Few months back, I facilitated an inquiry based learning program to help children learn to write poetries. The program was for children aged between 6 till 10 years old. But, there was one participant, a cute little girl who was only 3 years. The reason she was there was because she had already tasted some of my other learning programs and she is really fond of me and being in my classes. Little I need to mention how I feel when children receive my learning facilitation with so much love. Her mother told me that the girl actually wanted to give up her drawing classes to participate in the poetry class. I told her mother that the girl may observe and participate in a way that she would like to but I shall not force her to learn anything. And I requested the mother to not have any expectations but promised that her daughter may learn something naturally through observing other children. So, the girl ended up being in the poetry class.
During our learning journey in the poetry class, apart from creating funny and silly poems, we also focused more on writing nature poems. We would go on nature walks, explore the trees, clouds, sun, moon and birds. We would brainstorm and discuss our observation and create wonderful nature poems by journalling it. Once, when we returned back from our nature walk, we started to brainstorm and create 'I wonder why' poems. While the other little ones were throwing random statements such as "I wonder why the grass is green" and "I wonder why the sky is high", the little girl didn't seem to understand that she was asked to make sentences that would start with "I wonder why", but she was throwing random statements such as "I like ball" and "I like to play" etc. We did acknowledge her for her participation and moved on with our discussion. Suddenly we all had to stop to just watch her burst into tears. She came and sat in my lap, I let her cry for a while and asked her if she would be willing to share why she suddenly started to cry. With tears and sparkles in her eyes, she wept and said, "Ma'am (she calls me that way), my mama always takes me there near a tree every evening to give me mam mam (children uses a slang word called 'mam mam' for food, in India). I sometimes see a moon and sometimes I don't see a moon. I get so sad why sometimes there is no moon.". She burst into more tears and added, "Sometimes it is only half and eaten up. I wonder why moon is not there in the sky every time I eat mam mam". She further added, "I always wonder why banana becomes black, I don't like them when it becomes black, I wonder why Ma'am". She repeated, "I wonder why Ma'am!" and she looked into my eyes. I was moved and couldn't think of any words to utter. I was enthralled by the capacity of that child to observe and learn naturally, the moon phases and the chemical reaction of a banana. A few moments later, she was doing fine and started to draw her observation and learning. Later, she giggled for no reason and said, "I wanted to ask my mama alllllll this, I wonder why Mama! but before that, I asked here, now."
We think children learn only when we teach them. Most times, we fail to realize that learning is very natural. This little girl had experienced the world around her, reflected upon on it, she had also inquired and asked questions about the very aspects of world that she had perceived. All she did in the class is to express her learning that had happened in the past. Learners are so resourceful, whole and complete and have a capacity to LEARN NATURALLY.
Later, when I shared this with her mother, I wondered why the mother burst into tears.
Enjoy Learning and Sharing.
Prabha
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