Happy birthday ‘Beta’!  Thank you so much sir. A flash of confidence can be felt in his eyes. His body language was perfect. I met Arnav in principal office. He visited principal office to take blessing on his birthday. Usually I met him frequently in his classroom for short time. I asked him that would he perform better in this upcoming examination. He confidently accepted this question as challenged. Arnav replied me with a sweet smile.

I know Arnav for last 18 months. Arnav is 11 years old smart boy. Arnav studies in 4th class. My first meeting with Arnav was not so good. He was in 3rd class.    Teacher complained about his academic weak performance. He had habit of negligence, showing low confidence in the class and not completing class work and homework on time. He used to hide his notebooks so that he could not complete is home assignment. I came to know that he behaves smartly in all his work except in performing well in study. We thought to channelize his potentiality into positive direction. I inquired about him through my best available sources.

We started regular monitoring of his overall academic and non academic behaviour. Teacher used to encourage him for bringing notebooks and books according to class time table. He started completing his exercises slowly but not always. One day, his classmate informed me that Arnav was driving bike very fast. It was shocking news for me. I met her mother and father separately. Mother had shown inability to control his bad behaviour. She told to me, “Arnav does not listen her/He does not follow her instruction etc.” I was shocked after listen all these things from his mother.  An 11 years old boy drives bike rashly. I was much worried about his safety. Now I enquired about Arnav’s family background. His father is a principal in Government Middle School. He is only child of his mother along with 5 steps brother and sister. His father never ever reminded his faults. He is a rigid boy.

We faced a big challenge; however I keep talking frequently with Arnav. Gradually a little improvement in Arnav behaviour has been felt by everyone i.e. class teacher, subject teacher, parent and principal. It gives a sense of achievement when we watch Arnav reciting a poem, and leading morning assembly. This is a positive sign of change. The change made by the educators.  We know Arnav when he felt pressure to complete class work on time. One day, he started crying for feeling heavy chest pain, but medical report was completely normal. I am always ready to talk with him. I try to open him. He is changing. It is a great change. He tries his best to do better in all academic works. Several times, I lost the hope to bring a noticeable change in him, but I keep trying. Concerned subject teachers have been supporting us for this great work. God creates unique individual with unique capability. Educator nurtures unique capability of learner. Our whole effort is to awaken individual’s learning sense.  I believe; HE CAN but I do believe myself, “ICAN”—-

Arnav is changing. It is great sense of satisfaction for all of us. It happened with the great effort of teachers.  We were hopeful even various hopeless moment in helping Arnav. Educator’s consistent effort can make magical changes in students’ life.

Rajeev Ranjan

Indian Educationist