Every baby loves to go to the next stage of growth enjoying each and every stage immensely from walking, talking, eating, playing around and making friends. Some wait eagerly to go to school with enthusiasm beating many a children who probably have a fear deep down to leave the comfort zone of mom's company considering school a punishment. Why kids fear school is an interesting question. I think many moms induce this fear unknowingly while interacting to kids. One kid is not heeding to mom's constantly then it's quite natural to say, "wait till you go to school next month, all your pranks would stop then and there." Though it's not intended still somewhere in the kid's psyche school becomes a place where normal activities are restricted.
For the Independence day I was instructed to train kids within 2 nd standard the national anthem and Vande Mataram song. Surprisingly the children showed great interest as in south everywhere Hindi is not included as a compulsory language. On the special day the chief guest from America (who supported the school by funding for the destitute) was shocked when the kids sang the songs fantastically. He asked me little unhappily, "Why tormenting kids at such a young age? We allow kids at 5 to attend school." I could not say anything but it kept ringing in my mind.
I recall vividly a girl completed 3 yrs after joining school. We celebrated her birthday. She used to kick around the water can and other things while entering the school violently, showing great displeasure but gradually when I took care of her well she became attached to me. One day she adamantly wanted to go with her father home but when forced she was little sullen. Barely 5 minutes passed when she vomited and the management had to call her father to take her home. I was still not very sure of the dramatic happening. The second day I observed her activities closely. She came inside the classroom, kept her bag aside and straight in the bathroom tried to put her finger deep down her throat so as she felt like having the urge to vomit and could be excused! What a brilliance! Amazed at her brain I called up her father and told not to give her anything for breakfast and assured of feeding her myself. When I told him about her prank he just laughed loudly instead of firing her or giving angry look. This kid especially had a new born sister so parents thought it wise to admit her 20 days before her completion of 3 yrs. The school being new she was pampered but failed to give her the secure feeling in the absence of a loving mom! She won't allow to be handled by anyone except me maybe out of fear she reacted like that. Now that kid is in 9th standard and is very obedient and sharp learner.
Kids love mom and hate to leave her for being in a totally strange atmosphere amidst restrictions on their freedom. Many a kids would sit with glum spread all over face. We need not arouse fear or dislike instead stimulate interest for learning, making new friends of their age, getting everything new, become disciplined and punctual, independent, intellect and so on. The school going kid must feel enthusiastic to start not fearful.
Besides schools must not compel a lot on writing tasks. I worked in a school which emphasized on play way methods and montessori training but once a kid admitted in school the correspondent would take a different method contrary to her promises on admission. A boy who was late learner and could not manage to speak found it really tough to repeat the things taught. Once the correspondent mam pinched him on inner thigh and invited trouble when parents came to know. On questioning she plainly refused. On a kid's mentality such treatment would bring bad impressions. Why give so much importance on writing or speaking? I think a puny hand can not hold a pencil to write much , why not train them just to say the words and later train the writing concepts?
If I ran a school, certainly I would give the average grade to the ones who gave me all the right answers for being good parrots. I would give the top grades to those who made a lot of mistakes and told me about them, and told me what they learned from them.
For the Independence day I was instructed to train kids within 2 nd standard the national anthem and Vande Mataram song. Surprisingly the children showed great interest as in south everywhere Hindi is not included as a compulsory language. On the special day the chief guest from America (who supported the school by funding for the destitute) was shocked when the kids sang the songs fantastically. He asked me little unhappily, "Why tormenting kids at such a young age? We allow kids at 5 to attend school." I could not say anything but it kept ringing in my mind.
I recall vividly a girl completed 3 yrs after joining school. We celebrated her birthday. She used to kick around the water can and other things while entering the school violently, showing great displeasure but gradually when I took care of her well she became attached to me. One day she adamantly wanted to go with her father home but when forced she was little sullen. Barely 5 minutes passed when she vomited and the management had to call her father to take her home. I was still not very sure of the dramatic happening. The second day I observed her activities closely. She came inside the classroom, kept her bag aside and straight in the bathroom tried to put her finger deep down her throat so as she felt like having the urge to vomit and could be excused! What a brilliance! Amazed at her brain I called up her father and told not to give her anything for breakfast and assured of feeding her myself. When I told him about her prank he just laughed loudly instead of firing her or giving angry look. This kid especially had a new born sister so parents thought it wise to admit her 20 days before her completion of 3 yrs. The school being new she was pampered but failed to give her the secure feeling in the absence of a loving mom! She won't allow to be handled by anyone except me maybe out of fear she reacted like that. Now that kid is in 9th standard and is very obedient and sharp learner.
Kids love mom and hate to leave her for being in a totally strange atmosphere amidst restrictions on their freedom. Many a kids would sit with glum spread all over face. We need not arouse fear or dislike instead stimulate interest for learning, making new friends of their age, getting everything new, become disciplined and punctual, independent, intellect and so on. The school going kid must feel enthusiastic to start not fearful.
Besides schools must not compel a lot on writing tasks. I worked in a school which emphasized on play way methods and montessori training but once a kid admitted in school the correspondent would take a different method contrary to her promises on admission. A boy who was late learner and could not manage to speak found it really tough to repeat the things taught. Once the correspondent mam pinched him on inner thigh and invited trouble when parents came to know. On questioning she plainly refused. On a kid's mentality such treatment would bring bad impressions. Why give so much importance on writing or speaking? I think a puny hand can not hold a pencil to write much , why not train them just to say the words and later train the writing concepts?
If I ran a school, certainly I would give the average grade to the ones who gave me all the right answers for being good parrots. I would give the top grades to those who made a lot of mistakes and told me about them, and told me what they learned from them.
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