SIX MONTHS @TFI Fellowship
I have a reasonably sized class, One most important fact which has emerged in past six months of teaching is that the kids have started understanding the concepts of
i) ” Having a goal “ .
ii) Techniques of Malleable intelligence,
iii) Identifying relation of " putting in hard & smart work to “achievement “
The magnanimity of small bits of “ THE CHANGE “ is quiet satisfying .
I guess it is a fair bit of success, to be celebrated
I guess it is a fair bit of success, to be celebrated
The Challenges
Some of the students have been really challenging. I would like to write about two examples from opposite ends of the "skill spectrum "
My class is having students from Extremely Slow learner to Super duper intelligent brats !;)
Group 4 : Typically these students would be Slow learners, shortest attention span, issues at home , constant attention seekers . It was a real challenge to get across them!! More than their learning ability it was constant need of paying individual attention which was the biggest problem .
>> It is almost very surprising that one of the kids was almost at pre k level .
>>one kid has a single parent and he is a single child , it was uniquely unfair to have high expectations from him given the fact that he spent six hours(after school ) at home all by himself all alone .
>> Another kid , who seemed quiet interested in class , showed almost no improvement in academics or behavior ,I was to find out later that “lot of joint family fights” was affecting a great deal .
Group 1 : Typically they were kids who were smart , result oriented , but the matter of concern with them was they would “refuse “ to adapt to the different approach to learn .
Learning without understanding, Memorizing facts , Parroting them , practicing by repeated writing would leave you puzzled .
Learning without understanding, Memorizing facts , Parroting them , practicing by repeated writing would leave you puzzled .
>> One kid actually refused to Independent Practice sheet , saying, “ he does not get time after home tuitions to do the same .
>> A sub group of kids actually had a habit of taking the : independent sheets their “ home tutors “ or “ parents” to get them solved !!
>> Some kids would be unwilling to learn new methods to do things , for example , when addition by carry over was being taught to them , they would not do through ones –tens – hundreds , even after repeated requests J
School & School System
This might sound a bit cliché , but I on a personal level do not find much issues with school system . They are doing a fairly decent job in terms of students investment and “giving it all “
>> Free books , notebooks , school bags , midday meals , nominal meals etc are some of the positives of the system .i am sure this helps lot of the parents to actually send their kid sto school (In the context of social and economic background they come from )
>> Even the teachers from the PMC board seem to be trying their best of course the "interests levels and apathy sometimes do bother you :)
However Scope of improvement always exists . On part of teachers they could really try to teach more concept based learning than form the traditional methods . They could perhaps be bit more flexible in the terms of “finishing the book “ A little bit of innovation and involovement would really work wonders with the student achievement .
Learning from principal and other teachers
Principal /other teachers are source of immense experience .They have been doing the job from so many years .They definitely have been source of great support in terms of class room management and realizing the difficult back grounds from which these students come from .
Students’ community
Oh this has been a real eye opener in terms “what we understand “ and what it actually is !! Student’s communities are real challenging places in terms of sanitation, basic health care awareness. .The Importance of education and realization that a good education could actually mean an end to the woes , is real low .Performance expectations and the resultant academic successes have therefore been real low . Lastly I would say the kids are really “brave “ when they are showing so much willingness to learn and promish to improve , inspite of the hardship they are in .
Personal Transformation
I believe that the basic beliefs of a adult person remain same through out his / her life .The sensibilities ,sensitivity and the personal ethos are integral part of human psychic .The things which change are methods , routes and the intensity .Exactly the same has happened to me in last six months.
Relationships may have seen a bit up and down, with parents and near and dear ones due to the decision of joining TFI . However I do realize the magnamity of the task we are doing. It has always struck me how important it is for us to do this . The core beliefs have been reinforced .I am pretty more convinced to do this.
The little changes like “ newly acquired skills “ to draw pictures/pencil drawings “ “ writing a poem “ or “ sing a song “ for the kids have been personal highs ;-> . I consider these things as a means to explore and stretch myself beyond straight , hard task master , deadline , delivery man as I have been throughout 25 years of my existence ....
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