How Pawan Finally Found His Voice
Through interactive activities and encouragement, Coach Ashwini helped Pawan, a once-isolated student, gain confidence, make friends, and develop a love for learning
At Zilla Parishad School Kharad, in the Thane district of Maharashtra, a few children recently joined the school. Their parents work at the local brick kiln. Among them was Pawan Thakur, a Year 3 student originally from Murbad. He’d moved to Kharad with his parents for their work. Coach Ashwini Patil visited the school twice. On her first visit, she noticed Pawan was withdrawn, and not speaking to anyone. Even after two months at the school, he remained quiet and isolated during her second visit.
Kunda Gadadre, a TIP-enrolled teacher at ZP School Kharad, explained to Ashwini, “He doesn’t talk to anyone, which is why he’s often absent.” During that visit, Ashwini asked Kunda if she could speak with Pawan. With her permission, Ashwini approached him. Instead of launching into a discussion about schoolwork, she began with a simple icebreaker activity, involving the whole class. She’d written all the students’ names on chits of paper, placed in a basket in the centre of the room. Each child picked a chit, and whoever’s name was drawn had to say four sentences about themselves and something they liked. When Pawan’s name was called, he stood up and, in a very quiet voice, said his name. He then added that he liked to sit and study with his friends. Kunda was delighted to see him speak at all. Ashwini immediately scheduled another visit for later that week, specifically to work with Pawan.
On her second visit, Ashwini divided the class into four groups, each with a designated leader. She then gave each group an activity. Pawan was made leader of one of the groups. Their task was to solve a maths problem, with each student contributing their ideas. Pawan, to everyone’s surprise, stepped up, actively participating and engaging with his group. A noticeable change had come over him; he was beaming. As Ashwini left, she told the children she’d be back in two days, reminding them to be present and to bring their completed maths notebooks.
Kunda could barely contain her joy. “Ashwini,” she exclaimed, “your work with Pawan has been transformative! He’s coming to school every single day now, and not only that, he’s chatting with all his friends and enjoying learning alongside them.”
