Discipline Run By Empathy

Settling back in our class routines, after the break is always a challenge. Children return a little more determined to linger and stall their holiday spirit. For teachers, it seems quite the opposite. They are often anxious and ready with plans and set targets to get the term rolling.

As the winter break ended, I too returned to my Grade 6 classroom. For a while, the excitement of the reunion took precedence and I happily went along with their humor and spirit to exchange the mutual love. But soon enough, the necessity to implement the plans enveloped my senses and I began the lessons. Their eyes seemed afar, and their energies appeared detached from the core. The understanding and trust we shared seemed sketchy. There were arguments on assignments, allocation of group mates and simply following expectations. This disconnect, dampened my confidence as a teacher and the circle of trust that we had worked so hard to create, ostensibly was in danger of dissolution. More so, my daily ninety-minute lesson planning was going to waste and every day, we left the lesson unachieved. Two days of panic was enough. I decided to nip it in the bud.

Day 2 lesson ended in chaos and as it was the last period, I accompanied them in a line to the dispersal area. No greetings were shared and they too, somehow conscious of their disruptive attitudes, left without a word.

On the morning of Day 3, I entered the class silently. I had made my decision. The solution to the problem had to come from them. The order, organization, time management, and enthusiasm was a challenge they would have to create for themselves. I was done with my ramrodding and exhausting dialogue.

In an instant, they read my face. The deadlock expression was quite evident. The silence from their side, set the stage for action.

“I’m sorry, but I refuse to teach you today or any other day.” The opening statement won me their complete attention. “The chaos that you have been creating in class for the past two days, has just destroyed my passion to enter the class. Every single day, I leave the classroom wondering why I even bothered to sit at my desk for two hours creating activities and making plans for you. You tell me, did we achieve any work in the past two days?” They didn’t blink. “You made me feel like a stranger in my own classroom. I was looking for your support every minute, but no one cared. Not one of you bothered to hear me out.” A few eyes welled up. And then ‘A’ said, “I understand what you must be going through cause yesterday when my mom asked me what I did in class, I couldn’t remember anything. It was like I didn’t do anything.”

“And it’s all my fault,” I build on to his report. “I failed as a teacher. I thought I was so well-planned, so organized, so hopeful of what we were going to achieve, but l guess I was just fooling myself.” By now the class was sure that a sacred chord had been trampled upon and some fixing was needed.

I looked “O” in the eyes. “Every day, at home time, I bid you farewell. I wish you a good day. I smile at you and remind you of important events, so you wouldn’t forget or suffer. And what did you all do yesterday? Because I didn’t say ‘bye’, no body wished me? No one cared to smile at me or apologize. I wondered all day to myself, ‘if I’m not there, would they even notice my absence?’” There was a sense of genuine regret.

To embed the core value of empathy, I simply ended up saying, “I don’t know what you think of me as a teacher, but one thing I know for sure is that, this is my only hope to earn my Jannah (Paradise). What I give every day, is from the heart. And I understand, that we all have our own dreams and aspirations, but would it hurt too much to pave the way for someone who cares? Is it too much to take some time out to think about others?” They had a lot to say, but I wanted them to experience the strong presence of a compassionate and empathetic heart within. Therefore, I handed them some A3 sheets.

“I want you all to work in your groups and plan a ninety-minute lesson for English tomorrow. And don’t forget to add to it your moods, attitudes, forgetfulness, carelessness, mixed abilities, diverse energies, pacing of work, your relationships… and so on. You have forty minutes.”

They attacked their work with a renewed energy. There was cooperation through defined roles, discussion and collective will to organize a well-planned lesson, sharing of ideas and polite exchange of resources. In forty minutes, they completed 5 lesson plans, all unique and reflective of a structured, independent learning space.

After they shared their plans with the class, I thanked them for their efforts. “You all have created such wonderful lesson plans. But more than that, I was so pleased to see you all work together like a team. If I pick up one of these plans and want to implement it in class tomorrow, do you think it will work?”

They were happy to have pleased me. “Yes Ms. Shama. It was difficult to put everything in, but we are sure we did our best. All these plans are workable,” they declared excitedly. I picked one and placed it against mine. “Look, I too made a lesson plan. In fact, I make one every day. Putting a plan on paper, is preparation. But does that promise success?”

They raised their hands enthusiastically. “No, until we follow it, it won’t work.”

“You are so right. I, as a teacher alone, can do nothing with my plan. The success of my lesson plan lies with you. The 27 of you. It’s you, who make it work. The right moods, the right attitudes, being focused, accommodating all needs, being careful, tuning in our energies, managing our time, respecting every voice and having a collective goal is what makes a plan successful. Achieving a ninety- minute plan daily, is quite a challenge. But with a little mindfulness, we can help each other achieve all our targets.

In all my years of teaching, I have always managed my discipline through empathy. In a class of 25+ students, the teacher alone cannot direct the expectations. Without a sense of togetherness and common objectives, it is impossible to maintain the circle of trust. I am happy to report that before I enter the class these days, the stations are well-organized and each day, we accomplish all our tasks successfully. My paradise is finally out of danger!