Tag / reviving schools

by Second Iris

School and Me

School – How it shaped me?

Having gone to a traditional school, that insisted on exams being key and that science was the only stream of market worth, one of its major influence on me as a learner has been the discipline of learning. There was homework everyday, handwriting was crucial, monthly tests added to your term-end scores and ranks at the end of the year decided your learning. So, there was an inbuilt rigor to learn and stay ahead, to catch up with the masses. This is something that has definitely that I see now as an adult learner as well, where any learning comes with a sense of disciplined rigor.

While this next influence is not necessarily true to my K-12 schooling years, days in under-graduate and graduate courses have definitely made me an independent learner, one who is able to drive one’s own learning. I believe that we learn the best from bad teachers and, sad enough for me, both the Bachelor’s and the Master’s programs had a decent number of these. That resulted in me taking more control of my learning, using varied resources and learning means to educate myself, not depending on the set curriculum and prescribed teaching.

School would have been better if…

  • it didn’t brand students as academic or sports-inclined early on. I definitely feel like a lot of non-curricular activities were kept from me because I fell into the ‘academic’ lot. I was subtly handed fliers to the next olympiad or Science exhibition, while the trials for volleyball team were scheduled and didn’t even reach my ears.
  • it had more career-focused counselling. During my schooling, your career choices were driven by the elders in the family, whose choices were driven by their societal group. I wasn’t even presented choices of a career outside of engineering or medicine, in that specific order. What if I would have made a good lawyer? How does one become an environmental activist? What did one need to study to become a firefighter? Schools should have been the place to find these answers. Schools should have presented all available career choices, pros and cons, and the academic needs of these, instead of herding us into very canned career options. Audiologist, my swimming instructor was an audiologist!
  • it addressed the social and mental needs of children. I do not remember ever seeing a counselor in school, no one that was your point if you were feeling lonely or had trouble at home worrying you. The schools definitely treated us as placid resources, with no internal whims, fancies and conflicts. The mental, emotional and the social aspects of growing up were never addressed.

Schools of today

My top priority for the schools of today is to help children find their true calling, again and again. Schools should provide sufficient resources and support for children to explore as many avenues as possible, and to go become the best audiologist that is out there.

Schools should be safe spaces where children’s confusions about the world, family, relationships, sexuality, politics, finance, and everything under the sun are discussed. It should be a haven that doesn’t necessarily have all the answers but definitely acts as a forum for children to voice their questions and benefit from the communal know-how.

The third important priority that I would place on schools of today is to help children become earth-conscious global citizens. In a capitalistic, selfish and profits-driven world, children need to bring back the humane, collaborative and earth-friendly side of man. Schools should challenge children to find solutions to the growing impact of humankind on the planet. Schools should encourage children to look beyond borders of country, race, language or religion for the greater good of our planet as a whole.

by Second Iris

Day 116: Let’s take it slow and you tell us what you want

One more exam to go and I took the day off to visit Valley school right after breakfast. The drive over was interesting, a comfortable NICE road, SilverGhoster to keep company over the phone, and a beautiful weather. I had lunch with Shankar aunty and helped Sandhya aunty struggle with their failing electricity to grind some dosa dough and realized the simple life that they’ve chosen to live. They battle with the infusion of modern wants and needs every day, but have, as an institution, taken a conscious decision to live simplistic. And I’m told that’s their strategy in reaching kids as well.

I met with Ms. Elsie, who will be my sounding board every evening after the observations. I also met Ms. Suneeta, coordinator for the junior school, and Ms. Indira, coordinator for the middle school. I’ll be working with these two ladies starting 23rd and I was stunned by their openness in sharing about their respective jobs. As we sipped hot tea and ate freshly fried bajjis, they quizzed me on my interest for the school and my plan for the upcoming weeks, months and years.

