Skip to main content

Getting Children Involved and Interested in Learning


“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn”, goes the Benjamin Franklin quote.

Here is a story where this quote came alive.

The school was conducting a two day residential camp on Leadership Development which in fact was an unplanned one. A 10th grade student comes to the principal and questions him. “Why are you charging the fee for the camp having said that yearlong expenses are involved in the school fee?” The principal was quite quick to sense an opportunity for the child to be involved in the process. Consequently, the budget realities were shown to the student and he was ultimately convinced with the move.

Secondly, he had a question about the amount that the school was collecting for the event. The student was given the responsibility to plan the entire event and was asked to see if cost could be reduced. He readily accepted when asked to shoulder the responsibility. When he did the math with his classmates, he realized that the amount exceeded the one the school quoted. He took onus and the rest of the organising was done quite meticulously with the help from his classmates.

Another incident is when the students of class VII planned their field trip themselves; the student mart (Namma Angadi) run by students is another successful initiative where students buy things taking money from the school, sell in the school and manage expenses and profit and submit bills at the end of the year.

Had there been no space for the learners to question, they would have missed a great learning opportunity. The level of transparency in the system and open mindedness of the principal were instrumental in making a great deal of learning possible. Believe me! The respect of children towards their teachers increases many folds when the ground realities and sincere effort of their teachers are brought forth. Children give their heart and soul for the work when they are trusted and given responsibility. They become owners of their own learning. School, then truly belongs to them.

The real learning happens in the process. While organising an event children learn a lot in the process of convincing their classmates, planning the budget, delegating the tasks, arranging for vehicles to travel when it comes to field trips, communicating to teachers and parents etc. In case of running Namma Angadi, they have discussions on what to buy, in the process they can think about keeping the mart plastic free, negotiate cost, maintain bills and the list goes on.

Integrating these activities into the curriculum makes the entire learning environment vibrant, life-centered and meaningful. All this can go for the students’ anecdotal records and portfolio. More importantly, the measure of confidence and self-esteem that students gain in this entire process is enormous. There is ample space within any school setting to involve students in many such learning experiences. This in longer run helps create more responsible, dynamic and accountable citizenry.

Spare a thought or two about creating such learning spaces in your own schools. Let students completely lead the morning assembly and bring in as many innovations, involve them in school’s policy making bodies, allow them to teach their peers – Each one, Teach one!, Encourage them to form Students’ Grievance Redressal Committee where students solve their routine challenges by themselves. Let the students’ council organise school events (at least a few to start with) and many more. There is plenty what a teacher can do way within the classroom. If we really keep child as the most important partner in the school, we, teachers and management are answerable to them. We have our duties to be fulfilled and ensure child gets the best in her all important school going age.

Every child deserves her own space and we; the educators are bound to offer it.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Reading Before Rote: Rethinking the Basics

 We often hear a familiar phrase echoing in classrooms: “This child lacks the basics.” But what exactly are these basics? Is it mathematical operations, grammar rules, or scientific definitions? Let’s pause and reframe this. In most cases, what teachers refer to as “the basics” is actually a lack of language fluency . We overlook the real foundation: the ability to read, comprehend, and respond confidently. Without the power to understand the medium of instruction—usually English in most schools—children are not just struggling with subjects, they are struggling to learn itself. 🔤 Language First, Then Learning Imagine a child who cannot differentiate between “bat” the animal and “bat” used in cricket. For this child, even a simple sentence in a textbook becomes a hurdle race. When a child struggles to listen, understand, read, and comprehend a question, expecting them to grasp content in science or math becomes unrealistic. This is why language is not just a subject—it i...
2 comments
Read more

The Natural Path to Language Learning: From Listening to Writing

Language learning follows a natural order—listening, speaking, reading, and writing . Just as babies first listen, then speak, before learning to read and write, children should also be taught in this sequence. However, many educational systems reverse this process , prioritizing writing and reading first, making learning difficult and stressful. This matters even more when children are learning a second or third language , as their comfort with the new language develops gradually. Why Start with Listening and Speaking? Children absorb language best when they hear it frequently and use it in conversation . Listening and speaking are natural and spontaneous , while reading and writing require more effort. If children first understand words through speech , reading and writing become easier. But if they are forced to write before they fully grasp the language, they may feel overwhelmed and lose interest. When learning a second or third language , this sequence is even more crucial. If a ...
Post a Comment
Read more

HAPPY PARENTS – A MUST FOR A SCHOOL

In a recent teachers’ conference I attended, a teacher declared as if all her problems revolve around parents and parents alone. I do not understand where that comes from. Surprisingly, it seemed to be a popular opinion. It reminded me of a famous Mulla Nasrudin story.  A man is walking home late one night when he sees an anxious Mulla Nasrudin down on all fours, crawling on his hands and knees on the road, searching frantically under a streetlight for something on the ground. “Mulla, what have you lost?” the passer-by asks. “I am searching for my key,” Nasrudin says worriedly. “I’ll help you look,” the man says and joins Mulla Nasrudin in the search. Soon both men are down on their knees under the streetlight, looking for the lost key. After some time, the man asks Nasrudin, “Tell me Mulla, do you remember where exactly did you drop the key?” Nasrudin waves his arm back toward the darkness and says, “Over there, in my house. I lost the key inside my house…” Shocked and e...
8 comments
Read more