WHY ARE NURSERY AND KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS BEARING THE CROSS?
The society today is just not standing at the crossroads of progress and transitions but also responsibilities and duties are taking a juxtaposition leap with no direction.
At this juncture can we guess who could be the front line warriors who are not only facing the rage of challenges but are iron ladies with kid’s gloves. Now I may be confronted with acrimonious questions and doubts. To them I say ‘Please put on the bemusing mantle of a teacher ( caregiver) in a Nursery and Kindergarten learning enclave even before you can fathom to frame your doubts. ‘
As I ride through the demography of 28 kms up and 28 kms down from Yelahanka end to Rajajinagar, most of the days a different route, thanks to the expected, planned, unplanned and continuous civic works going on I am amused to see the number of Nursery and Kindergarten schools on my way. These colourful thematic enclosures are surely a warm hug in the midst of the commercialism surrounding the vicinity.
Tiny little children with their grandparents mostly I see entering the space. In many places I see dads in denims and tiny shorts ( hurried wardrobe ensembles) unkempt beard zooming in on their swanky bikes with the bundle of joy seated on the rear seat holding on to faith with no helmet but clinging onto his waist, the safety belt for the child. In the child’s hand she or he has a fancy pencil in one hand and a chocolate in the other hand. These objects keep changing from one neighbourhood to the other.
The baby is just gate delivered with a few kisses in the hands of the teacher, yes the teacher waiting in anticipation to receive the child with a salutation or a kind word but the father has no time to leave the child in the hands of the teacher e, changing pleasantries. He scoots saying ‘ I have to now pack wife’s lunch box and drop her to the car point.!
Thr child feels left in the lurch and is emotionally displaced. Now it the Nursery teacher who does mommy job, daddy job forgetting her own lesson plan promptings for the day. Such is her range of predicaments because that particular child is a wee bit cranky and sad with Dad’s hurried schedule and also she/he is a bit proud as she has a new pencil and a chocolate to flaunt followed by a series of unrest and distractions in the class.
My observation says amongst children, especially the very young ones have a tendency to express a combination of innocence and frustration working simultaneously thus leading to jeopardy in classroom behaviour patterns.
It so happens that that one fancy pencil turns out to be the object of contention.
All the children wish to have it and have different approaches to atleast have it for a few minutes. To be friends with the owner of the pencil, to be the custodian and keeper of the object, to carry tales to the owner of the pencil if any conspiracy is going around, a bully shall now flex his muscles to grab the pencil from its owner. Further observation shows, usually a shy child would take the pencil and poke the owner or break the pencil. This has resulted in injury and deep trauma on young children.
This does not end here. On further investigation and learning more about the offender it has come to light on a yet another torn and tattered aspect of the social fabric.
A domestic discord ot continuous domestic abuse and violence has stirred the child’s aggressive mind but being the most vulnerable element in the parental relationship, it has nurtured hatred and jealousy and the mind dictates him to attack rather taking it any more.
The above is just another example of how alert, equipped, farsighted, smart and calm a Nursery or Kindergarten teacher has to be. be to tackle these unforseen incidents in the class.
Today’s complicated lifestyle, working parents, peer pressure, social media influence, nuclear family structure along with adults begin emotional and psychological corroding in a child. Behavioural hazards, indignation, lack of empathy, tolerance, patience and compassion are evident right in the early learning spaces.
This is the time of the year when such learning centers are throbbing with Graduation Day activities. Young children just rolled out of mother’s, grandmother’s laps and cradles ‘graduating. ‘ to topple into main stream learning, so here again imparting of academic content, skill and motor skill activities along with creative learning with experiential learning leaves a Nursery and Kindergarten teacher hanging on tenter hooks.
They are the first to receive, accept and appreciate whatever raw materials come from different homes and families and into these mighty oceans the child is trained, groomed and infused into socially accepted individuals.
Modern day studies have prescribed teachers especially the school entry point teachers to be more affable and amicable. Hold and harbour enough of calm and understanding and never ever scar a child’s psyche with detrimental remarks.
Let us accept the harsh reality.
We might get defected and cracked pieces of pottery from various homes. We cannot mend their parents for whatever their discord might be but surely we can hold the child’s hand and touch his face, identify the crack, heal it by allowing the sunshine enter the mind.
Let the parents give quality time and have no expectations in return. Love begets love, let the gardeners of this beautiful world have suitable yields.
® grace