The Prize! And the birth of Talking Class!

So here's what happened on 27th June 2010, Sunday:

Batch3 was on holiday. Most of us were at Tikona. Me, Asim and Zarna went to BC to conduct classes. Asim and Zarna- Computer class, me- batch2. Since there were just 3 students in computer class, I asked Zarna and Asim to help me out. They both went to bring batch2 kids to BC and while I decorated COEP Civil Dept classroom no.7!

[Yes!! There was a LOT of prize-money involved in this project!!

Batch2 was almost homeless since the beginning of this year. The shady dark dinky little place inside Patil Estate was giving trouble to the increased number of students. So we were almost always studying open-air outside Maths Dept at BC. Batch2 kids knew that the other 2 batches are conducted in nice big lovely classrooms at COEP. They used protest daily about it! Even they wanted those nice big lovely classrooms!

Thus the classroom became the prize-money! They were told that if they do really really well in this project, their prize would be their dream come true! And they did it! They EARNED their gift!]

So there I was, sitting outside the classroom as if nothing has happened, as Zarna and Asim brought the kids. The kids rushed to open the doors of the room. And they screamed when they found a sparkling red ribbon blocking their way! A decorated pair of scissors soon followed and kids fought to grab it! They settled the fight as all of them directly or indirectly touched the scissors and those in front cut the ribbon! Rushed in, all of them! Happy as ever! It was their dream classroom finally!!

Since they have worked hard and EARNED the room, they knew the price of it! So it was easy to ask them to keep the room in proper state.

Thus the class started. Since they had just been 'young teachers', they were asked to write down the needs of a teacher. Then they were asked to write down their teaching experience. They wrote such wonderful things! I have all their writings with me. Interested people can contact me. Then they were told that their class was called as "batch2" in Pankhudi. They instantly said that it was a boring name and they wanted a new one! So their teacher asked them to come up with cool names for their class which would identify their common characteristics perfectly! Pooja instantly came up with- "Talking Class"!! Those who disagreed were told that within the next two months, if they show some other common characteristic, their class will be known by that name! Good luck!

Whatever the kids would write as 'needs of a teacher' was already anticipated and kept ready by their teacher. Thus a printed project completion certificated was filled in the name of "Talking Class", duly signed by their concerned teachers and then pasted on the cover of a big folder having lots of space for keeping different kinds of documents. This folder was kept in bag, along with the necessary stationary articles, lots of blank sheets, etc. On the bag, the name "Talking Class" was nicely written. The teacher asked the entire class, "Who do you all think has worked the hardest for this project??". To the teacher's surprise, all unanimously screamed out- "Mahesh!!". The bag, along with all its contents was handed over to Mahesh. Under his guidance, they are all supposed to keep all the records (right from attendance to syllabus to remarks about students) of their beloved "Talking Class" until someone else works the hardest for some other project coming soon!!

Thus, Batch2 a.k.a. Talking Class conquered their own Tikona! Dear trekkers, don't be jealous about what you missed!! :')

P.S.: Mahesh came to attend the parents meeting. Uninvited. Along with his "bag". He asked me if it would be good to keep a record of the names and signatures of the parents who attended the meeting. Well, of course, Mahesh! Thus, Mahesh asked every parent to write down their name and sign against it before leaving, made sure that they did so, kept the papers neatly in his folder and the folder in his bag, and left!