Today, as I get prepared for the end of yet another summer break, my spirits feel diminished, my usual pre new-school year enthusiasm feels dormant. I feel upset, angry and frustrated that I will soon have to look into the innocent, searching eyes of my students filled with questions which I will have no answers to. I clearly remember my first day at Jakarta International School with the meek demeanor of a housefly. There stood this tall, smiling man with a face so gentle I’d never seen before, offering me a ride back to the elementary school as I was trying to find my route back sweltering in the heat after an orientation. As days turned into weeks at JIS , I realized it wasn’t just me who had seen the gentlest face in Neil, it was every teacher, every student, all of who chanted stories of everyone’s favorite, Mr. B. One morning at recess, as I walked around for my duty, I saw a big group of kids amicably playing cricket, being Indian, it was a sport I knew well and I eagerly went to play with them and maybe show them a trick or two. I saw one of my third graders, J , indulging in some foul play during the game and I instinctively ordered him to wait out. Suddenly, the herd of the rest of the kids came up to me and in a very matter of fact way explained, “ We must teach J how to follow the rules right Ms. Mishra, but always remember, everyone plays or no one plays, that’s what Mr. B. has taught us!” I suddenly felt embarrassed and sheepishly agreed like a teenager with my head bowed down. If you happen to be a student at PIE and get in trouble at school, you realize making mistakes is OK because Mr. B. makes them a stepping stone in our lives, and failing is OK because Mr. B. reiterates, failure teaches you as much as success does. Today, as Neil optimistically waits behind those prison walls, he teaches us yet another lesson about life, where he bravely treads the highest waves of the ocean without any sight of the shore. Thus, today I write here not to rant about my frustration, anger or the unrelenting feeling of being cheated on as a colleague of one of the best educators at JIS. Instead, I write for the innocent students of JIS who are going to be back in their school, their safe abode, in two weeks questioning the whereabouts of their hero, Mr. B. I write on behalf of my students who don’t deserve to see this world as a place where evil brutally strides over the truth. I beg for justice for my students who believe that miracles and magic are a part of their everyday life. I plead for mercy for my students who’s tiny worlds are growing like ‘jenga’ towers built on the foundation of pure love, honesty and kindness where the harsh winds of lies will make their towers come crashing down. Heroes like Neil win, they shine, they prosper and they rule and if they don’t, then this is not the world I want to teach in, this is not the world I hope for our children to play in. If we want to change the world, each one of us who stand by the strong pillars of truth and honesty must be the change!
Posted on: Thu, 24 Jul 2014 11:55:45 +0000
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