Long days, great days.

My apologies for not writing a blog daily this year. I don’t know where my time has gone by the end of the day. Actually, I do. Let me tell you a little about what I am up to everyday.

Much like last year, my days begin early and my nights are late. There is no need for me to set an alarm in the morning, much like the roster on a farm, my ears are filled with the giggling and talking of the kids as they run past my building in the dark of the morning back to their hostels from PT (morning exercise). My day begins at 6:50 am. But if you think my mornings are early, then you are mistaken; the kids wake up at 6:00 am and are getting their morning exercise whether it is in the blistering heat or the shivering temperatures of the winter, until it is time to get ready and go to breakfast.

This year I have been forgoing breakfast and grab a granola bar from my bag on my way to the school. I am usually walking into school with the last of the day school kids who have just arrived on their distinct yellow buses and the stragglers who are walking from the hostel who are mostly boys. Walking into the school the kids are running back to the courtyard, from dropping off their things in the classroom. Almost all the kids walking by, greet me with warm smiles and energetic, “Good Morning Didi!”; I must say “Good Morning” at least a 150 times before the day even starts. The songs pre-cursing the prayers begin, signaling for everyone to assemble and take their places. Teachers line the sides in chairs as the boys flank either side of the girls, who are seated in the middle. The morning prathnas are much more than just prayers; they are presented by the students who lead songs and prayers with music, jokes that leave you laughing even in the coldest of mornings, news that include news of the state, nation, and world, some general knowledge trivia, recognition of those who have birthdays that day, any announcements for the day, and finally the national anthem or pledge. Once the morning chapel is over, kids rush back to their classrooms for their first three periods. Here the kids stay stationary in their classroom regardless of grade, and teachers rotate each period; there are nine teaching periods in total that amount to forty minute classes. Some of the subjects being taught here include: Social Sciences, English, Math, Sanskrit, Hindi, Science, General Knowledge, Art, Commerce, Computers, etc.

A view of the morning prathnas

After the first three periods, there is a nasto break (a snack break) where the kids head to the Bhojnalay (cafeteria) for 20 minutes. During this time Manisha Masi, pulls me away from the teachers to make me drink chai and chow down whatever snack she brought for me that day. The first few days I insisted that she doesn’t need to do anything different for me, but my words don’t affect her. I am not to leave her sight until I have finished everything she has opened for me, “because she needs to make sure her daughter is fed and not hungry”. I am learning not to say no because I know she won’t take that as an acceptable answer. Trust me, Masi is going to send me back round and missing her loving care. Manisha Masi is also the bell keeper among many other things that keep this school running; she rings the bell to signal all of the ends and beginnings of classes and breaks. During breaks I also hang out with the teachers in the female teachers’ lounge; I am currently working on teaching Dishaben how to say different things for Happy Birthday, Congratulations, etc.

After that break, there are three more periods, which is followed by lunch, a half an hour break, and then three more periods of class.

Last time I was here, I was more so shadowing teachers in classes, evaluating teaching styles, and seeing what changes and improvements need to be made in general in regards to the teaching style. I also coached and observed coaching and towards the end, held classes on psychology. This time from the first full day forward I have been conducting my own classes and being more active. So far I have essentially been a substitute teacher, which has been pretty cool. I’ve covered classes mostly that were supposed to be Gujarati and Hindi periods; don’t worry, I didn’t attempt to teach either of those, instead I taught my own things. I have taken on the task of teaching more motivational and psychological teachings as well as making the kids practice their English. Some of the things I taught were having kids understand: Why they go to school, What their reasons for learning are, Why learning is important, how to strengthen their weaker subjects, how to balance their schedules and work. Four of  teachings I began to work into my lectures (we call them classes in the US) are 1) “you can lead the horse to the water, but you can’t make the horse drink”- in their teachings I used it as, your parents can send you to school but it is up to you to learn 2) “anything worth having is not easy to get” – only hard work will get to you to the things you want, not shortcuts and laziness 3) “If you fall 7 times, get up 8 times”- make sure you never give up, trying and falling short is acceptable but be sure to try again 4) I used two examples for this: the example of Sachin Tendulkar and the example of a baby, a baby first learns to get up, then stand, then takes one step while holding something, then another, then they begin to walk and then they finally run…they are not born running; and that even once Sachin was a beginner learning how to hold the bat before he became a master of the game- through practice a and persaverace we can all achieve great things. Lastly, that anyone in this classroom has the ability to go far in life; there is a reason they are at this school, they are smart and capable, but how far they want to go is up to them. They have it in them to achieve greatness.

