“I celebrate myself, and sing myself”
- Walt Whitman, Song of myself
Shikshantar celebrated its 22nd birthday recently. The celebration found expression through myriad literary experiences planned for the children as part of ‘Shabd Manch - A Festival of Letters’, the theme for the birthday celebration this year.
‘Shabd Manch’ was visualised as a celebration of the transformative power of words. Children engaged with literature, developing critical thinking skills and deepening their understanding of the world around them. What beautifully came across was the connect with the classics, contemporary works or poetry to understand the complexities of life with empathy and insight.
A clear wave of vertical and gradual progression of thought and learning was visible among our children from Class I to Class VIII in the corners planned for the visitors, binding a trail of classroom experiences with creativity.
Class I children chose among many activities to creatively express their emotions through ‘Wheels of emotion’ and tongue twisters. Empathising with mundane objects in ‘Gupshup’ was an interesting activity by Class II, encouraging mutual respect among the children as individuals and fostering an understanding that each is special in their own way.
The children of Class III chose to work around the art of playing with letters and words in activities like ‘Word Juggle’ and ‘Poetry Whisper’. Class IV children went further with research into Rabindranath Tagore’s works, finding connections between the celebrated poet and themselves. They gained insights into his thoughts, discovering similarities between the philosophies of Shantiniketan and Shikshantar through ‘Circle Time’ and ‘Choice Time’.
As one moved further to Middle School, the focus shifted to choosing different forms of storytelling. Among many regional styles explored by Class V were Kavad stories, a tradition of oral storytelling in Rajasthan and Villu Pattu, an ancient art form of musical storytelling prevalent in southern Indian states. The children of Class VI broadened this concept by finding different ways to express feelings across multiple languages. ‘Bhasha se bhasha ka milan’ explored parallel concepts in Urdu, German and Sanskrit. Parents enjoyed ‘Bin Shabdo ki Kahani’ guessing the emotions of children from drawings they had made after reading a book.
Students were also inspired to explore the work of women authors. By diving into the work and histories of writers like Mahadevi Verma and Sarojini Naidu, children of Class VII were challenged to delve into their important and often overlooked narratives. The journey of Class VIII began with watching a TED talk by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, where they realised that a single story about anything can become dangerous. This thought led to children exploring various stereotypes in smaller groups.
The research on literature at all levels was an opportunity to engage with the power of words and ideas. The realisation that stories can bring about real change helped them truly celebrate diversity.