An experiment in creative thinking

I grew up on creative activities. Acting out impromptu plays and creating weird works of art were parts of my everyday life. In school, we were encouraged to write creative stories. I even competed annually with my friends in Odyssey of the Mind, a competition between schools which awards points solely based on the students' creativity. All of my fondest memories of middle school fall around these activities which allowed us to learn while being silly. After observing the students of Kadod High School for just a short time, I knew there was none of this teaching philosophy in the Gujarati school system. Luckily, we are able to encourage thinking creatively in our Spoken English classes before and after school, but my brilliant 8th standard students are simply encouraged to regurgitate everything they hear from the teacher.

Just last week, I was excited to find an activity in their textbook that asked the students to complete a story for themselves. While they all had guidebooks that gave them one answer, I asked them to brainstorm some other outcomes as a class. There was a long silence in the classroom, and then:

Me: "Come on! Be creative! Help me to finish the story!"
(murmurs and quotes from the textbook)
Me: "Okay, who can tell me what 'creative' means?"
Chorus of 8th standard kids: "To produce!"
(Co-teacher nods proudly)
Me: "..."

Finally, after coming up with some ridiculous conclusions of my own, the students got the idea and began giving slight alterations of my stories. After this interaction, I was determined to have a class in which we were all silly and creative.

The next week, I came to class equipped with a Gujarati word for 'creative', several household items, and the determination to get these kids thinking outside-the-box. We were going to think of all the different uses for umbrellas, hairbrushes, rackets, and dupattas, among other things. By the end of the class, the students were doing pretty well for themselves, telling me that a dupatta could be used for a jump-rope, a hairbrush handle could roll chapatis, and even that an umbrella could be used as a boat. Excited by this development, I pushed the students further. I explained to them that for homework, they would write a television advertisement for any object in their house. The most creative and silly ad would win a small prize. As we left class for lunch, the students were all excited for the project and murmuring about what they would choose to write about.

The next day I was excited to collect the ads and read what the students had written. Unfortunately, my excitement was cut short as I noticed that the first 10 papers I had collected were all exactly the same. As I continued around the class, I became more and more dejected as I saw the students copying a story directly from their textbook entitled "The Invention of the Umbrella." In the end, 5 students wrote really great ads, and 50 students rewrote "The Invention of the Umbrella."

I am determined to continue on my quest to get these students thinking creatively, but it seems that it will be a long road ahead. In the meantime, every little independent thought counts for so much.

Lesson Planning..

As overwhelming as all the advanced class preparation is sometimes, it's wonderful how alleviating it is to just see everything fit together in a basic, flexible schedule for the time to come. Unfortunately, it often looks great laid out on paper, but attempting to implement these more meticulously planned lessons can also be unsuccessful. My experiences thus far, especially here with the massive class sizes, has taught me although you do need to plan lessons a lot of teaching here is thinking on your feet and shaping what you have to fit the particular classroom. As I get to know my students and classes better, it is easier to tweak and gear lessons based on their abilities. I find it a little bit surprising too how so many small miscellaneous tasks seem to fill up so much time that I would otherwise be planning activities for.
With the holidays and a school trip, the past month has flown by. While planning, I can almost feel the next couple weeks whizzing past me already. All planning aside, here's a little taste in pictures of some of the things we've been up to here in Kadod the past few weeks. ..

So this is Christmas

Last week in my Spoken English class we spent a lot of time talking about Christmas, which seemed a little unreal to me. In India it feels nothing like winter, let alone Christmas time. I still think it is baseball season in America and that my parents, who are both teachers, are on summer vacation. In the Land of the Perpetual Sun, it is difficult for me to imagine people in America bundled up, building snowmen, Christmas shopping, and spending time inside with family and friends to take refuge from the cold weather.

Explaining and planning lessons around the Christmas theme made it a little easier for me to get in the Christmas mood. The students here all know about Christmas, but in our little village they have never had an opportunity to hear about it from a Westerner’s point of view. I have to admit that the more I talked about how Christmas is celebrated, the more ridiculous it sounded to me. When asked who Santa Claus was, I first tried explaining about Saint Nicolas, the Patron Saint of Children but this was of little interest to them; they wanted to hear about the red suit, red cap, and the bag of gifts they have seen in pictures. As I talked about how Santa flies around the world in a sleigh and enters every home through the chimney to deposit gifts under the tree and into the stockings hung by the chimney (with care) their expressions became more and more contorted into a face that seemed to be saying “Huh?”

In my class we made Christmas ornaments out of pipe cleaners and it was a lot of fun to see the students use their creativity. At first when I handed out the pipe cleaners they kept asking me “Teacher, what do I do with it?” “Anything!” I replied as I showed them how to bend and twist them into different shapes. As they caught on to the pipe cleaners’ possibilities there was no stopping them. Then, on Christmas Eve we made Christmas cards and chaos reined my classroom. I spent time the week before cutting out different shapes and preparing all the materials, which included some glitter that was sent from America (thanks mom!). The glitter was by far the most used material and the desks and floor of the classroom sparkled with the remnants of their creations.

The culmination of the Christmas week was our Christmas Party. The students took full control of the planning as they ordered food and a cake and talked to the Principal about wearing red clothes in lieu of their uniforms. I was not allowed into the assembly hall until everything was just perfect. They even managed to find snow spray and as I entered we were all covered in wet, foamy snow. As I cut my Christmas cake the students sang We Wish You a Merry Christmas before I blew out the candles. Then, every student fed me a piece of cake, and then smeared a little frosting on my face. I had a lot of fun celebrating with my students and I appreciate their efforts to make my Christmas a very merry one!

Video can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a08VIxFrWzQ

Christmas in Surat

While there are various forms of Santa Claus to be found around the world, the Indian Santa Claus may win the title of “Most Fearsome.” If you thought a Santa Claus on each street corner was excessive, try multiple Santas swarming about in the same room in the mall, all wearing nightmarish Santa Masks with frozen gleeful grins and little beady eyes. The Santa masks are rather scary and awkward, yes, but the worst we’ve seen is a Santa who didn’t have a mask but still tried to “lighten” himself up a bit. Standing on the side of the road, one thin Santa had cleverly covered his face with streaky, clownish-white paint, through which his true skin color was still apparent. The effect was something like a ghoul in a Santa suit. Passing him in a rickshaw Pamela suddenly let out a cry:

“Oh my gosh! Did you see that Santa? That’s the scariest thing I’ve ever seen in my life. No WONDER none of the kids believe in Santa here!”

Yet while it’s true that Santa has few followers, there’s still a bit of youthful innocence to be tapped. During the Christmas celebrations that P.R. Khatiwala had on Christmas Eve, the day was mostly full of ruckus, but a few precious moments were interspersed: among them, my class period with 4-B, my best-behaved class.

