Making Exceptions...

The science project was on ‘rocks’ and the due date was given. I was expecting all submissions on time. The models started to make their grand entrances a few days in advance. Some made from clay, some with foam and others using chart papers. All the while, children would gasp and clap for creative and enterprising ideas. One splendour followed by another.


Most of the models and art & craft appeared to have an adult’s hand in it. I appreciated that because it was an opportunity for parents to spend some quality time creating something with their children. It was a time to bond and share experiences. A chance to learn lasting lessons.


I would usually mark them for creativity and the ability to talk about the project with knowledge. One by one they would stand in-front of the class and speak for about three to five minutes describing the structure.


Some would fare very well for their information on materials used, on clarity of concept and good presentation skills. And then there were always those who had slept through the creative process. The entire project would be alien to them. They would only get a mark for submitting the project and no more than that.


The last girl waiting in line, was completely anxious. Academically she was an average intellect child, but very persistent and regular in work. I noticed her because she had not yet submitted her project and even now stood with her arms folded. I went through all presentations amazed by the variety of ideas parents and children had used to design their projects.


And so finally, the little girl came face to face with the class. It was absolutely quiet. She placed her hand inside the jacket pocket and pulled out three to four papers that had been torn carelessly from the notebook, taped together and scribbled on. The language had grammatical errors and the pictures of rocks had been drawn free hand. She felt a little awkward as her classmates exclaimed, “that’s it!” She kept on turning the sheets up and down to hide her embarrassment and spoke about the project in broken lines. She had good verbal skills but the comparison of her four torn page project to the grandeur of structures around her had taken away her confidence.


I felt her little feet going cold and got up to stand with her to look at the project a little more closely. It was done by her for sure. The handwriting was messy but the information was appropriate. The pictures were relevant and it was clear that she wasn’t a talented artist. I asked her, “Sweety, did anyone help you with your project?” She looked down shaking her head in a negative response. “So, can you tell me, how did you do your project?” I asked her so she would know I had accepted it as a project. She looked up and her innocent eyes melted my heart completely. She spoke with a little more confidence, still not looking at the papers, “I had planned to do my project with brown clay because my mum said she would buy it for me. She was busy and my dad also had work so I couldn’t do it like that. When I got home yesterday, my parents were not at home. My maid said she did not know how to do it, so I tore these papers from an old note book teacher. I collected the information from the science book and wrote on the papers. I found scotch tape and stuck them all together.”


When a child speaks the truth, you can sense it from the glimmer of tears in the eyes. I pulled her closer to myself and gave her a tight hug. “For your motivation, self- confidence and effort, I am going to give you ‘full marks’ my dear!”


A huge protest came from the students who had relatively good projects but had been unable to speak about them due to the sleep mode that they had encountered. I had cut their marks and their objection now was that her project did not look beautiful at all and anybody could tear papers and stick them together.


The children rightfully needed an explanation and so, I said, “The reason why I’ve given her full marks is not because her project looks pretty or ugly, not even because the information she has shared is limited or beyond the text book. I’ve awarded her these marks for the worry that drove her to create something instead of nothing. They are for her maturity of mind that did not accept the excuse of her parents being unavailable. Today I am applauding her conscience which did not lead her to sit and watch T.V instead. It is to salute her well sought out priorities at such a tender age. They are to encourage her to always rely on her own abilities to cope with work. And sure, she could have presented the same project with better handwriting, coloured the bare pictures and cut the edges of the paper smartly, but all that is learnt with practice. I’m sure she’ll get comfortable with all that in time.”


She was an emotional child and held onto me as a mother figure happy to be a part of my life. She was an ‘exceptional child’ and therefore it was inevitable, I would make that exception.