My first leading session was at Cacra…the night before the session I couldn’t sleep I was as nervous as ever and got up more than a few times during the night. Nervous because a voice in my head said I could do it. Another voice in my head said I couldn’t. So I finally woke up at my usual time at 6:30 after a very disturbed sleep but at the pit of my stomach there was an uneasy feeling.
I reached bookworm and decided to do my prep for the day’s session. I went to the book shelf where all the big books were and I chose a book that I had prepared for the day’s MOP session. I had checked the HRA and this book had not been done before (at least nowhere in the last six months) I asked myself – I’ve chosen the read aloud book gone through the lesson plan and prepared everything from the pre-story discussion to the extension activity. What’s the one thing left for me to do?
Then it rang a bell…”wait my read aloud book would go much better if I tried explaining it for the Cacra children in Konkani? Let me ask someone since I know my Konkani isn’t great? I looked around the only person there was Vandana.
I decided to ask her and she said, yes she would help me. So I began to ask her a couple of things in English that I wanted translated by her, and I must say I thank her for her patience; The first line I got translated was “how many of you are close to your naani?” She told me the translation in Konkani: Tumi kitle zaan ajeek mog korta?” Then, I asked her to translate “how many of you love your parents and how many of you love your grandparents? Who do you like better? The answer of which was “Tumka kon avadta? Mummy, papa ya azo ani ajee?” & yet another “have you looked in your grandmother’s eyes?” To which the answer was “tumi tuje ajee che dodyan poila?” I asked a few more such questions and armed with this I went to Cacra.
I found upon reaching Cacra that the group of children were very small and English would not work. They needed it in Konkani. I knew once it came to the read aloud, I would have to use stronger Konkani and at least some of the grammar would have to be right. I counted the minutes till the read aloud session and it was fast approaching.
When it was time to do the RA story, I decided to put my best foot forward and in ‘full style’ how some people say, I read the first line in English and the children just looked blankly at me. I decided to glance at my notes, when I said a line in Konkani, I realised the response improved. One special part of the session for me that day was when I asked “tumi kitle zaan ajeek chod mog korta?” (How many of you love your granny a lot?) Suddenly Trisha who is among the littlest at Cacra answered above the hum of answers “hanv mummy/papa avadta pun maji ajeek aning mog korta” (I love my parents but I love my Grandparents more)
How sweet I thought to myself. I also realised that my Konkani was working. I was getting a response from the children!
Her reply was the best thing about the session, and I felt I did much more than read a story; I felt I got a message across and actively took a positive step in the lives of these little children by reading them a story and in my life by preparing and holding my first session! That was surely one of those moments to cherish. Thanks to Bookworm for giving me the opportunity to try this out: I have always wanted to teach children.
