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.