Build the Trust

Today we will talk about the influence teachers have on the minds of their students. We have a lot of stories to demonstrate this, but the ones we have chosen were shared with us by two parents.

The first story is about Ishaan who is fifteen years old and like most teenagers spends more time in the virtual world. His parents often worry about the amount of time he spends in front of his PC. They feel that he is somehow losing touch with the real world and Nature. On a recent road trip to the country side, Ishaan was spending a lot of time on his smart phone updating his friends about the journey rather than experiencing the real journey. As the car was passing near a village, Ishaan suddenly asked to stop. There were sugarcane fields on either side of the highway. He stepped out of the car, entered a field and just touched a sugarcane plant. He then requested one of the farm hands to give him a cane. He turned to his mother and said, "Mom, do you remember in KG we did the theme on sugarcanes? Seema ma'am got some sugarcane for us and we had so much fun chewing them! I never realized that sugarcane plants grow so tall and that the leaves have such sharp edges! It has always fascinated me….and Nature too."

Seema would never have thought of the deep impact her getting sugarcane to class would have on the children. She had simply done what she thought then was the right thing, to help children learn better. It eventually influenced at least one child in the way he looked or connected with Nature.

Here is another story.

A little while ago, when the environmental conservation drive was just gathering steam, prominent schools across the country started a 'Ban Polythene' drive.

Our friend, a parent from such a school was strictly instructed by her son to never pack his lunch in a polybag again. Back in those days, paper bags weren't readily available. Packing anything for school had become a daily battle. Every morning there were tears and fights about not taking poly bags to school. This continued for quite some time, till one day, during a struggle to find paper bags, the son just shouted, "Give it to me in a poly bag!"

The parent was taken aback. After months of abstinence from polythene bags, why did her son suddenly not mind them anymore? More than anything, she was concerned that maybe her son no longer gave enough importance to rules or socially-relevant causes. So she asked him, "Why are you asking for a poly bag all of a sudden? Won't your teacher tell you off?" To this her son replied, "How can she tell me off? She gets polythene bags to school herself!"

Adults have incredible impact on children. Sometimes this influence is way beyond what they intend or expect it to be. This is an important message for all adults who engage in 'educating' children as parents as well as teachers – Practice What You Preach. Always try to be honest in your intent. Children look at 'grown-ups' with trust and expectation. We need to work towards retaining and building on their feeling of deference. For if children stop trusting us, then who will they look up to for guidance?

Can there be another way?

9 am - Innocent faces, bright expectant eyes, proud owners of new school bags and bottles (with their favourite cartoon characters); walking with moms, looking forward to the first day at school.

9.30 am - Heart rending cries; some children on the floor, some banging the classroom door to get out - inconsolable, heartbroken, feeling intense pain of separation from the loving warm mum they feel one with.

Do the first steps have to be so painful?
Why can't the change be gradual, children engaged in outdoor play or indoor games - slowly getting used to the increase in separation time. How long will it take—2-3 weeks?
Why can't that time be taken out to secure a child's trust and settle him/ her in the new surroundings?
Why do we let them cry so till they get tired of it and realise it is futile — as mom will not come till their time at school is up.


Is it just because we know they are dependent, powerless in the world of adults and this is 'best' for them or that the school knows 'best'?

Feeling all this intensely and knowing in my heart that there should be another way - would I still let my child cry and cry and then get used to the school - interestingly playschool - or will I pull him out , hold him close to me and apologise and take him home?

What is it that stops me from doing this...Is it a feeling that he will settle down eventually or knowing that all the fees have been paid at the time of admission or some sort of deep fear of failure to be able to provide the kind of stimuli a school can - I do not know!

And as I go along ironing clothes for the next day at playschool- preparing my child to know that I am in his heart, I am always with him, I will be at the reception waiting for him - asking him to enjoy himself, wish his teachers, play, paint etc, etc....

And at the reception I sit, hear him cry for me - heartbroken, almost in tears myself, feeling as helpless - that maybe I haven't prepared him well enough.....
Sentimental, crazy, over sensitive- you can call me. Maybe I am all of these.

But that is because I care, because I love children - not just my own. With each child moving on from loud protests and crying to silent voiceless sobs- I wonder what we (adults) have done to his/ her soul.
Can there be another way......?

• Seema Wahi Mukherjee

Learning Environments

Schools along with libraries and museums are considered to be the primary learning environments. Much of present day learning takes place in these physical locations.

In future, as the world becomes more and more inter-connected and technology-enabled, our definition of a learning environment will have to be extended to include the virtual and online world as well. As educators we need to realise that a learning environment need not necessarily be a physical setting.

On the other hand, if we wish to provide education that enables and supports social, cognitive, spiritual and creative development in young individuals, we need to ensure that our schools and classrooms also support positive human relationships.

The requisite for educators, designers, and architects therefore is to design physical spaces in schools such that they optimise children’s learning in all the domains of development.

Schools of future will have to try to merge technology with physical space and at the same time provide rich and diverse opportunities where children can interact with peers and adults and develop a sense of community.

An implication of this dynamic interactive approach to learning is that spaces in schools should have built-in flexibility. It should be possible to create multiple layouts using the same furniture, equipment and storage options in a variety of configurations.

Finally - given the ecological damage that the Earth is experiencing, it is important that our children grow up into environmentally responsible individuals.

Educators, architects and designers need to collaborate to create spaces where children can experience, explore and work with the natural environment to develop sensitivity and responsibility towards it.