Lesson learnt from a 3 year old…!

Yesterday in our welcome class, we were talking about leaves. Suddenly, Jai nonchalantly said “sab paed kaat diye…” (all the trees were cut) showing 2 fingers…”bus 1 bachaa hai…” (only 1 is left – this time, he showed only 1 finger) I knew pat what he was talking about. ALL the 30 odd year old trees trees on the beautiful and shady “C” Road had been cut down on the 19th.
I asked him who had done it and he said “chor aaye aur kaat diye…” (thieves came and chopped them)
“paed kaatna achi baat nai hoti….bus 1 bachaa hai….main chacha ke saath drive pe gaya tha tab dekha….” (it is not nice to chop trees….. only 1 is left …. I saw it when I went with my uncle for a drive…”)
Always out like the proverbial hawk for that one teachable moment, I asked him why trees were so important.
“tree hawaa nhekte hain….” (trees give us wind – this time using a Rajasthani word)
He spied the twinkle in my eye and immediately said – “nai – hawaa dete hain….”
What a moment for a teacher! I could see he was really concerned and
The answer was a proof that all my lessons on trees and why they are important, had been really really internalized. What hurt was his hurt…. he was honestly concerned why the “thieves” had cut the beautiful trees!
Then of course all the 11 children – yes, that is the strength of my class, with “strength” to be comprehended as a metaphor and not number – pitched in about the benefits of trees –
“uspe monkey rehtaa hai…chidiya ka ghonslaa hota hai…..banana lagte hain….(probably because we harvest many bunches of bananas with our children)…..chaanv dete hain….patte dete hain….”(monkeys stay on them….birds have their nests…we get bananas from them….they give us shade ….leaves….)
and then….. wonder of wonders, Jai said “ab ye chidiya kahaan rahegi?” the haunting line from Mahadevi Verma’s poem that I had been reading to them! Sheer ecstasy! It was like a Lesson Plan BY the children unfolding oh so naturally and effortlessly!

God bless you my angels, you seem to know the simple things of life more than those who chopped down those trees did. Widening roads? Do we really need an F-1 Race Track ?? For more hooliganism from the teenagers already doing “The Knight Rider” stunts on that road at midnight?
Okay, back to class, and we went through our routines and reached the playground for the outdoor playtime.
A bunch of bananas had to be harvested. The plant too had to be cut off.
I heard a voice say –
“aapne paed kaat diyaa? ab hawaa kaise aayegi?” I was flummoxed!! Yes it was Jai again. I knew immediately that I would have to improve my lesson plan on trees and talk about plant, shrubs, trees and some more!
I always knew that teaching preschoolers needs an “evolving” kind of syllabus. Needless to say I was – still am – scoffed at. Evolving syllabus? Are you nuts?
Maybe I am. As long as THIS is the outcome of my free flowing syllabus and hands-on teaching, who cares?

Remember one thing. This happened on “Guru Poornima”……

I have never had a doubt that my children are angels.
I am their student.
Thank you God!

p.s: I saw a picture in the newspaper today of a “My Earth My Duty” Competition. I think there was a mention of saplings being distributed to “save” the environment?
ROTFLOL…..!