Earlier in the week I’d given the class a taste of some Christmas Carols. I had printed out some choice carols to share with my classes and passed the sheets out to the students, and we tried singing “Deck the Halls.” Since it created too much commotion I had taken the sheets back, but 4-B was ready to try again on the day of the Christmas celebrations, and as soon as I walked in they greeted me with,

“MA’AM! WE CAN SING TODAY?”

So I passed out the sheets and we sang some rather successful renditions of Rudolph, Deck the Halls, and had just started Joy to the World when I was interrupted by some students asking for a definition.

“Ma’am, what does this word mean? Reedulf?”

I frowned. “Which word?”

A student ran up to me, sheet in hand, to point out the word.

“Ohhhh, Rudolph! It’s the name of the reindeer. Do you know the story of Rudolph?” I looked around the room at all the blank stares.

“No? Well, I’ll tell it to you then. You can put down the music. If you’re quiet I can tell you the story of Rudolph.”

Thankfully, I watched that movie obsessively each year at Christmas time (there are few movies I’m willing to watch multiple times, but I loved the holiday classics) so was able to modify and abbreviate the story for the class.

First, I asked if they knew how many reindeer Santa had. I didn’t really expect an answer, but one girl raised her hand and called out decisively, “Nine!”

“Exactly. How did you know?”

“Because in the pictures of Santa there are nine reindeer.”

Observant girl. “Yes, Santa has nine reindeer. But he didn’t always have nine reindeer. He used to have only eight. This is the story of Rudolph, a young reindeer who lived at the North Pole. He dreamed of someday pulling Santa’s sleigh, but he was different from the other reindeer…”

The class listened attentively to the story and gasped in all the right places. (“Do you know the abominable snowman? He isn’t really a snowman… he’s the scariest monster in the North Pole! He is covered with white fur so he looks like snow, but he is eight feet tall and has one hundred teeth!” [COLLECTIVE GASP])

At the end of the story, which covered the island of the misfit toys and Rudolph’s triumphant placement at the head of the sleigh on Christmas Eve, one (noisy) boy tentatively raised his hand and said, “Ma’am, this story is true?”

“Yes, it’s true.”

“But… reindeer can fly?”

“No, no. Not all reindeer can fly. Only Santa’s reindeer can fly.”

“Ohh.”

So despite being far away from home, I felt a bit of the magic of Christmas then.

My class party, however, was another sphere entirely.



(They look so cute, huh?)

Funny to think that in the U.S., class parties mean generally sitting around with good behavior, waiting to be served food and drinks (or perhaps lining up for them in a more or less orderly manner) and talking and goofing off at a reasonable volume. At least, that’s what I remember from my school days.

Here, it’s total chaos.

I mean, Indians DO know how to throw a party. But when it’s me versus the 28 terrible ten-year-olds, my eardrums can only take so much. Trying to serve snacks was probably the worst part of the day. I did my best to instill some order (“I’m going to dish up all the plates, and then you can take them”) but as soon as I would dish up one plate, little boys would be crowded all around me, stealing food from all the plates, and as soon as I looked their way I would see that one dish of food was already empty. I tried making an assembly line and having them go through it while some assigned helpers dished up food. Still people were stealing more than their fair share of food. The smaller kids, the quiet kids, and the girls complained to me from the sidelines, “Ma’am! I’m not getting any food!” while I struggled to deliver snacks to them.




(Boys clamoring to be in the picture)

Giving up on the food and leaving them to their battle, I progressed to the drinks, and tried to issue some kind of structure again, even as entire two-liter bottles would disappear to the back of the room, smuggled into some boy’s bag. “Hey! Who took the Pepsi??” I would yell, as a group of girls would scurry off to try to wrestle it back for me. Unable to get them to settle down until I had poured all the cups, I eventually settled for the path of least resistance: filling the plastic cup that was shoved closest to my eyeballs so it would get out of my face.




(Most of my girls)

By the end of the day my class literally looked like a dustbin (as one of my students helpfully pointed out). The floor was wet and slippery from some clever boys who wanted to do the moonwalk so slicked up the already dirty floor. At one point during the day three of the boys ended up shirtless (I’m still not sure why) and an entire cake was devoured by a few students when I had to leave the room for a few minutes.

Still, when I danced with them toward the end of the day, it ALMOST felt like the party was a success. They do throw fine dance parties, and my kids really loved it that I was willing to dance with them.

For the next party, I might have to do what the other teachers seem to do, and just let them have at it. I’ll let the girls go first, but then it’ll just be survival of the fittest.

But those who beat others won’t get any food. Going without snacks may be the worst punishment for a kid in Surat. Surtis really do love their food.


(Some leftovers)

Namaste,
Dalena

At Last, An Update!

Dear readers and supporters of Nanubhai,

Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!

I know Pamela and I have been the invisible members of the Nanubhai blogging world lately. This is because, after returning from Diwali, we were given a brand-new set of responsibilities by the English medium principal, and our lives have revolved around getting adjusted to our new schedule and finding our groove again. I don’t know if I’m exactly ‘grooving’ yet, but at least I have an extra day to the weekend this week, so I can sit down and write to you. (Pamela, on the other hand, is off on “Adventure Camp” with a throng of our students, swimming and having wilderness survival activities… etc.)

To reduce the last month and a half to a brief paragraph:

Our responsibilities underwent an overhaul when the English medium principal lost a couple of senior teachers to inter-continental moves and pregnancies. Without anywhere else to turn, she quickly assigned us the responsibilities that these teachers had dropped—specifically, we are now “Class Teachers” in the 5th Standard, which means we’re responsible for the progress of our classes, administering discipline, and being responsible for any extra activities that our classes may participate in. This also means that I now teach 4th and 5th standard English and English grammar, 5th standard Social Studies, and 8th standard GK (General Knowledge). Pamela teaches Maths, Social Studies, and 4th standard GK. Because of the drastically increased preparation time that goes along with these responsibilities and the extra teaching load during the day, we do not teach in the Gujarati medium anymore. We also work on our own in the classroom, because a lack of available teachers has prevented us from having co-teachers. Thus, all subsequent updates will be about our work solely in the English medium.

My class, 5-A, isn’t exactly huge (just 35 students) but it is disproportionate. Disproportionately full of little boys, that is. Out of 35, 28 are boys and 7 are girls. If only it were the other way around! My 7 girls are almost always wonderful, attentive, and well-behaved, while the boys mercilessly beat each other with any implements they can find (most often body parts, but sometimes pencils, rulers, compasses, water bottles, and so on). I assume this must partly be the influence of some of their teachers (I’ve witnessed one lady who teaches them after me walk around with a ruler in hand, whacking anyone who seems to need it), but this doesn’t make for a very smooth running class.

