The Girls are Growing in Confidence

The weeks leading up to the Spoken English drama completion were intense. The most intensity was coming from my afternoon girls’ class. They were so ambitious; they wanted to undertake a play, a dance, and a song. The girls wanted to come to my house to practice on the weekends and each and every day they would ask me, “What are we going to wear teacher.” We stayed late every class preparing decorations and perfecting the play and the dance. I encouraged their ambition and excitement to want to perform on stage.

These bold girls are completely out of the ordinary for Bajipura High School. In my 9A class each and every day I have to fight with the girls to answer questions. I will ask a question and there will be around 20 hands that shoot up from the boys’ side. They squirm in their seat and make pleading noises, but I look at the girls’ side and there is never a single hand in the air. They will never volunteer to participate in class activities and even if their name is mentioned sometimes they become embarrassed and put their head down on their desk. I am continually asking the girls to show their bravery. On one occasion I asked them to make a loud tough sound, so they could show me their strength and courage. Around two students participated in this silly activity and the other students sat in their seats looking flushed.

It is completely different with my Spoken English girls. They are in a classroom of their own with no boys to compete with and their confidence in English is growing every day. Girls throughout the school are serious about their studies, but they only keep their nose in their books and do not speak their knowledge. My girls are achieving great things because they are both hard working like the other girls, but also confident enough to speak what they know.

I enjoy my morning and afternoon classes equally, but I really wanted my girls’ afternoon class to win the drama competition. It was more difficult for my girls; their skill level is not as high as many of the boys in my morning class. They also do not have the natural acting skills that the over confident and expressive boys have. Even though they were the underdogs, they worked so hard I thought they might be able to finish first.

On competition day all the groups performed well. They all came on the stage and gave their best performances. All classes did their best, except my girls’ class. Although the boys have had so many experiences being the leaders of the classroom and of the school, for many of the girls this was their first time on stage. I think my girls’ class could not do their best because they did not have the practice that the boys have had speaking in front of the whole school.

As the winners of the completion were announced I had butterflies in my stomach. Third place went to Drew’s boys class, and then second place went Drew’s boys class, when they were going to announce first I just knew that my girls had lost. Sure enough they announced the winner as my morning class. I wanted to be happy for my students, but I looked over at my girls and could see them crushed by the announcement.

My first thought was that this was going to ruin the girls’ aspiration to be leaders in their school. I was so nervous that this experience may be their last time stepping out and taking a chance to work hard for their success as leaders of their school community. In fact, it turned out that their reaction was quite the opposite. I had a copy of their dance, song, and play recorded and they ask me each and every day when they can have the video of their performance. Many of the girls told me that their parents were so proud of them and in their faces I can see the pride they have in themselves. I truly feel like I have contributed to these girls stepping out of the quiet and reserved mold that Indian girls so often fit. After this experience I hope these girls will step up and be the leaders for other girls. Soon maybe more girls will start performing at the top of their class and pursuing the same professions as the boys. It is amazing how one small leadership opportunity can change a child’s view of them self.