Day 2: Starting to find my way around.

(This wouldn't post last night so posting it today)

Today started out like any typical day...for them that is. 

Many of the kids are up by 5:45 for PT (exercise) even in this cold weather. It is amazing the kind of discipline and program they have here. They then get ready and are at breakfast by 7 am. There is one to two things for breakfast and teachers only have the additional privilege of chai. After a quick breakfast they grab their things and head to the school for the morning prayers which take place at the school lobby. 

It reminded me a lot of chapel which we had everyday at our school, it had prayer, public speaking, and acknowledgement. Here even in the morning they have prayer, news, jokes, even skits and it is all led by the students. They also did a great thing in calling forward the birthday kids that day, presenting them with a card and a balloon and having student of the days who were chosen and wore pins and were acknowledged. It is all a great concept, especially the birthday acknowledgment and happy birthday singing since for the kids this is their home away from home. 

Morning prayer time 

After the morning routine, dad and I stood in the middle of the school courtyard and chatted with Dr. Padhiyar while kids lined the outdoor corridors and were given their biweekly test, today it was Gujarati, the next test is Computers. As this was happening the younger (grades 1-5) day school kids filed in off the bus to put their things away and partook in a shorter version of prayers for them. 

Kids taking their tests.

I then went around and sat-in in class rooms and just observed, and helped a little here and there if the kids needed it. The first class I went to was Social Sciences with Dishaben. She used the smartboard to project the book and also was great at using mostly Gujarati but interjecting English words or phrases like winner and for example so that the kids start picking it up. Then I went to Jinkalben's 6th grade/standard English class were they were learning the simple past tense. They went over the principles both in Gujarati and English and then did fill in the blanks in English in their books. 

For example: 

Question: Neha _____ the boys how to read. (Teach)

Answer: taught 

Jinkalben then had me lead the class in going over some more examples and coming up with some to give them more practice. After that the kids and teachers had about a 20 minute break where the kids head to the cafeteria for a quick snack and the teachers head to the teachers lounge for a quick break. I went to the female teachers lounge and sat and talked with the teachers. Today we just talked and got to know each other a little better and talked how things worked in the US and here.

Social Science with Dishaben!

English with Jinkalben.

I then went to 9A English class where they were being taught through videos on the smart board. They started class by making a paper dog from instructions in English by folding and drawing; so they started off with a little fun then went into learning English through a chapter that was on nuclear fusion and fission (with how thermometer and photocopier works), particles, and soil matter. I looked through one of their books, each chapter had a different theme or idea in some shape or form. 

9th grade girls making their paper dogs

Kids are split into three classes according to their grades: A, B, C. 9A would mean they are in the top level of their standard, 9B would mean mid level, and 9C they are having a more difficult time then the top two tiers. (Remember, standard means grade in India, i.e. 9th Standard). Also the kids stay in one classroom and teachers rotate. The kids also leave their books mostly at school so that is probably one of the reasons reading time (mentioned in more detail later) is at school and not at the hostel.

After heading to lunch and sitting with the girls and talking about different things including, what they like to do, what subjects are their favorites, what they want to be etc. there was time for a recess where they usually retire to the hostels for naps or just reenergizing. I went back to the hostel with the girls who wanted me to see their rooms, I've interacted with these group of girls the most here so far. I am finally starting to remember a few names, like Rutva, Ayushi, Prararena's and so on. When I went, I was paparazzied, invited and pulled into almost into every single room floor by floor, room by room. It was joyful to them to show me around their rooms and I could see how much pride they took in their room. I'm pretty sure I've been invited to a couple dozen homes to visit them if I'm ever in their hometown, it's both adorable and pretty awing to believe that they look up to me like that. I hope I am being helpful here and making a positive impact and difference. But back to the girls. In their rooms there were at least 7 cots and girls living in one room, with literally just the bare minimum and half a shelf to keep their belongings. Some rooms had up to the maximum 10 cots and girls, that's not a lot of space in any room. But despite that the girls told me they are allowed to choose who they room with and overall are enjoying being here and doing all the different activities and learning. 

Walking the hostel with the girls.

