The first ten days of every new academic year is the most vital and stimulating time of the school calendar. Its the time when teachers should provide students with a broad overview of the subjects they will teach through the year. What topics will the subject cover? What is their relevance to students? How can it be applied to real life situations so that the pupils understanding of the world grows? This is necessary so that children dont miss the wood for the trees. For missing the wood is standard procedure when we over-focus on texts — even the most well written texts. Ten days thus spent are valuable and give meaning to our work as teachers.To illustrate the importance of subject overview at the beginning of the academic year, let me cite an example of how the joy of learning geography can be infused into children right from the first class of the year. A week (presuming the school has a five day week) can be spent outlining the ground to be covered during the year; the second week in making the subject relevant to children. Why are they being taught the geography of India? Because India is also a geological representation of the world. Given similar conditions the climate elsewhere will be alike, with some interesting variations; so will the flora, fauna. What is the relevance of learning geography? It becomes the platform for students to understand trade, economics, and international commerce later in adult life. Can this process be introduced right from the primary level? Yes, with some patience and imagin-ation, teachers can stimulate continuous interest and the joy of learning. For instance, students can begin by drawing or tracing outlines of the map of India on transparent sheets. On the first map feature only the Himalayas. Paste on pictures of the Himadri range, snow, rain, forests, regions, flora, fauna. Likewise on another map feature only the Indo-Gangetic plain and embellish it with relevant pictures, cuttings etc. Place the second map over the first. Continue the exercise of placing transparent map sheets over each other, until children can see the regional and physical features of India at one glance or have the fun of unveiling each feature. You could also use it as a flip chart to acquaint students with topics that will be taught in detail through the year. It will enable them to enjoy the wood as a whole — and the trees within it — better. Likewise an arcane subject such as ‘revolutions in history can be taught in a creative manner. After all it was only when an individual saw no reason to read by candle light that we have electricity. Similarly another individual saw no reason why computers should be exclusive and the result was Microsofts ubiquitous Windows software. If as teachers we expand the meaning of the word ‘revolution, we can widen the horizons of our students who will take the cue, and discovering revolutionaries will become an exciting quest. To…