While I mix English and Gujarati throughout the class and explain new words as I go, I leave 10-15 minutes at the end of class to make sure I am asking each of them questions in English and having them respond and having them translate Gujarati sentences I am giving them to English. It has been wonderful to see their response to my teachings, some classes are very good with their English, some struggle but are trying, and there are more and more this time who approach me in English and try to converse with me. Some classes are very attentive, some are motivated, a few troublemakers here and there but the time I am given to teach, I’m loving every moment of it.

The first day I taught 6 classes, then second day I was scheduled to teach 4 but ended up teaching 7, and so on each day. Some of free periods are busy with writing this blog or doing some preparations for class or other work I have, like studying for the GRE. But mostly my free periods are spent talking to teachers about how things work in the states, what improvement there can be here, talking to the kids whether it be in English or Gujarati about what they like and dislike about school, how to improve, what they want to be and what they enjoy doing in their free time. Today I had a nice long conversation with Pransi and Khushi about how classes and subjects work in the US and what they want to be. Both 9^th graders want to be doctors while Khushi wants to become a heart doctor, which I taught her in English means a Cardio Specialist and Pransi wants to specialize in Dentistry. (Fun fact about Khushi- she has been selected to go play Chess at the National Level.) Some free periods are spent teaching the kids how to play football or volleyball or anything else they want to learn and others, are spent sitting in on classes (usually English classes) like Jinkal Didi or Ruchi Didi’s. I even had a free period when Sudha Didi was teaching rifle shooting so I went there and watched her instruct then took a shot at it myself (pun possibly intended). I hit the target 6 times, not too shabby for a kid holding a rifle for the first time. Other times, I play with the primary school kids on the playground or stop by their classrooms. The little first and second graders squeal with excitement when they see me whether they are 5 feet away or 500 feet away, making me smile so big, and refueling my energy.

Kushi and Pransi!

Sudhaben teaching one of the kids about the Rifle

Attending class with Ruchi Didi!

After the 9^th period around 4:30, the kids are released from school for sports play. This week there are Koh (an Indian sport) competitions within the school so all the kids gather at the playing medan (field) outside the gates around 5:15). There are usually two matches, so I usually head down there to watch (if I don’t go, the kids playing aren’t very happy with me the next day that I missed their match). Once the two matches are over, all the kids are released to go play and practice their sports. I have been helping with shotput and football. Yesterday I played football with the older boys and Moulik Bhai; while I didn’t get scored on, we ended with both teams taking PK’s (Penalty Kicks). Good thing my team won, I didn’t realize their was a punishment of  40 squats for the losing side. I laughingly told my boys, if I knew there was a punishment I would have made sure we won by three instead of just two. This weekend I’m going to work one-on-one with our goalkeepers.

One of the Koh matches

After sports play, which we play until you can’t see the ball anymore, I head to the girls’ side of the hostel to play table tennis with some of the girls. Mansi and Jinkal have given me a run for my money but I remain unbeaten, but they have challenged me back so I will be heading there again. (Fun Fact: both of them have gone to play at the State level for our school along with several other girls. I am so proud of them!) . More than anything I just enjoy spending time with the girls and working on empowering them. I have seen a huge change in their mentality since last time and their involvement in sports and around the school.

Directly from there I head to dinner which starts at 7 and lasts until about 7:45. But I make sure I am done by 7:30 pm so I can attend Bhanji Uncle’s Class with Jinkal Didi. Bhanji Uncle holds a conference call via skype every weekday to help the kids practice English. It takes a lot of effort and dedication for him to be up early before work to hold a class for an hour each day. Here Jinkal Didi supervises the class each night and I have been helping with that. Before the class I converse with the kids in English to keep them entertained and practicing. After the class ends around 9, I walk with Jinkal Didi and the kids back to the hostel and head back to the Vevati Bhavan. Gazing up at the stars, walking between the palm trees, in the swaying breeze is the most peaceful walk. Once I am back, I either sit down stairs and prepare for my classes the next day or study and read until 11:30, sometimes later. When the kids come in at 10 pm for extra reading I head upstairs.

Evening English Classes with Bhanji Uncle

While this seems like a long explanation, I am not even covering the half of it. By the end of the night, I am asleep before my head even hits the pillow, exhausted, anxiously awaiting for the sound of my little brothers and sisters to give me my wake up call at 6 am, signaling the start of another incredible day.

- Aekta