While most of the students were in their dorms, some of them had special permission to go to dance practice to prepare for the Karyakram performances and the older kids when off to activity hour with karate. I walked around and watched the several different things going on including daily practice of public speaking for each of the younger grades in the outdoor corridors. Jinkalben told me that the brilliant students often prepare their own topics and then the less advanced kids are given topics to prepare.

Karate with the 9th grade boys and girls!

After that, Amit Bhai had remembered from yesterday that I played soccer and sent the boys to come find me to play during their free activity hour. While it was unorganized and sometimes rarely looked like proper soccer, it was a big pick up game for all the 10th grade boys overlooked by Amit Bhai and today, me. The field is nice and big with nets, goals, and everything. It's still on dirt and there are some big rocks in places but it's definitely playable. As I said before it's not that they weren't good at playing, it's that they are inexperienced. Amit Bhai allowed me to coach and teach them how soccer is played, basically gave me free reigns. We started by just splitting into two teams and scrimmaging, I went on to stop them and teach them about being spread out on the field,  not bunching and how to pass the ball properly (they were playing just however they could). Then I taught the two goalies a little positioning and how to punt properly and how rules with corners,  goal kicks, and goalkeepers work etc. I think I earned the guys respect when I made some diving saves and long punts, then they were sold haha. Amit Bhai and the boys were great sports and very eager to learn and get better; I had an absolute blast. The 9th grade boys sitting on the side let me know they were playing at the same time tomorrow and that they wanted me to come. While playing I ended up cutting my elbow in a few places from dives; after the bell rang, the boys, came back and got me and took me to their clinic room, cleaned up my cut for me and put the medicine on it. And boy does word travel fast around here. 30 minutes later by dinner time, I had girls come up and ask about my "injury" (which is a normal thing for me when I'm playing back home so I didn't think it was a big deal) and about 5 different teachers. Besides being humored by it all, it was really nice that the teachers took the time to stop by and ask about it. And more importantly, I think the boys are more willing to talk to me more after playing with them today, and showing them girls can play and play well.

Following dinner, I mingled more with the kids and ended up going to reading time back at school with them. They were all trying to get me to come to their class not the others. I ended up going to the older kids classes since I spent time with the younger kids mostly during the day. Reading time is from 8:00-9:30 pm for the younger kids and until 10 pm for the older kids, this is when they do their homework and reading. One class, the girls were talking to me and I looked around and the boys were doing homework and the girls were just sitting even after I asked several times if they needed work to be done, they said no. So I asked why, and they said during free time earlier in the day they completed their homework and the boys were out playing football so they are working now, I looked around more closely and indeed it was the boys I played with. I didn't think to ask them if they always come do homework or if they do activities on some days too, but I'll go back and talk more, I hope they don't just do homework everyday early instead of playing and other things like music and dance; it's important that they try and do all different things. In another class, both boys and girls were busy and focused, especially the girls because they didn't have any free time since all their free time is dance practice until the 28th so they were diligently working. In another class I sat in the back but the kids wanted to talk to me instead of doing work, so since it was time for them to work, I decided to leave and go to the younger kids since I didn't want to be a distraction. Before I forget, all the teachers roam the school and sit in most of the classrooms to make sure they are mostly quiet and working during this time.

Reading time.
The teachers sit outside or walk around, here a
few kids are sitting for help outside too.

I walked around the younger kids classes just popping my head in and then one of the boys told me to come watch them practice their skit. I think this is one of my favorite skits, it's all original, funny, and the young boys sing it so enthusiastically; it's about the struggle of grades and classes no matter how hard they try. I asked Vaibhav and Amit Bhai, and they said the kids come up with and write their own material. They are so creative! 

Boys working on their skit.

To wrap it up today, I just wanted to point out the teachers. The teachers here are absolutely amazing. I know I am here to help but I am learning in class from them too about teaching and various things. These teachers here have the hardest job, since it is a boarding school they have to be teachers, parents, friends, confidants, enforcers and discipliners, encouragers, and comforters when kids need it. Some people in other places can't even handle one of those roles at a time, yet they are doing it here everyday for over 16 hour days with both compassion and passion. Teachers everywhere are amazing, but these teachers here are something else, I'm in absolute awe of them. 

- Aekta