The culture is Still alive...

                     Imagine you enter the school through old rusted gate fairly painted with the blue color.  A calm, orderly atmosphere that hums with an exciting, vibrant sense of purposefulness just under the surface. Students carry themselves with poise and confidence. Teachers talk about their work with intensity and professionalism. And despite the sense of serious business at hand, both teachers and students seem happy and confident rather than stressed. Everyone seems to know who they are and why they are there, and children and staff treats each other with the respect due to difference of age and castes and other foolish things that mostly few people practice. I was amused to see the things that were not at all acceptable in the dreams and they are as follows.

              As I entered in the gate, I saw all the chappals of the students were near to the gate and that also in rows. Neat and well arranged rows.School was very small; the infrastructure is not compatible so as to sit for 320 students. Nearly you cannot make sit 320 students of 8 different classes in the area of about 3000sq ft with the staff room and a kitchen in it. The classrooms were small, but well managed. 3rd, 4th and 5th are sitting in the corridors, 1st & 2nd in one class, rest all were in different classes. The cleanliness of the school, I was thinking that even my own house is not so clean even when I sweep it every day. Every person in the school was having the “Red tikka on his forehead.” it’s the culture of the school that in assembly they worship goddess Saraswati, and they mark the tikka on everyone’s forehead. Even when I entered a small girl came to me and put one tikka on my forehead.

                No teacher was found in the staffroom, everyone was taking their own classes. Every teacher has been assigned one classroom; one helper boy is also kept in the school to help as a peon to whom the teachers give the payment. The staff room was also very clean, there were charts on the walls, and all the information related to the school was displayed on the charts, like, Schools which are in this nodal, School Management Committee members list, the students list, the teacher’s information etc. One of the teachers had taken the initiative of making the identity cards of each and every person working in this school through one organization. And the HM and Staff had made the I-cards of everyone. Every guest in the school is treated as the member of the school; Headmaster himself serves him water and offers him his help.You visit in the class of 1st and 2nd standard and the students ask you, hello sir. How are you? This is the class of 1st and 2nd standard, how can we help you? The boldness and confidence was reflecting in their eyes. Those kids were so cute and cool.Even the peon in that school takes the class of 1st and 2nd standard if the teacher’s are busy with some work or a meeting.

                All that I saw was awesome for me. One approach that stands out is the attempt by teachers and administrators to develop a more collaborative culture in the urban school. The intended result is a supportive, professional culture that promotes the continuous renewal of instructional methods and curricular offerings in an atmosphere of collegiality, trust, and shared mission, serving all of the students in the school. 

                We never know all these things were when we were in school’s taking the education that was decided by our teachers and out parents. But what we got today is ours, sometimes we don’t even realize that we are using our school education in the every single part of the day, but we are not known for our school knowledge. We are known for our way of living in the society, we are known for the culture that we got from the school which we carry with us. Read the following Questions and think on it:

               -: Then what is culture?

               -: What kind of culture pervades your school?

               -: Do staff members feel like a family? Or is it like a factory or a Little Shop of Horrors? 

                      The country has a lot to explore, on and on I have the most beautiful and creative day waiting for me. It is just I have started to explore now… But every day always gifts me some questions to think on!!!