This was again while I was in Ladakh. To break the initial ice, and then to understand the dreams and hopes of my students better(especially those who always chose to be quiet/alone); I started giving them assignments that made them think for themselves and imagine and come out of their shell.
1. Introduction: My first day, when I wanted to know their names(which by the way being Ladakhi were quite a tongue-twister initially); I asked them to introduce themselves like : "Name, the desired occupation". For eg: Pallavi, the mango-eater or Pallavi, the dancer or Pallavi, the teacher etc. I had to keep encouraging them to maintain originality and not copy because of laziness to think of something for yourself. Also, cross-questioning to find the details of the occupation is also useful to know how passionate the kid is about it.
2. Wish-list: I firmly believe that everyone should be in touch with their ambitions and dreams, no matter how stupid they are. So, I asked them to make a wish-list of all the things they wanted to do or learn or places they wanted to travel or people they wanted to meet; i.e. basically every wish in their closet. It's a marvellous feeling to listen to a kid reading his innocent wish to jump from a parachute or learn kung-fu or be an archaeologist or paint the mountains etc. And in the process, the kid has somehow unlocked his box of dreams to a new teacher. :)
3. Spin a Story: I used to ask them for interesting words, that they would like in a story. After the whole class has given a few words; I'd choose randomly 10-12 words and ask them to spin a story using them as homework. I mean, after all what use is language, if not to satisfy their creative cravings.
4. Simile and Metaphor game: The day I told them about similes and metaphors; I asked them to pick a person each from their class, and describe that person using only similes and metaphors without giving out the name of the person. Amazing descriptions were born that day ;) Such fun!!
5. What is this?: This game I tried with the nursery (Stage 3) kids. Small kids need to be handled with even more joy and creativity, lest their natural wonder towards everything dies a slow death like the way it happened for most of us. Instead of teaching them the theory of "What is this?" or "What is that?"; I took them out, out of the school, out in the open. And started on about, how everything has a name, and to know that, all you have to ask is "What is this/that?". Trees, bricks, walls, cats, birds, houses, sky, mountains, clouds, sand, stone etc. all had their names disclosed. Then came the second round of "Is this a ...? to check what they had already identified. Even till my last day, they remembered to ask me the magic question every time anything unfamiliar appeared :)
1. Introduction: My first day, when I wanted to know their names(which by the way being Ladakhi were quite a tongue-twister initially); I asked them to introduce themselves like : "Name, the desired occupation". For eg: Pallavi, the mango-eater or Pallavi, the dancer or Pallavi, the teacher etc. I had to keep encouraging them to maintain originality and not copy because of laziness to think of something for yourself. Also, cross-questioning to find the details of the occupation is also useful to know how passionate the kid is about it.
2. Wish-list: I firmly believe that everyone should be in touch with their ambitions and dreams, no matter how stupid they are. So, I asked them to make a wish-list of all the things they wanted to do or learn or places they wanted to travel or people they wanted to meet; i.e. basically every wish in their closet. It's a marvellous feeling to listen to a kid reading his innocent wish to jump from a parachute or learn kung-fu or be an archaeologist or paint the mountains etc. And in the process, the kid has somehow unlocked his box of dreams to a new teacher. :)
3. Spin a Story: I used to ask them for interesting words, that they would like in a story. After the whole class has given a few words; I'd choose randomly 10-12 words and ask them to spin a story using them as homework. I mean, after all what use is language, if not to satisfy their creative cravings.
4. Simile and Metaphor game: The day I told them about similes and metaphors; I asked them to pick a person each from their class, and describe that person using only similes and metaphors without giving out the name of the person. Amazing descriptions were born that day ;) Such fun!!
5. What is this?: This game I tried with the nursery (Stage 3) kids. Small kids need to be handled with even more joy and creativity, lest their natural wonder towards everything dies a slow death like the way it happened for most of us. Instead of teaching them the theory of "What is this?" or "What is that?"; I took them out, out of the school, out in the open. And started on about, how everything has a name, and to know that, all you have to ask is "What is this/that?". Trees, bricks, walls, cats, birds, houses, sky, mountains, clouds, sand, stone etc. all had their names disclosed. Then came the second round of "Is this a ...? to check what they had already identified. Even till my last day, they remembered to ask me the magic question every time anything unfamiliar appeared :)
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