CHENNAI: At a time when there are several conversations on the lack of attention span affecting children in their studies post the pandemic, a Tamil teacher from Villupuram has literally carved out a solution for it.
To rekindle the curiosity of kids amid the mundane classroom sessions, NK Hemalatha of Se Kunnathur Government High School in Villupuram has been making toys out of palm leaf scrap and pebbles and decorating classrooms with them. With many of these crafts loosely based on characters from their books, there is a new-found joy for students who now have more reasons to stay attentive in the classes.
According to Hemalatha, the toys not only engage the children but also create a curiosity in them that will reflect in their studies. Ask S Divyasri of Class 9, and she seconds that. “I learnt various interesting facts about ants through the wooden ant toy made by our teacher.
It has made me think out of the box and connect with other subjects as I read my lessons,” she said. For V Deepa, another student from the same class, learning has become more interesting with the toys around. “We all attempt to make similar toys from things we find in our village and connect them with subjects.”
Hemalatha said the toys were not directly connected to the characters from the textbooks, rather they were outside the scope of the syllabus. “It gives them hope that they can make anything around them into something creative, and through that, they can make various characters relatable to their lessons,” she noted.
The teacher aims to make the students creative and more importantly, make their time in the classroom worthwhile. “Sometimes, just textbooks and curriculum aren’t all that a child needs. In these times of digital classes, we need to divert their attention from smartphones and make them love their classrooms,” she shares.