The Butterfly Fish...

Dubai Schools have now got to go through the horror of the KHDA (Knowledge and Human Development Authority) inspections. The purpose of these inspections is to observe the quality of education and create a report on the various school departments and their effectiveness. At the end of each inspection, the schools are given a rating. These inspectors spend about 3 to 4 days in the school campus, visiting running classrooms and meeting with the staff and students.

In the beginning, the hype of these 3 days was immense. As a teacher, I remember the stress that came with the inspectors walking in your classroom and observing your lesson in action. The formalities had to be met with efficiency. A table was set at the back of the classroom with two chairs. The lesson plans were photocopied and placed neatly on the table in a file. They could come in any time and we had to be prepared.

Every teacher had her own nightmare. Some were less organized and struggled to get their folders updated. Some were worried about the class discipline while others got hassled with a third presence in the class. For me, there was always anxiousness to complete the lesson in time, as planned and meeting with all its objectives with accuracy.

Lesson planning was my forte. I enjoyed it thoroughly. While it was a horror for many, it was the best part of the deal for me. I always designed a new idea and exercised my creativity to the fullest, only to help my students benefit from the experience.

And so, when it came to the inspection, I paid extra attention to my lessons. Here lies a beautiful memory of how my Year 3’s helped me sail through a Literacy Class Observation.

Normally, I never worried about the class discipline. My students were my pals, and that meant a lot both ways. They knew instinctively that the lady in the room was there to watch me and so, everybody followed the code of conduct to the very core of it. I was also a disciplined teacher, so my children were quite well trained in class routines and rituals. I did not have to pretend or prepare them for some emergency drill. There was trust and loyalty.

I was informed in the morning that the lady inspector would be coming in my classroom to observe my English class. I was thrilled. I had planned a brilliant ‘Remedial Exercise’ to help my students come up with conclusions on common mistakes they make while writing a composition. I was sure, she would like it as I had incorporated all the Literacy skills to cover those forty minutes.

She was waiting outside the classroom and we greeted each other with a smile. As we entered, the students stood in courtesy and greeted us both. Suddenly, the little lady in my students walked up to the inspector and motioned her to take her seat. I’m sure she must have taken the gesture as pre-planned. But reality was that the children were every bit prepared to take her down! I smiled at my darling angel and she almost winked.

My children were seated in groups of four. All my activities had been planned likewise. The first activity was to determine the ‘setting’ in a story and its relevance in a composition. I wanted them to understand that the setting actually defined their choice of vocabulary and the words that they used had to be related. And so, to help them come to that conclusion, I drew an ocean setting on the board. They were quick to identify that. Then I drew various fishes and sea plants. They watched carefully. In between, I drew a butterfly and expected them to shout and protest about its improper habitat. Instead the class remained quiet. It was an awkward moment for me.

I initiated the discussion. “What do you see in the ocean here?” They all chanted the names of the fishes, completely ignoring the butterfly! The lady instructor had started to enjoy the lesson now! I smiled at her. I asked the students again, “Look at the picture carefully. What else do you see?” I could make out that they were keeping the silence on purpose! I got a little desperate and pointed at the butterfly. “Now, what is this?” The answer was instant and unanimous, “Butterfly-Fish!”

I saw the inspector break into peals of laughter while I stood there absolutely awestruck by their love. They thought that I had made a huge error by placing a butterfly in the ocean and had been trying their level best to ignore its presence! They did not want me to look bad or be complained about and so had decided to label it as a fish!

I had to rub it and draw a chair instead, much to their horror. “Ok, will one of you come to the board and circle the picture that DOES NOT belong in the ocean?” Finally, the message went across and the lesson continued. There were about six activities which went quite smoothly with a 100% participation from all the children. They extracted and framed the targeted conclusions which covered all important aspects of composition writing. Students worked in groups, helping each other to create a plot, characters and discussing emotions. Each group stood up to read their creative story. The class ended successfully by a role play based on the best loved story created in the class, enacted by student volunteers. They dragged me into the story as a character as well and made most decisions related to the theatrical presentation.

The lady stood up and thanked everyone. She left the class and I met her later for a feed-back. This is what she said, “An environment of learning is defined as one which resonates safety, security, freedom of expression, inquiry, positive interaction and individual growth. Often we believe that these factors are transferred from the teacher to the students. But I was amazed today to witness just the opposite. Your students were looking out for your safety, gave you all the space and opportunities to correct what they believed you had done wrong. They were worried about you and were probably reciprocating the efforts that you put in for them and their betterment. They will prove to be the most vital element in your growth as a teacher Ms. Shama. Congratulations on achieving that kind of love and trust. It was a memorable lesson.”

My students had made me proud. They had glorified my presence in their lives as a mother, friend and companion. They had taken care of me from the beginning till the end. 

Surely the KHDA directs our focus as teachers, on the quality of our lesson plans. We plan with accuracy, time our sections, prepare our materials, but in reality, a butterfly remains a butter-fly till you create the magical possibility of turning its wings to fins!