I’ve tried to implement some punishments for too much “beating” (as they call it) in the class, but these new tactics seem like a game opportunity to them, since they’re novel and, compared to getting hit with a ruler, fairly lenient. I tried to have any student I found beating each other write a phrase twenty times in their notebooks. The phrase was, “Violence always leads to more violence. I will not beat others because I do not want to be beaten.” It worked for a couple of days, but quickly became a fun way to rat out your friends and make fun of them for having to write it in their notebooks. Rather than discouraging the violence, it just resulted in gleeful cries of “Violence! Twenty times! Twenty times!” throughout the room. I’m still in the process of working out something more effective.

Anyway, to move on to a more specific update, I’m going to tackle the latest and greatest festival to roll through Surat: Christmas.

Chalo! Chalo! Chalo!

Chalo! This word can pretty much sum up the past five days. I don't think I've ever heard a word more in my entire life. I believe it is a combination of go, faster, move and come on. It was shouted at us constantly from every direction and mouth surrounding us for the past five days.

This past week Ms. Kathryn and I embarked on a journey to Rajasthan with 250 of our students. We were a bit apprehensive after hearing the other fellows filed Trip experiences, but we were excited nonetheless. This trip gave us the opportunity to see an incredible part of India, bond with fellow teachers and students, and even practice some language skills.



Around 8 PM it looked as if all of Kadod and the surrounding villages had come to the school courtyard to wish their farewells. We boarded our buses at 10 PM along with hundreds of worried, anxious parents who refused to leave their children's side until the bus left, be it on, or plastered against the side of the bus. Our bus began its 20hour journey at 12 p.m. We, of course, being teachers, had front-row seats. Also, in hindsight, not the greatest idea when you think about the proximity to the view of the road and speakers. It's not easy to describe just how terrifying Indian bus drivers are. Every single one of them owns the road, drives on any side they please and passes everything. There can be oncoming trucks with their lights flashing angrily at us, and we'll still pull into the lane to pass it. And no matter what time of night, no matter how far away from civilization, there are trucks and motorcycles and bicycles on the roads. Oh, and the roads are super bumpy. I'm pretty sure the one and only driving rule here is: everyone else yields to the biggest vehicle, because if you don't that will be the end of you. Buses basically yield to nothing, cars, trucks, bikes, motorcycles, rickshaws and vans yield to us. The only things that don't yield are cows and donkeys, so avoiding them consists of an immense swerve. One would think that a bus carrying double the maximum capacity of students would exercise a bit more caution. Not so much, the bus ride was 90 students hopped up on soda and candy taking part in a giant dance party accompanied by blasting Hindi tunes.

We weren't sure where our role as chaperons would lie, but we quickly discovered that we were also being chaperoned. The teachers were extremely worried for our safety, and thought that due to Rajasthan's location if we strayed from eyesight we would immediately be abducted. This slightly irrational, but sweet paranoia warranted constant supervision and personal body guards ranging from 10-14 years old. Our role in the group seemed to be more entertainment and fun for the students, rather than authority figures. We got to talk and hang out with our students outside of the classroom, which lead to a lot of joking and games. We attempted to make relationships with some of our naughtier students to hopefully alleviate some classroom management difficulties. They really made an effort to speak to us in English and help us in any way they could. They were not only body guards, but translators and guides. We saw incredible temples, museums, palaces, forts and awesome views.

After the exhausting trip we were ready to sleep in our own beds. Sleep deprived with runny noses, but satisfied with our journey. The trip was an amazing experience and left us with some great memories, loss of hearning, and some new friends.

Saying Goodbye Is Hard In Any Language

We recently attended a memorial service for one of our fellow Indian teachers that lost his wife. The two teachers at Madhi had formed a special bond with this teacher, and although we knew that our words could offer little comfort, we felt that our presence would be appreciated. We arrived in Bardoli, not really knowing what to expect, but as we approached the apartment building, we could see people gathered in the outdoor lobby of the building. One could not help but wonder how this experience would be different than what we would experience at a similar service in the US. It is amazing though how a sense of loss reveals our human nature, and that is a common tie that binds us all. It is in loss that our humanity is laid bare, and it is a common thread that unites us all and with which we can all relate.

We removed our shoes, and we greeted the teacher. His eyes had a sorrowful look, as one would expect, but there was a twinkle of gratitude as well. We introduced us to his son, and they were both very gracious as they introduced us to fellow family and friends. The male relatives had all shaved their hair to indicate a severance and remorse for the loss. Wife, mother, daughter, sister, niece, friend…..She was so much to so many people, and it also helps us in reflection of what role we play in the lives of people present in our own life. People sat around on rugs comforting each other- crying on shoulders, sharing stories and catching up with others that they may not see very often.

At the front of the room, there was a table with her picture surrounded with some incense and flowers. People would walk by to offer a kind word and to remember the good times and memories of a life that had ended too soon. We were then invited to join in a meal, and we sat on the rugs eating their generous offering. We were offered a spoon and a seat in a chair if we wished, but it did not feel right. We just wanted to blend in, if that is really possible, and not be treated as special guests, but rather as just concerned friends that had come to offer support in a time of grief. After the meal, we visited a bit longer, and then politely excused ourselves. The son escorted us to the bus station to make sure that we got on the proper bus- We appreciated it, but I am sure we would have felt better if he had spent the time with his family instead of making sure we were ok. We explained that to him, but he said his mom would have wanted him to help us. It was a fitting tribute to honor the loss of a loved one, as we can all appreciate how hard it can be to say goodbye- no matter the language.

*Out of respect for the family, no pictures were take at the memorial service.

Running For A Cause

Nanubhai Fellows have spent a lot of time this year working to start and improve libraries in their schools, and are interested in their continued success. The seed for these libraries was the generous donation and shipment of children's picture books from the US, but the Fellows have seen need for other types of materials in these rural classrooms.

Students are often presented with assignments that require research and even want to peruse the small libraries for books to support their assignments. As is often common in rural areas, up-to-date material like this is lacking. I recall the now famous story of 15-year old William Kamkwamba, who used rough plans from a library book to build working windmills to generate electricity for his house. Clearly, as picture books have been useful for closing the literacy gap for our students, access to current nonfiction will serve to narrow a similar gap.

In short, there are seven of us running our marathons to raise money to purchase three things: new books on specific topics of interest in the libraries at Madhi, Bajipura, and Kadod; computer encyclopedia software; and a computer for dedicated research use. We hope you will support our efforts to improve rural access to modern informational resources.

You can track our progress on our new blog: http://www.21k4kids.com/

Hard Work Pays Off

I am so excited to share with you successes we are seeing at Madhi HS! These past few weeks have been busy, to say the least. I have started getting comments from the other teachers; "Miss Kitty, you are always running here and there. Why don't you sit down and take rest?" Well, I wonder that myself sometimes but the generally insane way I rush about my days; crossing the courtyard of school to the library at least 15 times a day, has been worth while!

