Day 99-Be prepared to FAIL

It is so true that inside every teacher of the new, alternate method of education, is a very traditional teacher who likes being respected and treated superior. We all were educated in a quite beurocratic system ourselves and so, no matter how much we may be trained in a system, our heart years for the same treatment that we rendered to our teachers-of fear and respect.
Today I experienced the pain of children saying a “NO” to me. And the teacher in me just couldn’t accept it. I was angry and helpless and even though I couldn’t show any of these emotions, I tried finding out from the children why they did not like to receive presentations.
I invited a boy for a presentation and he said the dreaded word-NO. It was categorical and resolute. I asked him..Why? He asked me back “Why should I?”The sales person in me took over and so I asked him..”Why do you come to school?”. He said “To play”. I had to give up my efforts and decided to let go of this child.
Sometimes with children, we have to learn to pick our battles. You need not win all the time but there are a few things you must definitely not give up on and the children must understand this.
Though the day was far far away from productive, though I got turned down, though I waited patiently for 15 minutes in the hope that the children will come for the presentation and then eventually gave up, I had a big lesson learnt.

If one must expect positive results out of a community, one must, first of all learn to respect the individuals even if at the cost of failing once in a while in the process.

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