I am not teaching but learning................

Whatever we do, the first is what we always remember, either it's a first day at school or a first day at college, first day at job or the first salary. Every time first is much valuable word and even the most memorable one. Here also I am talking about 'first'. But it's slightly different. Here I am going to talk about my first day at school but it's as a teacher. Though it has become five months since I am going to school but I always remember the first day as this day has led me to the context where I am today.

As every teacher expects that their students like them and treat them well.  I too wanted that. And I was little more as I was from a different background so far. Working as full time television journalist for three years at Biratnagar, I had never even imagined that I would go to a village of Lalitpur not for the news but for the sake of knowledge. So in my first day I woke up early, managed all my materials as today I was going to do an introductory game, dressed well as I had heard that children love the teacher who dress well and went to school. I was exactly on time. With little bit of nervousness and a lot of excitement, I stepped onto my first class. Everyone greeted me some with confusion on their face, some with joy and some stood just still without any reaction. I started giving my introduction and asked about them as per my plan. But suddenly my eyes went on to a boy who was quite taller than other fellows of grade seven, who just sat quietly without saying anything and without involving in any of the activities. I went near him and asked his name, he didn't speak a word. I thought that he didn't like me so he has no interest on talking with me. That made me sad.

Next day, I again went near him and asked about him. Again I had to face the same silence. A student next to him shouted " Miss, he is not going to speak. His shows same behaviour with all. His name is Anish: Anish Rajbahak." I asked them why? They didn't have any answer. And one said, " he had failed his grade seven last year, so he is with us now." Then I felt that may be he is upset from his failure. So he doesn't want to speak with anyone. But I wanted to hear his voice. I wanted him to speak with me and share what is in his heart. So when others were out of class, I went near him and said, "please speak to me, I want to know more about you.' He just kept quite without any reaction.

Few days later, I saw him playing so joyfully with his friends. He seemed happy. I called him and gave my hands for friendship saying, "let's be friend and talk with each other. Don't take me as your teacher but as your friend." Without speaking any word he passed me and sat on the corner where his seat was. I just didn't know what to do. One fine day one of my friend's who is another fellow of Teach For Nepal, Sushant, gave me a banner about autism, which had information about what is it and what we should do to those children. I had heard about autism several times but had never thought that it has so many forms. And even Anish could be autistic. Then I interrogated more about him to his friends, other teachers and who knows him well and also found out that he was very good in Mathematics but very poor in languages. He couldn't speak. And this was the most difficult situation for me as I was his language teacher.

Then I searched about what autism is. What we should do to these kind of children? and also took notice of his behaviors. I found out that he likes to be called good boy. He likes putting his names in happy cartoon faces and with stars and we made the classroom environment full of stars,  motivating students by giving smiley faces and so on. Then he started showing improvement. He prefered to stay more with some of his friends and I told them to help him in his study also. They also helped him. But still there was no sign of positive change. May be he was grasping language that I was unable to feel as I was impatient to make him speak. Later on he gradually started showing changes. He started participating in role plays, then started to read books and even started to speak confidently in an assembly and now after four months he has started raising hands to answer, which I had never expected.

I know this is wrong to not to put higher expectation for him as every teacher has to have the higher expectations for their students as much as possible and I am sorry for that and nowa days I expect more and more from him and I am now habituated to see his progress.  May be some may say I am being centered to Anish but I had heard that first you should find out your hardest student and make him understand well so that your other students will join your path anywhere in the mid and I am doing the same and it's being beneficial as well.

Though this is the first time I am teaching but what I feel is every child is special. So we must treat every child in their own way respecting what they are and who they are and Anish as I know is special and I am so happy to get him as he makes me learn that patience is the most important thing in life and change is not spontaneous but a gradual process so we should keep on putting our effort, one day we will get success. Hats off to all my teachers and also to those who are now a teacher. They all are the spark of change in the society. And now I come to realize the meaning of what Aristotle said,"Life, Art, Living. Those who educate children well are more to be honored than they who produce them: for these only gave them life, those the art of living well". And well, in my case, I am not teaching rather I am learning the art of living.