Written by Reis Estrocio
When I first arrived at Bookworm, it was quite different from any other organisation. My team members Kabita and Stephie were busy planning for the session. I was anxious, thinking how will I need to perform. Will the children listen to me? What if I cannot meet the team’s objectives and so on.
After my team did their planning, they were ready to leave. So they informed me that my job as an observer was to see how they did the session and if they needed a hand I could step right in.
We left for the site and on the way, my hands trembled with nervousness. On my arrival, I saw the children gathering around us quite excited and also surprised, with an expression – who is the new teacher?
The room was splendid, with decorations and a painting on the wall. There were shells as well as sand stuck to represent the beach. When the session started, I saw how the team interacted with the children. It was really interesting to see the children listening to the teachers.
Being inspired, I too went near a child and said,”I can help you read, will you join me?” The child agreed and soon I had two children listening to me. However, there were some mischievous ones who created trouble. I realized they just needed attention, so I decided to play a game with them by asking, who can spot the words I ask. It went smoothly and it was nice to see them coping up very nicely.
What I loved was when Stephie read the story aloud, the children were drawn to it like bees to a flower. At the end of the session, after being asked whether I wanted to join Bookworm, I thought to myself why not and felt a connection with the children. It was an amazing opportunity to help society. I really thank Bookworm for organizing such a systematic way to approach children.