The Spoken English curriculum that we use in our schools is generally geared for a classroom size of 20 students. This would be ideal but I can't remember a single day in the last 6 months of my class meeting daily where this has been the case. I have a group of 35 regular attenders who are always eager and excited. Due to the size, I often have to tweak lesson plans here and there to adapt them to fit the needs of my class. Sometimes, my changes are a complete failure and I note to myself and for the fellows who will eventually replace me in this job, what has gone wrong. Other times, as with this last unit, there is sweet success. It has come with a price - my time - but, seeing those boys on the stage yesterday has made it all worthwhile. And, I would do it again.

We have been learning how, as groups, to prepare a lesson plan or a public service announcement and to try and give it during the school day. I split my large class into several groups and gave them all subjects that they could write on. We had just been talking about how to give advice as well as how to stay healthy during the H1N1 crisis/flu season. On top of having a pretty large class, the students in it are all at very different language levels. I really wanted to challenge some of them and expect a lot from them knowing that they were fully capable of the task. I chose a group of 5 boys; Dhaval, Meet, Krunal, Nirmal and Rahul plus the "Advisor", Ashok, to present a public service announcement to the school during morning assembly. When I told them where they would be presenting their speech their eyes got big and in them I saw not only apprehension, but excitement.

The big day arrived. After many run throughs both in our class and Lyndi's 9th standard class, I knew that they were ready. Sitting nervously on the stage while the morning prayer was being sung, I saw a few of their mouths moving in rehearsal of their lines. Finally, it was their turn. My stomach turned a little and I realized that I was nervous for them. Well, I needn't have been because they were all perfection. Confidently, they stood in front of their peers, their principal and their teachers, speaking their lines clearly and self-assuredly. Their hard work was met by large applause and congratulations throughout the day and my pride in them grew as the day went on.

Many teachers came up to me throughout the day to tell me that I had been a very good English coach to the boys; my co-teachers were impressed by the level of language confidence and growth in students they have worked with for many years.

The Nanubhai program is seeing successes every day in Gujarat. Some days, we are frustrated by the challenges but even through them, we are seeing successes large and small. Today was a huge accomplishment for my Spoken English class and the hours spent working with these students seems like such a minor detail. This is the impact I am seeing at Madhi High School before one year is even completed, before the test results are even in, and before I have stepped backed to evaluate the progress of the students Lyndi and I work with here. The confidence it took for these boys to stand and speak in a language not their own in front of upwards of 600 people is a great success both for them and Nanubhai.

Imagine what we could do given a few more years, dedicated teachers, and the support of our community both here in India and abroad?

Watch the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6mrY17OQ24

An unfortunate coincidence

Today I was given a new name. Why? It’s a funny story that I will tell, but only because I have a tendency to be self-deprecating. Promise not to laugh too hard at my expense. Promise? Okay…

In Gujarati, Lyndi means . . . . ready for this? . . . . goat poop. Yep. Goat poop. You just can’t make that stuff up. Hilarious, I know. Okay, stop laughing! I almost didn’t believe Meghan when she came home from school and told me that her principal laughs hysterically every time my name comes up in conversation. She finally asked what was so funny and he replied “In Gujarati Lyndi is poop of the goat!”

I couldn’t believe it! Why people neglected to tell me this until my 6 month here (my 6th day would have been preferable) is beyond me. I went to school to ask the teachers I work with if it was true; surely they would have told me of this unfortunate coincidence. In the staff room I leaned in to the teachers that sit next to me and said quietly “So, in Gujarati my name means….” and they began laughing. “Who told you?!” they asked. Awesome, I thought. It is true.

Apparently people didn’t want to tell me, fearing that I would feel bad about sharing my name with a goat’s excrement. A valid reason I suppose, but in hindsight I feel pretty bad about walking around proclaiming that I am goat poop for the last 6months. I guess if anything, I’m not surprised at all. I’ve known since I was ten that my name is unusual and causes problems (“your name is Cindy/Mindy/Wendy/Lyndsey??). So now, this just confirms it. Again, thanks Mom.

From now I may be introducing myself as Lena, as suggested by an Indian teacher here. I like this new name, but I don’t know if I can embrace it. I still like my old name, despite its unfortunate meaning. I recently began teaching two new 5th standard classes and I hesitated before introducing myself as Lyndi, knowing that a 5th standard student’s sense of humor would capitalize on such an opportunity to laugh. After both saying and writing my name on the board I cringed, waiting for an eruption of laughter, but there was none. Perhaps they waited until I left the class to die of laughter, or perhaps, it isn’t that big of a deal. As a teacher at my school told me “Have no tension….don’t worry, be happy.” So, I will happily proclaim that I am, in fact, goat poop.

Women are Goddesses all over the World, but Particularly in India!

India is going through the slow transition from a traditional culture into the new “modern” model of society established by the trends of the west. This process of modernization is said to free and liberate women and give them a productive place within society, not that being a mother is no work it all, but we all know how little respect women are shown for the single most difficult and important job in the world.

At school I get the inside view of the modernizing women of India. There are three most popular things that occur in the staff room, the first being sleeping, one elbow on the table as a pillow then a much needed snoozing session occurs. Second is sharing food, their status at school seems somewhat linked to their ability to create the delicious Gujarati delicacies. Lastly, they indulge in buying new saris and jewelry that are being adored and admired around the staff room.

Sleep is the most important activity at school in any free moment. The teachers are mothers that provide direction, love, food, homework help and many other things. They are wives that provide breakfast, lunch, and dinner and keep a clean presentable home and a lovely glowing appearance. They are also care givers for their husband’s parents. Finally they are teachers that provide instruction to rambunctious classes with over seventy students in each.

My co-teacher wakes up at 5:30am to prepare breakfast and lunch for her family. She then receives her students that take private coaching sessions with her, this takes 2 hours and it is over 30 students in total. She then provides and eats breakfast with her family, changes into her sari, and comes to school. At school teachers are responsible for around 6 class periods a day. By the end of the day her voice is tired and cracking from talking over all her students. When she goes home she prepares dinner, eats dinner, cleans up from dinner, and then for enjoyment she cuts vegetables for the next day, while watching TV. She admits that sometimes she falls asleep at 8:30pm. She woks 6 days a week and now on the seventh day she is busy trying to find her middle daughters’ future husband, which means entertaining guests every Sunday, while buying and arranging vegetables from the weekly market.

Women in the US also work and cook, but usually food preparation is easier and takes less labor and time. Many Americans fill restaurants on all nights of the week and there are so many easy fixes that are available for consumption. Also in the US many women receive help from the husband in cooking and cleaning, whereas here I was actually lectured about how Drew, our fellow teacher, should not be doing dishes because it is not nice for a man to do this job. In India cooking a meal means dicing and cutting vegetables and making fresh rothi (bread) for every meal. Although these women are busy preparing food for their large families, they also manage to bring in delicious dishes for all the members of our staff. It is in their nature to make others happy. They don’t just bring their deliciously prepared dishes for their own consumption, but share it with all the staff, men and women included.

