Back to Children Stories

After spending 2 hours in 1^st class, I wished that before I read anything about education, I need to recall all the classic children stories. And also need to improve my drawing skills.

Given a role to teach upper primary classes, I rarely get a chance to teach or spend good time with primary kids.

Thanks to the School Committee Network meeting, I had to fill in for the 1^st class teacher for 2 hours.

I’m no stranger to 1^st class kids but, I hardly spend time with them during their learning. Children were excited to share everything that they were learning with me.

Spent the first half an hour listening to everyone’s stories. “Ek Jungle Tha, Ek bandar Tha……...” and all the stories went only through the jungle.  All the charts, pictures in the class were shown and explained to me.

Distracted were the kids through jungle stories shared by their friends, everyone dispersed and went haywire enjoying in their own way. 14+ kids decided to go on their way and I had a hard time to gather them and make them listen to me.

“Chidiya Udd” was the game I learnt from a 2^nd class kid. We played that game for a while.

 Time was still a teacher to me letting me stay there, to learn patience by putting up with kids for long time.

I tried my storytelling skills with the kids and involved them in storytelling. Everyone shared about their last night dream. “Mera Sapna mein (1^st Class teacher) Hitesh Bhaiyya aaya tha”

Patiently listening to them, I shared a couple of stories I weaved at the drop of a hat.  During the process, I realized I couldn’t recollect any children stories to share with little kids. Animals fables, classic rabbit & tortoise story, funny jokes, riddles. I couldn’t recollect any of these.

At last, icing on the cake, I got to search colloquial Hindi terms for all the things I wanted to share with them.

While I’m currently reading, “Storytelling: What is the use” from Krishna Kumar’s “What’s is worth teaching? I wish to read Panchatantra, Akbar & Birbal and all children literature to interact with the kids in a better way.

As kids weren’t interested in my anecdotes, they took out their slate and started drawing. “Bhaiyya Ghar Banado. Bhaiyya phool banado,” were usual requests.

Hail my 4 years of my mechanical engineering course, I could draw buildings, cars but not cats, dogs, and animals. The kid wanted me to draw a lion. And Lion I drew but it became a creature but not anything near to the lion.

After a banter of 2 hours, a kid walked up and asked me to draw something. Seeing her slate, I was sure I couldn’t do better job than her. Her drawing was quite creative and good.

Great lesson learnt. Time to take up few story books and drawing books.