plan was working well. I just hoped the outcome would be as I had perceived it in my mind.

I reached school and carried everything to my Year 3. The children looked at the shopping bags wondering what was in them. The carton was another tool of suspense. “Good Morning children”, I greeted them with a smile. “Today, we are going to have a special Literacy Hour. In this class, we are going to use all our language skills to bid farewell in the nicest, warmest and happiest possible manner to Hussain!” The cheer was louder than I expected. “How are we going to do that teacher?” The tsunami of questions fell on me. “ok, to start with I am going to ask all of you to come together on the circle-time mat.” The level of excitement was high and Hussain was on another level altogether!

I sat with them placing next to me, the exciting mysteries in bags that would unravel one by one. I first unwrapped the chart paper and with a marker drew the outline of a little boy to cover the chart. I labelled him 'Hussain'. The eyes were glued and the buzzing appreciation was audible. I took out some more coloured pens and handed them to children in groups. “Alright, now one by one, we are going to fill up Hussain with all our feelings and thoughts about him. Messages from the heart. You can also describe him as a friend and classmate. Just pour your heart out and do remember to write your names as he will pin up this poster in his room in Canada!” The plan seemed to be working as there was so much laughter and busy hands. Hussain sat with me as we reviewed some of the printed messages that described him as friendly, cute, helpful and happy. There were hands being raised to ask spellings and some artistic ones customized their space well.

After we completed the poster, I pulled out the Contacts book. “Now, this is for you Hussain. Write your name on it and carry it to all your friends to fill in whatever contact they are comfortable to share with you. If anyone needs to take permission from their parents, then this information can be filled tomorrow as well.” The book was carried around and few contacts were shared while some children deferred it to the next day.

“Look there is more!” a girl shouted as she saw me open up Canada’s map. “Come on everyone, let’s see where our friend is going?” The quest on the map began. “There it is! Teacher, it’s in North America! Oh! It is huge!” “Look Hussain, there are so many states!” Hussain was fascinated by the magical revelations. “Alright children, now I’m going to hand you a long narrow strip of paper and I would like you to find some popular tourist attractions in this book and write them on this paper. Pass on the paper for everyone to enter some information on Canada. There are fun facts and many thrilling discoveries about each state.”

I took a break while they all worked in a synchronized manner completely respecting the permission to a fun hour. All through this process, there was a strong bond and each one was in the positive mode to appreciate each other’s  talents and creativity. They were happy and enjoying the moment with their friend who was to leave them in a day.

I handed the carton to an enthusiastic lot and asked them to cover it with coloured paper. They did a fine job and the information on the long strip of paper that had been filled in was cut into pieces and pasted onto the carton. I presented the bag pack to Hussain and he was over joyed to find inside it, a reading book, sketch book with colours and lots of snacks to enjoy on the flight. He quickly placed his contact book and Tour guide inside and the infectious smile appeared once again.

His chart paper was placed in the little carton along with his bag pack. We labelled it as “Hussain’s Survival Kit”. I had everyone share their final words on the activities of the day. And then, paid a special tribute to this lovable boy with sparkling eyes in the form of a poem. I had printed and laminated the poem, hoping it would embrace the moments we had shared in a short time together. This is what it said...

“Its not Good-Bye”

By Ms. Shama

Hussain, you’re leaving us,                         

And there’s so much to say,

But one thing’s for sure,                            

Our paths will meet one day!

You’ve been with me a while,

And every day was rushed,

We had to read and write,

And grow in all that buzz!

I tried to make a change,

In all the ways I could,

You helped me all along,

As a caring student would!

And when you go away,

And start a brand new life,

Think what you have learnt,

And keep your fears aside!

Math or History or Science,

They’re quite important we know,

But when you’re off to foreign land,

The true Hussain should show!

The bond a teacher makes with each,

Is nurtured every day,

You may not sense my hopes for you,

They’ll meet you on your way!

I pray to god, I reached to you,

In all your times of need,

And want to tell you dear Hussain,

Our paths will always meet!

(I pray to Allah that my teachings stay with you and help you make wise and truthful decisions! Amin)

 29th March 2007