Shalini joined us 3 years ago.
A bright young girl, who got along with her classmates and teachers well; she
adjusted just about perfectly like any other student would in school.
As we gradually progressed
with her academics in the first year, I often noticed her gazing out of the
classroom window concentrating on people walking, the birds that flew around
and children playing. I had to be in a constant process of bringing her attention
back to the board and to my conversation. As days passed, I started noticing
her careless mistakes, unable to follow instructions, her inattentiveness even
on speaking to her directly and above all not being able to focus.
As I started speaking to her
one on one basis, slowly but surely she started opening up that she could not
manage her thoughts properly though she tried her best to do so.
I along with other teachers
started working on her with the utmost patience to turn her limitations into a
possibility. We started listening to her needs, working on smaller projects
where she could remember and recollect easily; we started creating goals
together, Ignore mild misbehaviours and academic mistakes and above all praising
her for all her efforts.
The advantage we had was
that she had the spirit and great courage to fight her limitations. She showed tremendous
improvement each year, even as she studies in Standard IX today…she fights
each day with the courage that she has. Her hyperactive behaviour, inattentiveness
and concentration have improved tremendously and as teachers, we have grown with
patience each day to make yet another life blossom.
- David Biswas <davidbiswas1971@gmail.com> at Sacred Heart School Siliguri