Samata Marne on Edooism THE DREAM SCHOOL
It was a cloudy night with lightening. though clouds & rain in the month of November was something weird …… And something more weird was about happen ! The lightening got brighter and brighter & suddenly it struck a structure…… The structure started fading it was not broken but was vanishing!! Inside that structure were few people, they were teachers, administrative staff and others…. They were working late night for some event coming up tomorrow….. All they could feel that they all were very lighter. After sometime they felt a jerk and the school structure was landed ….. They peeped from the window…. It was a very different place. All of them got down…. there was a nice paved road bordered with beautiful flowers…. As they moved ahead they even noticed the pebbles on their way were colourful & sparkling , there they saw a boy who was lying down & watching those pebbles… moving his legs up & down like a butterfly! They all went ahead … A very soft speaking person greeted them and welcomed them.
Children were doing different things… Some were watering pots of blooming flowers. Some were brushing the pet animals Some were picking up the fruits from the trees & bushes, some were near the vegetables Little bigger kids were helping the smaller ones if needed. The people from Earth by now hv realised that they are in some other world! It seemed like a school but a very different school … Now they all wear in Dome Theater that soft spoken person introduced himself, he said he is Mr. Wisdom. I welcome you all in our world, then something appeared on the screen Children were coming to school but without any backpacks …. And they were entering jumping , giggling & talking loudly … They even noticed that their uniform was very different no ties, no belts simple track pant and t shirt. As soon as the children enter the school they rushed towards different activities. There were many big trees and two of them were used as their library, like a tree house. Some were going by the steps , some were taking the hanging ladder. There was a rope bridge joining another tree in fact the Reading sections & Sitting sections were divided by it. ” what if somebody falls down and get hurt?” One voice from Earth people. Mr. Wisdom, smiled & went ahead Falling and getting up is part of learning! U pointed the danger but did you notice that trees are not too tall? And we have spread a thick layer of very soft sand around the area specially below the trees! we equally are concerned about the safety but can not be over protective and put the kids in the bubble! The persons from Earth then looked at the sand! Now there was something more to surprise them as they noticed a group of few kids was with their teacher and with a twig they were writing the letters in the sand! Solving maths equations. While they were moving ahead they saw another group going towards plantation area, this plantation area wasn’t very big but a small rectangle piece of 10×20 sq ft. Kids were carrying some seeds with them, there were small pots used out of cane childern put the layers soil and planted those seeds , watered it with required amount of water. And then put their name flags on it. Mr. Wisdom told that kids collect the seeds of whichever fruit they eat and at home, after 2/3 days when they are dried they bring it to the school where we plant them. After plants are ready we plant them on a hillock, or nearby fields. When some trees grow very nicely some don’t then we give them assignment to find out the reasons behind it. We are always there to guide them but their research sometimes teach us new things. We even have a small patch where w grow vegetables & use it in snacks we provide for them. They are involved in the process and that’s why understand the value of that snack. Suppose we are giving them sandwiches with tomato & zucchini or cucumber grown by them they don’t waste a single bite. While in the farm they observe worms, ladybugs, butterflies. When do they study?? If all the time they are outside the classroom how do you cope up with the syllabus???
Mr Wisdom took a deep breathe …. When they are done with the exploration with many things… They come to their classroom for 1-2 hrs. Where they are given time to express what they feel they learnt today. Some of them prefer to draw Some of them prefer to write Some of them prefer to put it in a form of poem. Some of them try to say it in a new tune of music Some of them like to speak about it. We have groups of mixed interests. ” yes, we can see that but what about Curriculum & discipline??or your teachers don’t have to worry about it? And your school seems to have very less students and that’s why you are able to manage it. A sarcastic voice came. Nothing like that, we do face challenges, we do have to admit that human behaviours are never predictable. And today is in fact a holiday but some students like to come here even on holidays. We have 1000 students…….&….500 students who visit the school on few occasions but are very much part of our school. We have a group of emerging Teachers! Means kids who are little older and are interested in teaching we assign them few students they go to their homes and teach them, help them to complete worksheets, play with them. And believe me this works very nicely. The elder kids get the satisfaction which they may not even get after passing the exam. In fact it’s a learning process for them also. He paused for a moment. I would like to ask you a question what do you mean by “discipline”? It means , ummm means proper ways of behaving in public! somebody answered. So do u think those who, behave properly in public are all disciplined? Discipline has to emerge from inside. Discipline is the sense of doing or not doing a particular thing even if you are alone. Discipline is being honest with yourself. If a child is upset, for whatever reason it may be , you have to accept that he/ she is upset. Because at that time it’s the honest person. Whether child has a valid ground or no is a latter part. If you try to tell the child it doesn’t have right to get upset and if you call it a discipline then I am sorry I do not agree with that. Giving children the freedom of thoughts does not mean pampering.
All is fine sir but what about the fact that on earth we don’t have bigger & open places like you have. We have to have design a pattern of study which is suitable for classroom teaching. Mr Wisdom was about to say ….. But a voice intervened this was the only person who was watching everything quietly so far. He said Mr Wisdom thank you very much for bringing us here! Education or learning is a life long process which can not and should not be confined to four walls of classroom but unfortunately very few people understand it. Yes we don’t have big places, but we can think of bringing change in whatever resources we have. We may not have big open ground but we have students with big open minds and we can plant the best ideas. A child who is more interested in outdoor activities can be part of administration and why not with in the school if we give them a task it will be less stressful for teachers. And when these kids are back their brain is fresh so they can do their rigid work in comparatively productive manner. Then another group which has already done that may go for some other activity. That Class Teachers will face less pressure. And we should not put rigid deadlines for completion of portion. We can do many things if we wish to. Where is a will there is a way! – SAMATA MARNE
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