What caught me off guard, and warmed me the most, is the practicality of their approach to my research. They did not want me to come with a predefined questionnaire, structured interview questions, or a project plan for the week I’d spend with them. They wanted me to walk in with an open mind, and a willingness to question and understand. Everybody I met was willing to share, warm in their welcome as they opened their doors for me. I do not yet know if it’s the philosophy of J Krishnamurthy or their individual ideologies, but I sensed a comfort in their interactions that I have sensed in few other schools.

“I hear they have leopards and monkeys at the Valley School. Thank you very much, but I’ll stay out of that campus.” Scotch

by Second Iris

Day 94: Don’t underestimate the power of a blind man

Back to Bethany

I did a solo trip back to Bethany Special School to collect completion certificates from the school. I also managed to pick up one of the carpets made by the students from amma’s sarees. It is always a pleasure being back. All the teachers welcomed me back warmly, enquired about the other two, and invited me to say hello to the students. I met Tarun, and our usual sweethearts, Jeslyn and Stuti, and they remembered. Stuti did a full bow and told me that she saw us during her dance for the Prize Day. Even Tarun recognized us during the Vote of thanks apparently. Beautiful souls.

I spent about two hours substituting for Ms Deepa since her mother was in the hospital. Got their computer running, then typed up a few mails and printed out letters for the Principal. It somehow justified the purpose that I was there for, as if the 20 odd hours we spent there didn’t. Maybe it’s me and my idea of not taking back anything but learning from such an institution.

Visually Impaired

The final Teaching practicum for the semester was at a an institution for the visually impaired, called Mitra Jyothi. It is support and resource center for the blind, and the founder is a visually impaired lady herself. So, I was in awe from get-go. We saw the Braille printers and slates, and a number of books published by the institute. It was an impressive establishment for sure. I even saw a blind student type up a super complicated formula in Excel as a part of the computer training, using the screen reader.

I learnt of volunteering opportunities to read books and convert them into talking libraries, and to edit recorded audio to make them blind-compatible. After the recent learning from Radio Namaste, this might be a great place for me to work with them over the weekends.

What affected me the most from the trip was something that the coordinator said. She spoke about the self-respect of the visually impaired and how not every blind man with a stick by the road wants your help to cross it. Most of them have been trained to take care of such basic tasks on their own, and unless they ask for help, you should stay away. A bold and yet powerful observation.

It got me thinking about how in our life’s aim to collect brownie points for the next, we offer help and assistance when we find fit. But what if the person at the other end doesn’t want your help? Are you smart enough to know where to back off?

Silver Ghoster

I’ve had a few decent conversations with SilverGhoster, and it has been refreshing to talk to someone of the newer generation that remembers their Shakespeare. Reddy child, doing his MBA to take over his mother’s school, and we talked about how Christ School is a major threat for their much smaller institution in the area. It talks immensely of brands and how the little mom-pop shop is invariably squashed.

That doesn’t counter the fact that they themselves suffer at the hands of poor teaching methods and teachers. Since it’s run by someone with minimal to no education backing, they still profess rote methods to innovative techniques. I was excited when he told me that most classes have about 25 to 30 students only. We spoke about how powerful that really is and the potential it has to bring real changes in the lives of the students. He had a valid point about the quality of teachers and their willingness to stay in a competitive market. We briefly spoke about recruiting at Christ and so.

Overall, seems like a sensible chappie.

Awkward Dreams

Woke up from a dream where I was being chased by a buffalo. Think the while scene was in a multi-story building, maybe even an infinity pool somewhere. At one point, I am standing in a crisp white room, possibly hiding from the buffalo it walks in, looks directly at me and doesn’t recognize/spot me. Then it takes a little Sniff, and charges directly at me.

And that’s how I was woken up by a blind buffalo chasing me through a fancy resort.

“Don’t underestimate the power of a blind man? Is that what the visually challenged computer teacher said? Noo! I’m sure you made that up. Wait! He really said that??

Funny guy!

But it’s scary that they’re in the dark all their lives, no? ” Scotch