Sunday, June 28, 2015

A Digantar Workshop Working

And that’s Where the Workshop happened

An experience at Digantar is uncomfortable, awkward and close to being amongst aliens when you are not a teacher. It’s a good thing that I didn’t think a lot before going a Children’s Literature workshop run by Digantar in Jaipur. If I did, I would have been more than just nervous. An assumption was made that there would be other writers who interested in writing and children’s literature. Once again, good thing that I didn’t do in-depth research.

As it turns out, my assumptions was dashed, battered and broken against the rocks, or if you will – Digantar’s wall.

Turns out that Digantar was training teachers. Teacher’s I scoffed, I laughed, I was afraid – I knew nothing about teaching. Nothing to do but wade along with the workshop.

The shock

I heard stories about the educational world. These stories are more real than those ones I’ve read on a pieces of paper or online pages. These are stories from the movers and shakers of the educational world. Teachers and NGO workers all trying to make a difference in a churning and wheeling machinery that grinds students and teachers alike.

Stories from a Harayan teacher who is trying to get parents to care about education. Stories about a University professor who asks students to return the favour not through monetary means, but by getting more students. An NGO worker who is trying to convince students to just sit and read. Or the story of an NGO that futilely tries to convince a State Education head that the latest curriculum is more of a burden than a problem solver.

They are driven by a need to give something back to society. For some reason, they feel indebted to the goodness of society and teaching is a way to give back. For others, it is the pure joy of children that drives them forward.

Humbled

I know a lot. I read a lot. I consume information of all sorts. Yet, in front of so many teachers I was humbled in a manner that I never imagined. The stories, the discussions, the ideas, the thought process – everything was foreign to me.

Imagine being in discussion between educationalists on why a child is not interested in a particular type of picture storybook. Ideas and suggestions are flying fast and hard, each as valid and possible as the other. These are suggestions and assessments based on experience. It’s all alien. All I could do was listen.

Listening

Even though I consider myself a good listener, the next three days of the workshop took my listening skills to the limits, because that’s what all I could do.

The amount of feedback or suggestions I can give is very limited. A simple story about a children’s story based on a math’s problem can be turned into a drama for children, while a slow story about a tribal girl trying to get school can be quite interesting. I had to change my thinking. 

What goes in the mind of the teacher is very different from a normal human.

The Passion

One thing that you cannot doubt – the passion. The passion shown by these teachers, these NGOs, these educationalists. This is a passion that stands the harsh cogs of the educational machine.

“Fresh water pond” that’s what one teacher called the workshop.

They all face an onslaught.

And even at the end of it all, at the end of the workshop – they are all excited. They can’t wait to take these new learning, these teachings, these passions, this creativity back to their children. 

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