Context

I was assigned to teach in a 3rd-grade classroom at an Urdu medium Public School located in Goripalya. The school catered to students up to the 8th grade and was situated amidst three butcher shops. While I taught there, the CAA-NRC protests and anti-beef consumption rhetoric was also present. The community from which my students hailed had experienced persistent social and economic stagnation for multiple generations, despite the school's establishment back in 1947. The children in my classroom responded primarily to violence and fear. They were coerced or motivated to comply with tasks and sit in their seats through threats to their physical safety. The use of violence or threat as a means of motivation was prevalent not only in the school but also in their homes. They lacked a sense of independence and security, carrying fear, anger, and resentment within them. These emotions were evident in their communication, behavior, and, most noticeably, in their frequent conflicts with one another. Emotional awareness was scarce among the students, and there was limited space for self-regulation and empathy towards others. Therefore, navigating these challenges became my top priority, even before addressing literacy and numeracy skills.

Process

The project saw the usage of art, collective emotional externalisation and regulation and games and somatic play. The focus was on the embodied relationships that I as a teacher and the students were building with each other and ourselves. 

The project led to many shifts behaviourally that had severe consequences in the learning environment and for the students themselves. In addition to the qualitative and experiential changes observed, the project also yielded significant growth as measured by a rubric. Students who had regular attendance and a slightly more supportive environment demonstrated the highest levels of progress.

Culmination

However, the unfortunate onset of the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted our work with these students, causing a drastic impact on their lives. I was unable to continue supporting them as planned, which left a sense of regret and grief surrounding the unfinished potential of the project. The emotional weight attached to this aspect of the project warrants further discussion and reflection.