Women on my staff are given very few chances to indulge. While many men may sit around at night chatting and playing games, women are inside putting all things are in order for the next day. Women are asked to work without complaint and they should find happiness in the small things.
At first I didn’t understand the obsession with elaborate saris and so much jewelry to decorate oneself, but then I realized that this is their one selfish enjoyment. A husband approves of a nice looking woman and at school they are required to wear saris, so women are given a free pass to indulge in the art of decorating one’s appearance. Teachers bring saris in to sell to one another. Each and every day in the staff room there is a chance for them to shop and indulge in their passion.

As I watched the time and energy and enthuisiasm about one piece of cloth, I was confused by how enamored the women were with the saris. My first word in Gujarati was “bo fine che” or very nice, which is spoken over and over while the women sort through the bright and colorful saris. It appears to me that nearly all the free time that is not spent eating or sleeping is spent making oneself beautiful through buying new saris and large gold jewelry. Women in India ease the difficulty of their life with the jovial colors and the glimmering jewels adorning their face, necks, and hands.

Women everywhere are worked too hard and depended on by so many, but in India it is to the extreme. The traditional part of the society is making their role as the care giver of the family the most important part of their life. In a good Indian household the mom should be preparing all meals and maintaining the house. The modernization of India is also telling women that they need to be making money so that they can raise their status, keep up with the material goods available, and better educate one’s family. All these things require money and many women are leaving the house to earn this extra money. This place in society leaves women in India tired and overworked, but still looking beautiful. While I think women in the western world have outrageous expectations for all we are supposed to achieve, I do believe Indian working women are the most beautiful and amazing goddesses in the whole world because they work extremely hard both in the home and at work and manage to stay in good spirit the whole time. Maybe they recieve their strength from God or maybe from their favorite hobby, sari shopping: )

Opening Doors to a New World

We opened the library at our school in Bajipura this week. A big thanks goes out to all of the people that had a hand in the process- soliciting and collecting book donations, shipping the books to India, and the people that helped to organize and categorize the books. I had the pleasure of being there to witness the culmination of the hard work. The children and staff sincerely extend their gratitude to all who made this venture possible.

Books are special, not only for the written content, which in some instances can be very powerful, but also for the memories. This is especially true for children’s books, and many of us can remember those initial steps we took of reading a favorite book- sounding out the words and slowly stumbling through it. There was a sense of accomplishment, as well as a sense of wonder. Books opened up a new world for us- there were dinosaurs, fairies, trucks, princesses, and knights in shining armor- Disney, Winnie the Pooh, Dr. Seuss, and Little Engines that Could…….There was no end to the possibilities, and I don’t think those feelings ever end either. While sorting through the books, I was able to read some of them, and it was just a good feeling- Yes, it made me happy and more self confident in my reading skills ;) No, the feelings and memories that they bring about. It was a time of innocence, and we read for the joy of reading- not because it was assigned or there would be a test over the material.
It seems that kids are magically drawn to books, and I am sure that it is because their minds can run wild with the new worlds before them. Books also create memories of childhood, and I found this especially true of the Christmas books. There are not too many signals that Christmas is just around the corner, but one can not help but read, Twas the Night Before Christmas, and not be sucked up in the memories of hearing it as a child and the eager anticipation that accompanied it around the holiday season. It sucks you in, and the sights, sounds, and smells come flooding back to create an atmosphere that even the most skilled movie producers would have a hard time replicating. Books are life, and they have always been there for us through the good and bad times- those memories are forever captured in the books that shared those experiences with us. I know these books will create memories for the children here in India as well. They will remember reading their first English book, and they will remember the magical worlds that were opened up through the books. One never knows how these initial sparks will turn out- some of them will definitely turn into wildfires of seeking knowledge and expanding world views.

Again, on behalf of all the teachers and students over here, I would like the say thanks to all those that made this library possible. I think the smiles say it all :)

Silent Protectors

Do you notice anything strange about this picture? I did not notice anything either at first. It is our staff room at school, and I sit there on a daily basis waiting for my next class period. In fact, I am sitting in the room right now typing this blog. I would hear an occasional squeak, but I thought it was probably just the ceiling fan or a wayward cricket. One of the other teachers noticed me looking around after a particularly noisy squeak one day, and he said that it was bats. I really did not think that was the case. How could bats be behind those pictures? The pictures sit flush against the wall, and they are only about an inch thick. He proceeded to climb up on a chair, and tilted the picture out away from the wall. Sure enough, there were several bats clustered behind the picture. He gently let the picture go back against the wall and shrugged his shoulders. We have bats back in Indiana, but they are generally viewed from afar as they are darting about in the night catching insects. It is a rare occasion for me to see one up close in a roosting position. I am sure they are all around me at home, but I am just too oblivious to notice. It was a real treat to see them huddling behind the picture though- waiting for night to come, so that they could begin their hunt for insects.

It made me think about the benefits that bats do bring to India and the people living here. Yes, bats can carry disease, with rabies being one of the most feared. They can make a mess with their feces, which may also prove to be a breading ground for disease and harmful bacteria. I think the benefits outweigh the detriments though, and we are fortunate to have them. I am no bat expert, but I have seen two types of bats during my short stay in India so far. The smaller bats, like the ones in the staff room, tend to eat insects. This is a great benefit, as people are much more likely to contract an insect born disease here rather than a disease from the bats. These insect borne diseases are a constant problem in India, and they include malaria, dengue fever, chikungunya fever, and Japanese encephalitis to name a few. Mosquitoes are a constant problem in India, and there is really no cold winter in most parts to provide total relief from the danger they present. The bats do a nice job of helping to naturally control the insect population- eating up to 3,000- 7,000 insects in a given night, and in turn the diseases that come with them.

The second type of bat that I have seen is a much larger bat- reaching lengths over a foot long, and it is a fruit bat. When we are running in the morning, they can be seen flying along the river to get back to their trees before the sun comes up. Yes, they do eat fruit, but I think the pollination process that they help facilitate more than makes up for the fruit that they eat. It would be a very expensive and time consuming process for farmers to pollinate their fruit trees, so I am sure they are willing to pay the bats in fruit for the service they provide.

It has been an interesting learning experience for me. It is something that I have seen on National Geographic shows, but it has now become an up close reality for me. It makes me wonder what other things are all around me, but I have just never taken the time to notice……

Greetings from Kadod

Hello readers-Addaia here, also known as Sofia to the many residents of Kadod. After growing up in the US with a strange name containing far too many vowels, It's nothing new for people to have trouble with my name, so a "pet name" was only fitting. Luckily for me, Sofia is also an Indian name, which has avoids the past twenty years of difficult name exchanges. Now, the challenge will be the rest of the conversation and learning all of my students Indian names. As a Nanubhai fellow, my own passion and commitment stems from a solid belief in the empowering and redistributive impact education can have on communities. Almost a month into my program, I'm adapting to the rhythms of life in a small village in rural india. That's not to say that each day doesn't leave me bewildered, amazed or both.

