We count our success with the achievement of our students.Selecting the best from the rest gives us an edge.In this tough competitive world taking a chance is considered insane yet I love insanity.
In May we had celebrated English Week, "Myriad Manifestation".A vast number of Inter - Class and Intra -c lass Competition marked the week.Children actively participated in several events.
This event too would have passed out as routine but for a small kid from 6th class,whose enthusiasm made me select him.
He is a first generation learner and wanted to be part of the Story Telling Competition.In his broken English he narrated the story of 'Ant and the Elephant' . The whole class was in splits. Mind you the laughter was not for his language or story but the way he had presented it.He could mimic the sounds of animals just as in the animation films. It caught our attention.I knew I would select him over the students who were proficient in language.Infact all his classmates agreed too.
In between the change of periods when I crossed his classroom,I found many students helping him with words and pronunciation.They were all excited and he himself was ready to work hard.In my free period I would invariably find him standing near my staff room waiting for my nod.A mere look on my part ,would have him come up to me.
He did face music from me, for spoon feeding has never been my way of teaching.Yet nothing detered him.He wrote and rewrote the script of the story several times to get it perfect.Till the last hour I was working with him.I knew he could leave his mark.Yet when he went up on stage I prayed feverently.
The competition was not easy.We had our fingers crossed for his performance. There were good story tellers but this story telling skill had everyone in ruptures.There was a deafning round of applause. Everyone was amazed by his skill and confidence. Each judge appreciated him publicly.
Friends you may be thinking he got the first prize in his very first competition. Sorry it is not so.This is no Hindi movie script I am narrating. He won the award for most Enthusiastic Participation. There was joy on his innocent face like no one elses.Till that award he had thought he was good at nothing.Today he walks in the corridors with double the confidence. I am so happy for him. Believe me friends the small chance I had taken was a larger win for me,it built my confidence too.
By Binita Jha
