A
Classroom Should Be Like A Kabaadikhaana
Harendra
Chand is one of the senior teachers at Pushp Niketan
Dhampur.
 From
Balesore, Orissa to Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh…
Yes.
It has been a journey. After an Education Honors degree,
I trained at Mirambika School, Delhi. Taught at a CBSE
school in Gaya (Bihar), then at Auroville, and now,
Dhampur!
What
inspired you to be a teacher?
I
did not really start with any great faith in the
educational system in India. Was always the tedha sort
who had to question everything. I used to run a business
of my own, making donas…those disposable containers
made from leaves…used to do this between classes while
I was studying. Teaching came my way. I was keen to make
it on my own without my parents’ help.
What
was the Mirambika experience like?
Very
hard, to begin with. There was some frustration with the
rigidity of their structure. I think the hardest lesson
was one of the earliest…the discipline of being still
and observing the world around me without any
distractions. It was very difficult, but self-evolution
starts from being still and observing. Being able to
observe things well is very important for a teacher.
An
important realization while training to be a teacher…
Not
everyone who is a teacher needs to be super intelligent.
But you need to be a person who can connect with
children with a lot of love and attentiveness.
On
different types of parents you have observed...
There
are some hi-fi parents who only send their children to
alternative schools because of the snob value. The
second kind have full understanding of the school’s
ideology and full faith in the teachers. The third kind
are full of questions… they have hazaar questions, but
hate to step into the process or involve themselves too
much. The third kind are the most difficult!
You
have taught at a conventional CBSE-board school too.
What was it like to take your ideology to a
traditional school?
I
tried to do the best I could with the textbook. Rather
than teach directly from the book, I tried to connect it
up with their town, their culture, things that they
understand… and then teach about things that are far
away.
The
glaring problem with a school like this is in the
conflicting demands placed by teachers whose own
teaching methods are not similar. Children learn in a
free environment in my class, and then as soon as the
bell rings, in walks somebody who scolds, threatens and
punishes them. The contrast is too stark.
What
is the biggest difference in the kids from urban and
rural schools…
The
saying ‘children around the world are the same’ is
true! The only thing is that city children are less
eager than the kids in smaller towns, they have seen too
much too soon.
Your
trick to creating a beautiful physical environment in
your classrooms…
 (Laughs)
Beautiful? Bacche ka class kabadikhaana hona chahiye.
(Children’s rooms should be like a scrap dealer’s
shop). That is the environment that they like the best.
There is no need to be a neat freak. When you need to
get a message across, lead by example. A gentle reminder
is enough. Messiness does not mean lack of hygiene
though. I think displaying childrens’ work all over is
a must.
On
new children entering your class environment…
When
children come from a new school, they initially feel
superior to the children in class because they cram so
much more in other schools. I just let them be. They
watch from the fringes for some days, and then, without
a word, they come to their own realizations and become
one with the group!
How
have your ideas about education changed over the years.
They
haven’t. Education pey to abhi bhi bharosa nahi hai,
lekin ab apne aap pey bahut bharosa hai. (I still
don’t have much faith in the education system, but I
have faith in myself).
Your
biggest problem with administrators at school…
They
all seem to start with good intentions, but it fades
away very soon. The other big thing is transparency. A
lot of organizations like to talk about transparency,
but they don’t run like that. Administrators need to
involve teachers in any big decision making… nahi to
teacher silent ho jaata hai. Sochta hai, principal bada
hai, aur hum chhote hain. (Otherwise the teacher’s
voice is silenced. He begins to feel that the principal
is someone superior, and that he is an inferior being.)
What
do you do outside of class?
Often,
after school, an informal bunch of children from the
sarkari school gather and I organise games and
activities for them. It’s a change for them after
their boring school life. I play cricket with my
brothers sometimes. I’m not so interested in watching
films or making new friends.
You
met your wife Laxmi at Auroville, and she shares your
passion for teaching…
Yes!
We even talk about teaching when I help her in the
kitchen. I chop the vegetables, she cooks, and still
school does not leave us.
What’s
in the bag you take to school everyday?
No
bag for me. I carry one or two copies or nothing at all.
What
is essential in your classroom?
One-sided
paper. Colors. Scissors. Pencils. So that kids can
engage in their own creative work as soon as they have
finished what they are supposed to do in class.
What
ideology and philosophy has affected you most?
I
am not a big reader, I like to try things out first-hand
rather than read bookish things. I am affected by the
teachings of Aurobindo and the Mother, but I will gather
new ideas from wherever I find them. Akhir yeh bhi to
sochne waali baat hai ki apni khud ki philosophy kya hai.
(Its worth thinking about what one’s own philosophy
is.)
If
not a teacher, then what…
I
can probably do any sort of work if I had to, but I
would always know that nothing would utilize my mind
better than teaching does.
Are
you in touch with any of your ex students?
I
made a conscious decision not to do that. If they need
me, they know they can always reach me. It is good to
allow children to get new people in their life. They
need to grow and foster new influences and
relationships. What is the use of making them cling to
you?
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