The educational problems in India are heightened by severe gender and social class disparities, along with high drop-out rates, an emphasis on memorization in order to pass state exams over real learning, and inadequate resources. Our formal teaching duties do not permit us the flexibility to even attempt to break any of these educational barriers, but spoken English gives children this unique opportunity that the regular school day does not. It gives any student in standard 9 the free opportunity to have individual attention with a curriculum geared towards learning as opposed to memorization. Not only is it my favorite part of the day, but reaffirms my purpose as a teacher.

In an attempt to acquire more students in spoken English, since our numbers had been dwindling before Diwali vacation, we decided that the best way to attract more students would be spoken English games and icebreakers. Playing educational games not only captivated the children's attention, but coaxed them into speaking unconsciously. It also worked as intended in attracting other student's curiosity seeing what a blast spoken English could be. Luckily, it worked. Not only has our class attendance tripled, I had the unique opportunity to see our students unique personalities expressed in English. I was extremely impressed by their ability to make jokes and general commentary on the activities.

Hit the Road!

Some of the Nanubhai Fellows are hitting the road, literally, in hopes of earning money for rural education. A group of 6 Fellows have set their sights on running a Half Marathon in February with the hope of earning money for every kilometer ran on race day.

After running my first marathon in 2006 I decided that I would either run one Full or two Half Marathons every year. I’m not sure how to explain my attraction to doing something most people would consider a punishment, but nonetheless, I continue to run even here in India. My roommates call me a masochist, and maybe so, but misery loves company and so I enlisted them to join me.

Training for a major race in America can be hard enough; running in India sometimes feels impossible. As we have already experienced, the obstacles can be great. Earlier in the year we were faced with extreme heat, punishing humidity, and finally, mass amounts of rain during the monsoon season. It has also been difficult to find good places to run; there are no jogger friendly trails here. The main roads are extremely dangerous and so we started scouting good routes on less traveled roads that cut through the thick sugar cane fields. Nutrition is now becoming a problem as our mileage increases. We are on vegetarian diets that don’t provide us with enough calories or protein to sustain all that we demand of our bodies. I am starving one hour after eating breakfast!

So here we are; 6 of us in 3 different cities in rural India. We are all training for the same race, all with the same hopes that running a few miles can make a difference in the life of at least one student. Soon we hope to have our own blog spot where interested people can follow our training, feel our pain, and hopefully get involved in our goal of providing assistance to a well-deserving student. Just like our students, we will keep our eyes on the future and continue to work hard despite all the obstacles and pain that we face.

India Solves World Energy Crisis- Harnesses Its Most Precious Resource- Its Children.....

While I make the statement tongue-in-cheek, one cannot help but be drawn in by the extreme energy that the kids radiate. It comes through in the way they participate in class, talk, play…….It starts early in the morning, and it does not end until classes are over- not even then, because we have spoken English classes after school. They are quick to offer an answer to a question, and sometimes the hardest part is choosing which student to call upon to answer. While we are walking home, after a long day, they are still chasing each other and playfully bopping each other on the back of the head. Isn’t that what being a kid is all about? Putting in the hard work and time at school, but not forgetting that you still are a kid, and nuclear energy does not even come close to the energy reserves inside.

Being a teacher, it poses a challenge, as it is necessary to maintain order in the classroom, yet it is nice to have so much creativity and enthusiasm being exhibited. This week, in honor of Thanksgiving, we took part in the long cherished tradition of creating “hand turkeys”. I think most people can recall the fond memories of tracing their hand and decorating their special turkey for the holiday. It made me recall the Harry Chapin song though, “Flowers Are Red,” and it made me think about the challenges of guiding students while still preserving their unique individual characteristics and zeal for learning. We had bright green turkeys, pink turkeys, crazy feathers, and hats decorating the turkeys. It is really amazing to witness unfettered creativity being displayed without fear of being corrected.

While the energy that these children provide may not be able to generate electricity for lighting buildings or fuel to power cars, it is still a very real energy. It is this passion and excitement for learning and life that will help India continue to grow and develop in the years to come. While they may not solve the current energy needs of India, they most certainly have the power to generate a very bright future.

Reduce Waste

In standard 9 this past week, we have been learning about reducing waste and keeping our environment clean. For those of you that have been to India, you know that trash bins are few and far between and when you do see them, they are usually empty with piles of tobacco chew wrappers, paper and other miscellaneous trash littered all over the ground around it. While waste reduction and an environmental conscience don't seem to be taking all too quickly in rural Gujarat and many other parts of India, at least they are making an effort to teach about it in the classrooms, right? I am a firm believer in both our responsibility to the environment and in my responsibility as a teacher to educate students; encouraging them to think outside the box and to use the all their faculties to make good decisions.

As a homework assignment this week, I had the kids make posters highlighting which ways they could keep their environments clean as well as which things they should not do. Their textbook listed things like Don't throw trash on the ground. Do use the dustbin. Do reuse plastic bags and bottles to reduce waste. Don't dump trash into the river.

Because any homework we assign doesn't count towards their final marks in any way, a very large majority don't feel any need to complete homework for my classes. The last assignment I gave them was completed by about 7 students out of 70; all of them girls but one. This is disheartening; annoying at best. We often end up doing the homework during class time which may take away from the text work but at least is giving me time to work one on one with the students. While I am trying to instill class responsibility to your teacher (me), I am also asserting (attempting to) more authority in class by being more strict with my punishments.

Friday came. Reduce Waste poster due. One girl made a poster.

Disciplinary action needed. Kitty teacher the enforcer is prepared for such an outcome.

My punishment for those that did not hand in the assignment (I should note that this assignment was not totally one that I added to the unit's work. They were going to have to write all of these Do's and Don'ts later in the Unit - answers found directly in the reading!) was to have them clean up the school yard of all the candy wrappers and trash they guiltlessly litter in trails behind them. We started by cleaning up the classroom which has their recess remnants scattered around it. The dustbin sits nearly empty by the door.

Let me remind you of the first Do on the list....Do use the dustbin.

I am monitoring the progress of the class along with my trusty co-teacher enforcer, Vijaybhai when I notice several boys hurriedly picking up the trash. They seem diligent and intent on finishing the task; which is to not only pick up the trash but to also put it in the dustbin. When I gave the instructions for the punishment, I may have failed to mention after "Pick up the trash from the classroom floor" to tell them that once they had, to put it in the dustbin. My bad, apparently. I watched, awed, as Hardik threw his handful of wrappers OUT THE WINDOW!!

So, maybe the Reduce Waste lesson is going to have to be ongoing. BUT!, I am dedicated to seeing at least my students using the dustbin and consciously doing it. It's my new mission. Think I'll be successful? I'll let you know in a few months...

The Most Insane Vacation of My Life

So I came home early from school today in order to prepare for my journey with the school. There is something quite exciting and at the same time unnerving about accepting an invitation to go on a trip in which you have no idea what the agenda is, exactly how to prepare mentally, and not even knowing the appropriate things to pack. I knew very little about what I was undertaking, but I did learn that I would be going to a water park, some temples, and maybe a few mountains. The number of days I would be gone was also quite vague to me.

