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Today, when I look back I feel: Only if, had my teacher said that I could, I would have," says Sammy.
Sammy (name changed) was an average student of a missionary school. When she was promoted to class 6, she got a science teacher who was very strict. She was known for scolding and even beating them if they made mistakes.
Threatened by her teacher, Sammy began to be overcautious in class. Most of the time during the class, she was worried about not making mistakes. However, he but it happened otherwise.
Scared, she made more mistakes and got more scolding. Her confidence in the subject went very low.
She was promoted from 6 to 7, then to 8, 9 and 10. With every promotion increased her fear for the subject while her confidence went down.
She did not win awards but was managing to pass. Somewhere she still had the courage to decide that she would take science in further classes.
She shared this with her class 10th teacher. The teacher said: "It is better to be first in a humanities class than be last in a science class. Hope you understand what I mean? That was the final nail on the coffin. Sammy did not take science.
Nine years later, Sammy was teaching her child. She discovered something about herself. She found that Science was so good and simple. She now realised the damage but too late.
During conversation, for the blog, Sammy said - "Only if my teacher had shown a little faith in me, I would have been better! I may have pursued medicine and who knows today I would have been a doctor. Teachers, I request. Please understand that you can change minds; change lives."
Our children are exactly like tendrils of a creeper. Your words and gestures can give them the direction to grow. Measure every word you speak to a child. You are the leader and you are shaping someone's future.
Professor John Hattie in his meta-analysis of research and education talks about 'positive expectations'.
He puts this as the first and foremost from among the 145 factors, with an effect size of 1.44.
A child who does not perform well is often made to feel sorry about his/her low caliber; compared with others and pulled up. Here, one needs to understand that every child is as exquisite and unique as a snowflake. There can never be one level plain of comparison.
All children are very different from one another. It is like putting all the rhombuses, circles, triangles in one same square and then complains about the shapes not fitting the set frame.
Hattie explains - every time we can, we need to re-enforce any child as an individual and provide no basis for comparison.
There should be an absolute No for any negative words. Children are not 'good' or 'bad'. They are either 'Good' or 'Yet-to-be-good'.
Choice of words is a very important tool and has a deep impact on human mind. This real life story, shared by a Sammy (now an adult) explains the intensity of the impact. Even though she enjoyed Science, she did not choose it and we all know the reason.
Let no more Sammy be sad about their teacher’s disbelief. Believe in your children and expect all positive. Encourage them with positive expectations.
Learning is not a ticket to economic stability; it is to help each one find his/her purpose of existence.
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