Moin
Uddin, Teach For Nepal, Sixth Cohort (English Fellow)
Shree
Terse Secondary School
Talamarang,
Sindhupalchowk
Schools
are usually normal but the activities and the encounter that I come close to
are unusual. It takes more energy from me. It consumes more time. It drains my
courage but then again I have to get up and work for the better days – for my
students and myself. The poem, which I wrote below, will explain how often I
motivate my kids to keep going to improve their English.
It’s
okay
It’s
okay that you don’t understand lessons
It’s
okay that you make mistakes
It’s
okay that you find yourself behind
But
it isn’t okay that you stop trying your best.
You’re
hero
Hero
of mankind
You
can do anything
As
long as you believe in heart strings
As
long as you believe in heart strings
You’re
creator
Creator
of anything
You
can make everything
As
long as you can imagine and can go to extreme
As
long as you can imagine and can go to extreme
It’s
okay if someone laughs at you
It’s
okay if someone teases you
It’s
okay if someone bring more marks than you
But
it isn’t okay that you feel and dive into their thoughts to bring the low side
of you.
You’re
power
Power
of surrounding
You
can inspire
As
long as you can respire and bring the life in
As
long as you can respire and bring the life in
It’s
okay if someone laughs at you
It’s
okay if someone teases you
It’s
okay if you don’t understand lessons
It’s
okay that you make regular mistakes
But
it isn’t okay that you stop trying your best.
But
it isn’t okay that you feel and dive into their thoughts to bring the low side
of yourself.
I
worked in media for almost a decade. I completed my post graduation in Business
Studies and have opportunity to work in any better place. But, then I chose Teach
For Nepal, as I felt one teacher can bring changes in students lives. As I have
had realized early in life that teacher is someone who can bring track to one’s
life and can pave a way to climb up the ladders of opportunities in this
chaotic rife. I know every kid is talented. I know every kids has same aura. I
know every kids has almost same caliber. But what they don’t have is the same
teachers who can motivate them, guide them, provide exposure and most of all
believe in them relentlessly. And I want to be that kind of teacher.
My
journey, which I chose, is not easy. Motivating and keeping theirs and mine
spirit high is challenging. To show hope for these kids that one day you will
do your best is not something that can happen in one or two classes’ settings.
This has to be done every day with much passion and rigor and here I am doing
the same.
I
am happy. I am sad. I am anxious. I get frustrated. I am energized. I am tired.
I lose hope. I gain hope. I smile. I frown. I sigh. I go high. This is how my Teach
For Nepal fellowship is going by.
Usually
when I return to my room in late afternoon, I am exhausted. I place my bag, put
off clothes and go straight to the bed to take a nap. The weather here at Sindhupalchowk
is getting warmer day by day and it depletes energy quickly. The day sometimes does not work according to my
plans. I am worn out to think of all those and want to eat something sweet and
spicy. I go into flashback where my mom would come to my room with juice when I
would just step into my home and later with delicious cuisines that she has
prepared for me. I would eat and relish my cravings. And suddenly someone from
outside knock on my door and calls my name, “Moin Sir, open the door?” Then I
realize this is not my house and this is not my place, these sounds are not of my
mom. I open the door and the little kid Lakpa looks up to my face and asks, “Did
you just returned from school?” I look at his face and smile, caresses his
hair, take him by arm, kiss on his cheeks and say, “Yes, I just returned from
school. And he asks, “Where is Tek sir?” I say that he is in school, playing
football.
He
then slides down from my arm, turns his back and goes to lawn. I am hungry and most of the time I go into
flashbacks and eat the foods prepared by my mom. However, for how long can I
eat into those imaginations as life has breath to take in and out? And stomach
most of the times makes sounds. After coming into fellowship, I have hardly
eaten snacks. As no-one has time to prepare and I am someone who never in life
stepped into the kitchen, back in home, nor in this fellowship and I know I am
the one to suffer but then again for me books, writings, study and these days how to improve English of my students are my
ultimate cravings. I settle with dinner – Dal, Bhat, Soyabean and allu ko
tarkari prepared by my co-fellow and this has been my staple food. I thank
god for everything as I am getting food to stay good.
I
remember, the first day of my school was normal, but I was nervous at heart. I
had wrote a chant on the chart paper “We are students” that what we had learnt
during our 42 days residential training at Hotel Royal Safari, Chitwan. I made
every class sing the same chant. It went good and slowly I introduced myself
and asked students to do the same. Then I made them play the games and this
continued for almost three days. From fourth day, I took my step into
introducing units. I first tried to drive my classes in full English but when
my students who mostly are Tamang feels difficult even to understand Nepali were
unable to understand English properly, I tried to explain the lessons in
Nepali. Though my students try to converse in English and write accordingly,
however, when I check their copies I get disheartened. I wonder why they are not
able to make simple sentences! Their reading is poor and pronunciation is
terrible.
