The morning light creeps in gently into the classroom, warming and awakening the space for another new day. The grade one children slowly trickle in one after the other. Very soon, there is a fully charged room brimming with excitement, energy and laughter. While this may be an invigorating start to the day, it is interesting to note how spontaneously this came to be. It is a rich moment for the children and the teacher to imbibe.
I have often wondered about how the classroom can contain so much energy. Its ability to house the spiking screeches, the deep silences, the engrossed play, the quiet pondering, the bonding conversations, the sincere disagreements and the non-stop flourishing of ideas and questions, all at a unified moment, is metaphoric in many ways.
I have mostly related to the classroom as a physical structure, a minuscule infrastructure that supports the various activities for the children. On the other hand, children relate to it quite differently. They seem instinctively receptive to the multiple possibilities of engaging with the classroom space, breathing life into every nook and corner of the room.
The other day, inside the classroom, a narrow space between the wooden mat holder and the ledge had become an abode for dinosaurs. It began with an animated transformation of a child into a dinosaur. This dinosaur crept towards the chosen place, roaring, and dramatically perched its forelegs on the edge of the mat holder. He then cautiously peeped through the foliage of rolled mats and peered at his classmates. Instantaneously, more children gravitated towards the spot, one after the other, gradually transitioning into dinosaurs. Things went berserk for a while until they could accommodate the rapidly increasing population of dinosaurs. It was amusing to observe how efficiently they used the limited corner space, without widening its periphery, but utilising the area in all its capacities and dimensions—the wall, windows, and much more.
Over the months, the classroom has witnessed its share of order and disorder. A typical scene from a messy and untidy room would include pencils, erasers and crayons scattered on the floor, worksheets lying in tatters and storybooks strewn all over and neglected. A sense of abandonment and lack of care for one’s space and resources seem apparent here. On the contrary, there have been times when children have initiated tidying and organizing their space with rigour and ownership. They work on this independently, designate tasks for each other and oversee each other’s work. They instantly immerse themselves in what they do. Quite naturally, a rhythm sets in and the children work in harmony. Their perception of order is unique, and it reflects in the way they arrange things. The attention to detail and the revelations that come about at such times are fascinating to watch—discovering a long-lost and disfigured eraser while sweeping out dust from under a shelf were triumphant moments equated to solving a complex mystery! The sheer joy and relief that follows these findings are inevitable. Cleaning becomes a meditative process for them and it goes on for a long time! In the end, the classroom gets a fresh start.
Order and disorder frequent the classroom in different forms and manners. It’s often challenging to understand these qualities inside a classroom. I have observed children oblivious to the disarray around them, reading, working or drawing with deep engagement. Understanding how these two components work in the physical environment and one’s mind is an intriguing and grounding process. The pause and the ‘flowing with the moment’ come naturally to children, is even inherent in them.
While the expansive outdoors can be an engaging and fascinating space for children, the classroom becomes a space where they can bring these experiences to build on and reflect. Be it a seed or leaf they want to draw, an ant or millipede they want to build a nest for, a friend to bring and show their classroom to, or when they come running to class to share an exciting discovery or when seeking help, the classroom has been a core resource point. A sense of belonging, familiarity and a perception of reliability seem distinct in the way children relate to the classroom.
By the end of the day, countless ideas and thoughts have moved in and out of the classroom. Varied interactions and explorations have found space inside this room, allowing the children a flexible and creative learning environment. The vibrant aura of the classroom gently calms down as the children depart. At times, after the children leave, I take a moment to pause in the silence of the classroom, watching the drawings and creations of the children adorn its walls—looking forward to another day!