I packed the usual items, but I also packed five days worth of food to nourish me for the entire journey. I have learned to fear getting sick, while travelling here in India. After a horrific month of stomach problems due to a trip to Delhi, I was not going to take any chances. With all my bags in tow I wandered down to the high school already feeling ready for bed, as we were leaving nearly at 9pm.

Upon arriving to the school I found that this was an event for all of Bajipura. The whole village arrived to bid farewell to their family and friends. We were taking around 100 students and around 500 people were there to say goodbye. The goodbyes included coming onto the bus and creating great confusion and craziness. The small aisles of the bus were crowded with parents anxiously scoping out what would become their child’s new home for the next few days.

We started down the highway with the kids screaming in excitement and blowing the extremely loud musical bus horns until we were out of town. Soon after that we heard another scream from the kids as the bus driver began blaring familiar popular Hindi songs in the bus. As soon as the music started the requests started for me to get up and dance in the bus aisles. I feel it would be dangerous to dance in bus aisles in any country, but on Indians curvy, sometimes out of shape roads and additionally all the crazy drivers, this was nearly a death sentence or at least risking serious injury to partake in dancing.

Once I realized there was no relaxing with a dance party occurring in the bus, I also was informed that this was to be a night journey. “Oh perfect a night journey, let’s get to the sleeping,” I thought. As I started to tune out all the noise and attempted to close my eyes. My hopes were soon crushed as I realized that I didn’t really fit in the seat. My luggage sitting at my feet was already giving me some anxiety, but I also realized that my knees were also scrunched against the barrier at the front of the bus. The teachers informed me that I could go to the back, where the boys were literally screaming, to lay across two seats. The boys made room for me and welcomed me by asking me a long series of questions, “What’s your mother’s name?” “What’s your father’s name?” I felt like I only seconds ago closed my eyes go to sleep when the bus was stopped and everyone told me to get out. At three o’clock in the morning my eyes were nearly completely shut and I was stumbling up the steps to a food hotel. I was greeted with,“ Teacher is there something wrong?” “What happened teacher?” “You’re tired teacher.” After all of this I could only think “Yes, and why are you not tired and grumpy, IT IS THREE AT NIGHT!” The teachers told me to sit down and I was served a cup of tea, which I knew was not going to help me fall asleep any faster.

We arrived the next day at four thirty in the morning. Except for a handful of kids there was no sleeping that took place on our bus. At most the kids had an hour of sleep under their belts. I began thinking of the nightmarish outcomes with teenagers facing no sleep, but the kids were all chipper as we went to take bucket showers. There were only a total of two showers to be shared by all fifty of us. It was amazing to me that there was no one complaining and all the girls happily got ready in the dirty and crowded position that we were in.

The first morning we made our way to a Shiva temple. As I was waiting in line to enter the temple I bent down to touch the steps just as all the students had done, but as I stood up I clobbered my head against the tiny archway leading into the temple. This happened in the midst of the woman, behind me in line, pushing me with her entire body. There is nothing more awkward than a woman pelvis bumping you in order to push her way to God. As I banged my head I heard on the announcements, “Please maintain the peace by not talking loudly and maintaining the calm atmosphere.” As I heard this I was ready to scream the most profane word as my head was pounding from the collision. Fighting stars in my head and tears in my eyes I made my way to God Shiva.

I realize that my writing about this trip is sounding quite negative, but really it was the biggest cultural experience that I have had in India. This trip was extremely eye opening because I was completely isolated from any foreigners and I really became independent in a, “cultural stretch,” as I have named it. Not knowing the language and never knowing where I should go and when the next time I would eat and sleep was, is both trying but also made me stretch my patience and cultural sensitivity. I had to let go of all expectations and just take in each experience both with all its craziness and the negative down falls, but also taking in the extraordinary pleasure of the people I was with and the places I got to see. By the end of the trip although I had slept three days on the floor of a bus amidst stinking feet and people stepping on me and was not always in the most pleasant mood, I also was learning Gujarati in order to fend for myself and was learning incredible flexibility and patience.

I was most amazed with the students. While I sometimes felt like I was on the verge of a small break down due to lack of sleep and the difficult conditions, the kids were extremely positive the whole time. They slept in a hospital, which was rumored to have swine flu infected patients, without saying much of anything. They waited in long lines in temples to be pushed past the deities in less than seconds due to the amount of people. They waited for meals patiently and stayed positive while they were falling out of their seats and sleeping with the necks cramped in ridiculous positions. They never complained about anything being dull or boring, but took each new experience with highest level of enthusiasm. I stressed about losing the students with no emergency procedures in place and very little knowledge of when we should meet up, yet the students always came together in a reasonable amount of time and truly looked out for each other and as a result we faced no major issues.

I have always been known as a bubbly positive person, but after this I truly realized that after four days of sleepless nights that I could not even hold a candle to my Indian counterparts who were still dancing in the aisles as the bus was flying around corners and the kids were also flying through the bus. The enthusiasm to experience the newness of different places and the ability to stay positive regardless of the challenges is something I truly want to learn from this experience. I am always grateful for new experiences, but I want to try and emulate the students and teachers of Bajipura High School in the positive and zealous way they approached the most insane vacation of my life.

Welcome to Bajipura

Along with welcoming the New Year recently (according to the Hindu calendar) the teaching Fellows at Bajipura also welcomed Drew Tilson, the newest addition to the Nanubhai teaching staff. Drew hails from Indiana and has been a great addition to the school in Bajipura. Drew gained a wealth of experience while working in China at Sias International University for three years. He enjoys traveling and learning about new cultures which is part of what led him to India. I sat down with Drew to enjoy a cup of chai and to talk about his experiences thus far.

Lyndi: You’ve been in India for about 4 weeks now. What are your thoughts on your new home, such as the food, the climate, the people, etc.?

Drew: It has really been enjoyable; the people and food have been fantastic. The weather has been nice too, especially since it is getting cold back in Indiana now. I am learning and seeing new things everyday which I really enjoy.

Lyndi: What have your experiences been like in the classroom?

Drew: The kids have been very energetic and excited to learn. It is great to see so much passion; when I ask questions in class hands go up all over the room and students always wants to show me what they can do.

Lyndi: How does teaching in India differ from teaching in China?

Drew: They are similar in that you can see that passion and hunger for learning, but in India the passion is much more apparent. My university students in China were also eager to learn, but they were more reserved. The students I am teaching in India are younger and their energy levels are very high. It is difficult sometimes to teach in an ESL environment, but the students and their efforts make it worth every second.

Lyndi: What do you hope your students will learn from you?

Drew: Learning is a lifelong process, and it does not finish once they are out of school. I hope they continue to ask question and grow in their knowledge of the world around them.