My
days just go by thinking much, on how to improve my kids in such that can help
them to improve their talking, speaking, writing English to make them move
above. I keep on wandering into thoughts. I sleep with same contents and wake
up with similar sentiments. It has been my daily routine to make lesson plans
at around seven in the morning. My kids are
weak. But how can I let their mindset to stick, that English is not an alien
subject but of our everyday life, that can make a huge changes, if learnt in an
early age. I have been motivating them from day one and here my journey has
crossed few months. But again, I motivate them every day, in every moment, in
every class, in every context, in every example, I say them the importance of
learning and improving English as not in exam but in life – English is
something that can help you to succeed. No-matter wherever your life will lead,
English in any form will only ease you swing life better if your write and
read. I go to their class even in leisure period and in breaks and talk with
them and ask again, “How will you improve your English?” And leave them to think
to discuss in teams.
They
seem motivated in the present time, the sun rises following the present day,
the story chimes, and there I am again speaking in loud rhymes, “Don’t you want
to pass your exam? If yes, why didn’t you do your homework? Why are you making
noise? Am I here just to shout at you? I do not want anyone to talk and muse.
One, two, three, eyes on me and in reply class echoes, one, two, eyes on you.”
For
a mere second it seems silent, but again as I turn to the board to write
something and the whispering increases. I feel like shouting at them, but then
I go into flashback of my school days. Though, I was silent, but my friends
were same – like the students here in my class seven, eight, nine and ten. I show my angry face, they seem fearful but
my smile glee again, they smile back, and this is how my class travels slowly
with unit one, two, three and four. I check homework in between and move with
determination that I will do my best for them to learn more by showing them
movies, make them play games, make them practice their readings, writings and
speaking. That is how I am luring. I even write poems and present into class to
motivate them to study hard. Among many poems, here I present two poems, which
I wrote recently. The first one is:
It’s
possible to achieve
It’s
possible to achieve
Any
dreams that you have seen
You
just need to try your best
It’s
gonna be hard
But
you’ll figure out the rest
Just
keep on dreaming
And
keep on working
Sooner
or later you’ll be achieving
And
living all your dreams with full of creams
Oh
oh oh oh with full of creams
The
book that you will read
Will
help you to succeed
The
things that you will write
Will
help you to ignite
Literature,
science, mathematics and social studies
Keep
loving reading and writing
Keep
loving words and rhyming
Don’t
ignore as you’ll be falling
Far
behind which can be devastating.
Just
keep on dreaming
And
keep on working
Sooner
or later you’ll be achieving
And
living all your dreams with full of creams
Oh
oh oh oh with full of creams
It’s
possible to achieve
Any
dreams that you have seen
You
just need to try your best
It’s
gonna be hard
But
you’ll figure out the rest.
The
next poem:
I’ll
learn
It’s
a new day
It’s
a new beginning
I’ve
to get up
And
study
I’ve
to learn
I’ve
to go ahead
I
just can’t sit
And
lay on bed
As
I don’t want to waste my day.
I
know it’s not easy
I
know it’ll take time
But
I’ll learn
And
read it everyday
As
I don’t want to stop in life anyway.
No
matter how difficult it’s
I’ll
try my best to read
The
success lies in education
It’ll
light my imagination
No
matter how far behind I might be
I’ll
go ahead and practice
As
the difficulty of now
Will
be the blessings of tomorrow
And
it’ll pave a way for me to succeed.
It’s
a new day
It’s
a new beginning
I’ve
to get up
And
study
I’ve
to learn
I’ve
to go ahead
I
just can’t sit
And
lay on bed
As
I don’t want to waste my day.
These
days I have made a rule for every student in class seven to come to the front
in the class to say their speech in English and made them to write their daily
journal. This has helped them to write daily in English and has boosted
confidence to speak in English.
I
have started my extra classes to move with the basics to improve and make them
fall in love with English.
I
would like to end my reflection with the poem, which describes my daily routine
of my fellowship.
The
clock was fourteen
When
lights are turned off
The
darkness surrounds
I
go to bed
And
cuddle into the blanket
The
tiredness surrounds
And
eyes slowly closes
And
soon dream welcomes into her amuses.
The
scene was serene
The
environment was marine
The
closeness was clean
The
clock was fourteen
The
talk was calming
And
we enjoyed raining
Seeing
from the cuddle warmth of esteem
When
clock was 5:00 in the morning
The
dream smiled and went in
The
hand rose above
Mouth
sighed
Fingers
caressed eyes
The
snuggled bedding agonize
I
chuck out and apologize.
The
chirping birds fly over the sky
Making
me wonder what shall I fry
I
clean my face and rub my back
I
splash the water and listen to music track.
I
come with ideas
And
wear my dress
Eat
some breakfast
And
come out of door
And
talk with self.
I
go to work
Life
in a tick tock
Do
my job
Oh
oh oh oh
There
I see above – seventeen
Arrange
my stuffs and move from there in
I
come inside
Take
off my dress
Wear
pajamas
And
splash my face
Pour
some snacks
And
stomach acts
Oh
oh oh twenty facts
I
make meal
And
eat a deal
Lay
on the bed
Listen
to the music
And
dive into the ocean
Come
out chill.
When
lights are turned off
The
darkness surrounds
I
go to bed
And
cuddle into the blanket
The
tiredness surrounds
And
eyes slowly closes
And
soon dreams welcomes into her amuses.
