An Academic Leader and a Teacher Create Story Magic
Children at Chandip school, hitherto unable to write independently, are learning how, thanks to K.P Prabhakar Bhoir and teacher Pradnya Narkhede's dedicated implementation of the KPALP Independent Writing programme.
Children and books!
The children sit in a story circle around an array of colourfully illustrated books. More books are arranged on a side table and a few are slung decoratively across a rope. In perky letters on a chart paper stuck up on a wall behind the books is the word, Muktalekhan, or creative writing, in Marathi.
The 8 and 9-year-old students in the story circle each select a book that they like. At the prompting of the teacher sitting among them, each child tells the group why he or she picked that particular story book. The choice is mostly to do with the illustration of a person or animals on the cover... sometimes a bright colour has grabbed the attention of the child.
Most of the 22 children in this room hail from the Malhar Koli tribe. Their parents have, at best, had a primary education and work as daily wage labour on nearby farms. The families live in hamlets in the forest that flanks the school.
Hope for measurable change
The Kendra Pramukh Academic Leadership Programme is a river of teaching-learning skills that is making its way, through a select set of tributaries, across the rural landscape of Maharashtra. It began in 2016 and moved into its second phase in the autumn of 2018. At the Professional Learning Circles (PLC), Academic Leaders who have continued to be part of the programme, are guiding their teachers in the use of story templates. The aim is to help children become proficient in Independent or Creative Writing.
These are early days in the programme, and still the river is watering a field that promises to yield a good harvest: a successful, measurable change in students' independent writing skills.
The place is a medium-sized Zilla Parishad primary school in the village of Chandip, whose Kendra Pramukh (KP), a hardworking and unassuming man called Prabhakar Bhoir, is full of hope for the students in the programme. Bhoir (49) has the charge of a whopping 81 schools, including Z.P, private and government-aided ones in Parol and Maljhipada clusters in Vasai block, district Palghar.
A motivated K.P
Bhoir has worked with teacher, Pradnya Narkhede (42), a grade 3 and 4 teacher at the school in Chandip, on story templates. ''Two days after each PLC training, I would arrive at this school to pass on what I've learnt. The teacher expects my visit!'' Bhoir smiles. ''Sir used to visit our school once in two months,'' Narkhede says. ''Now he visits more often and calls regularly to follow up. We have had only about a month of working days in the class, but our students are already responding well to the templates.''
Although these are early days, there is reason for Bhoir and Narkhede's excitement — the Independent Writing module directly addresses the competency that the students in the Z.P school in Chandip need most help with. ''This training,'' Bhoir says, ''is going to impact the results in my cluster. At the final examination in April we look forward to an increase in the number of children gaining competency in independent writing.''
Bhoir and Narkhede have worked with students on the first six templates. When asked which might be a favourite, ''The very first template which asks the reader questions about the cover text and illustrations is important,'' Bhoir notes. ''Because of this one, students have begun looking — really paying attention — to books.''
''Not just the children,'' Narkhede smiles. ''I too have begun noticing books carefully.''
My Story - innovating with templates
Narkhede, in her daily use of the story templates, has introduced one of her own. It is called Majhi Gosht (My Story), where students study an existing story but then write or tell a version altered with their own twists and turns, their own take on how the story might turn out. While employing My Story, the teacher additionally facilitates innovation with story beginnings. ''The range of books available to our children do not include more than a couple of ways to begin a story,'' she explains. ''So I ask the children to suggest a dialogue to open a story, the description of a place, an interesting sound, event or a character description. The children come up with these and write their stories!''
Stirring both imagination and thinking
Prachi Kini of grade 3 transferred schools last year from English to Marathi medium. ''We taught her the Marathi alphabet,'' Narkhede explains. ''But she was still far behind at the language learning milestones. Through story-work, she is getting a lot of reading practice. The stories stir her imagination and the templates based on them are helping to improve her written Marathi.''
Stories of change
Jai Madvi is a fatherless boy. His mother is depressive. His aged grandmother takes care of him and his mother. Jai had no interest in reading and writing at all. However, he really likes the story templates. He volunteers to tell stories aloud, albeit referring to the books minimally, and is very participative during the story template sessions.