A Thanksgiving without the Macy's Day Parade

The last two months living in India have been full to the brim with festivals. All of them interesting, full of sweets and quite the experience. At home in New York, families are listening to Christmas music, singing “I’ll be home for Christmas”, baking pumpkin pies and celebrating our own types of festivals. While I miss my family and friends and the smell of fresh snow fall as it twinkles from the woods behind my parent’s house, it’s almost hard to imagine that at this moment, my sister is baking a cheesecake, my brother is home from college, the air has a chill to it and someone is forgetting to make the green bean casserole because I’m not there to remind them. There is no chill in the air in India in November although, Kushboo might tell you differently as she sits in my class wearing the thickest fleece I’ve ever seen. I told her today she makes me hot just looking at her. But, the other essentials that make the holidays so important have still been present in rural India this week.

Taiyaba and her family in Kadod were kind enough to open up their home, for the second year, to the Nanubhai fellows so we could prepare a “proper” Thanksgiving feast. It was a day of improvisation, ingenuity, creativity and family. The turkey was substituted by a “free range” chicken; freshly slaughtered and prepared in a toaster oven and the “smashed” potatoes were expertly mashed by Taiyaba’s daughters who were happy to be able to take charge of part of the preparations. In our little tiffin lunch boxes, the apple pies baked to perfection; the smell of cinnamon wafting out our apartment door and into the warm afternoon sunshine. Drew did his manly part in the kitchen by opening the cans of cranberry sauce with a knife and a little elbow grease. Soon, the table was full of food; a stray goat wandering in from the yard to watch the commotion and then, to add to it.

I thought of my family throughout the day. I missed working in the kitchen with my mom and carrying out the traditions that have been in place since I can remember. I missed the commotion of my big, Polish family. Still, with our feast before us, we all went around the room and said what we were thankful for; at Taiyaba’s urging. This year, I personally, have so much to be thankful for. This experience will always stand out as a highlight in my life and the friends we’ve made continue to change our perspectives daily.

When it came to my turn to say what I was thankful for, I thought of my mom, who sent so many of the ingredients for our Thanksgiving dinner. She always welcomed the neighbor from next door who had no family in the area to eat with us, or the family in the church who maybe couldn’t afford a big meal for the holidays. This year, I was the one in the guest’s seat, feeling blessed to be a part of the family, overwhelmed by the kindness, thankful for the smell of stuffing, my new friends around me and my family back home. It was a new and different experience and a little like cooking a holiday meal with all the accouterments available while on a camping trip but, it was a great time and I just wanted to take the opportunity to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving and encourage you to consider all the ways you are blessed this year.

A Swine Flu Parade

It all began with the arrival of 3 government trucks decorated with Swine Flu posters at around 11 one morning. I wondered what this could possibly be about. Had they finally come for the American teachers who were in the newspaper for their possible H1N1 infection? Were we in for a long assembly on health during Swine Flu season in India? My questions were answered just after lunch by my new housemate/co-worker, Addaia, who returned from her class 20 minutes early saying something about a Swine Flu parade. Confused and excited for another weird Kadod event, I emerged from my house to find this scene in the courtyard:


It seemed that the government officials were there to raise awareness in rural Gujarat on the H1N1 virus. What better way to do this, of course, than a parade of 300 excited 9th grade students through all of Kadod. Each student was equipped with a sign and they were off. Of course, as this was a parade in India, much of the marching was done next to speeding cars and trucks.


After about 10 minutes, the students had a wonderful idea to begin chanting things like "Swine Fluki, hi hi!" and "H1N1, hey hey!" It was an amazingly entertaining experience for students and teachers alike.


What better way to begin a second semester of teaching at Kadod High School?

The Guidebook: The Evil Guidebook

Some how one book that is meant to help the students with their studies has been one of the largest deterrents for student learning in my classroom here in India. This book is for cheating in the class and on the exam. All of the writings of the textbook are translated into Gujarati, which is the most useful part of the book. Where the book takes a turn for the worst is when all of the assignments and questions that are in the textbook are all answered in the guidebook. This completely eliminates all student thought. Students become expert copiers. Students simply copy the question and the answer from the guidebook for all assignments given by their Indian teachers. Teachers check student notebooks for completion of all assignments in the textbook, but really there has been no completion, since students have only been copying all the answers not actually processing any of what is written.

In order to curb the culture of copying I have tried to assign writing assignments that are not found in the guidebook. Many students are confused about the assignments because they are only used to copying for the guidebook. These new assignments bring out student laziness and then in the end the assignments that induce thought are not even completed. As I scan through student notebooks I am puzzled because very few students have any of the class work I have assigned or any homework in their notebooks. They only have the meticulously copied guidebook written in their notebooks.

After correcting seventy six notebooks from my 9A class, I went on a copying and guidebook tirade. I wrote some Spanish sentences on the board and I asked students to copy this into their notebooks 10 times. After completing this I asked them to tell me what this means. Students looked at me with confused glances. I said as many times as you copy something you are not going to learn it, so simply copying from the guidebook is not resulting in your learning.

Although I went on this rant I don’t know what affect it will have. The first essay I was assigned to teach, I launched into a large brainstorming session and gave students an easy framework for creating a simple, but well written essay about their village. As I corrected their essay notebooks I was expecting to see my framework being put to use, but alas there is also an essay guidebook and as a result I read 76 of the exact same essays. At first I naively said to the teacher that “All these essays are copied should they receive credit for this work.” To which the teacher replied, “Yes, they receive credit, it is from their essay guidebook.”

The guidebook tragedy goes even further. My co-teacher pulled out a small book that was in English. I asked her about the book and she informed it is a small guidebook. We both started laughing to point of tears, since her and both know the negative impact that this book is having on student learning. She said sadly, but also through laughter that this book is made so students can sneak it into the exam room in their pockets.

This lack of learnign saddens me. I have a passion for real teaching that creates real student learning. In some ways I realize that this guidebook is their sad and true reality. Many students come into eighth standard without the ability to read English. They are reading material at about the fifth or sixth grade level of the United States, which is nowhere in their reach. Without memorizing the material there would be no way they could come close to passing the exam. For many students memorizing or even cheating is the only way that they will be able to move on in school. In order to rid the evil of the guidebook the whole system must be changed. Since each semester is based on the completion of a large exam, the focus cannot be on genuine student learning, but about preparing for the high stakes testing. For a tenth standard student passing the exam is the only way to move onto higher secondary school. If they fail this exam they must wait a year and retake it or just stop going to school. Passing the exams becomes the most important thing to these students regardless of the fact that their ability is way under the level of the exam they have to fight to be able to pass. Memorizing the guidebook becomes their only weapon, besides copying during the exam.

Where is the light at the end of the dark guidebook tunnel? I guess only through education reform can we really impact language learning here in Gujarat. At this point making large reforms in the education system is a bit beyond my position or authority, but I will try to do my small part and encourage the students to think for themselves during my classes.