Written by Barkha.
Que Sera Sera,
Whatever will be will be-
The future’s not ours to see,
Que Sera Sera…
My mother has been a teacher for as long as I can remember. I also remember never wanting to step into her shoes knowing how much I struggled through school and feeling that I was the kind of student that must have weighed my mother down! I guess for a teacher’s daughter I had always been a misfit. I was not really good at Math or Science, neither was I topping the class year each year like my sister. I was simply waiting for school to be over till it was actually over. It came as a surprise to anyone who had known me in my childhood that I would actually want to study further after this. The last year at Bookworm has completely altered my feelings about going back into school.
While I was never an A+ or even an A child but at the Primary level I had some of the most amazing teachers who made learning so much fun. When I first came to Bookworm and observed Sujata’s Std. 1 I could see myself in many of the students in the class. Over the months I have learnt many a things from Sujata. Most of all I have learnt to be patient at every step as we read and learn with the children.
When I first took over the lead for Std. 1 I was very worried. I felt like I may not ever be able to live up to the children’s expectations. Over the months the children have trusted and allowed me to come into their space. I have learnt many of their names and they have learnt ours. With only about 18 of them, I have learnt little unique things and habits of many of them too.
We have read several stories together. Some were about animals, about family, about the weather, about going to school, about almost everything. Today we read a story called ‘What Will The Weather Be Like Today?’ It was a story about experiencing different types of weather and we played the weather enactment game where the children had to act out the weather conditions as I called out the weather type. We had rainy, snowy, windy and sunny. The children thoroughly enjoyed the game. Even the action song about the weather was much loved based on the tune of ‘I hear thunder’.
As I was leaving the school thinking about how next week would be my last read aloud with the little ones I was informed that the examinations have been pre-poned and that this was indeed the very last session of the year. I felt a sort of sadness I had not felt before. I went back to the classroom and bid a farewell of sorts. As I was talking to the children explaining we would not come back next week they looked at me with large eyes that seemed filled with disappointment. My eyes probably mirrored theirs. As I moved out I knew I had touched them and they me. I know we may not have another week but I know we have had just the most amazing year together and the memories will stay with both the children and me and always make us smile…
Que Sera Sera…