Back from a weekend getaway for Diwali in Rishikesh, we again settled in for another week of volunteering as teachers in Raiwala, with our WorkAway host school. And we ran head first into some disciplinary problems, especially from the older students; and witnessed some of the measures the school uses in an effort to exact discipline.
Week of Nov 2, 2024 – Monday
In the morning, Kimberly leaves to go catch her ride to the Junior campus, but when she goes downstairs to the clinic lobby, she discovers that someone has carelessly left the door ajar (the clinic is not open yet, so no patients or medical staff are present) and two monkeys have invaded the lobby, helping themselves to the garbage can. Since her ride is about to leave, she rushes back upstairs to alert Dennis, and he comes down and grabs a squeegee to chase the brutes away. And then spends half an hour cleaning up after them. It’s become clear that we cannot deposit any kind of food refuse or wrapping in this trash bucket. And we have to make extra certain that the door is always securely closed.
DENNIS; Two additional classes thrown at me at the last minute. The first is with the 12th Grade. But before the session is finished there is a loud bang outside the window, and smoke drifts in. In the U.S. this would have had everyone, including me, ducking under the desk. But everyone seems to realize that it was a (relatively) harmless firework detonation. I ask who did it, and the students just say that it was someone outside.
I figure that’s the end of it, and resume class. But a few minutes later the principal storms into the room, goes to the back and yells at a boy in Hindi, and slaps him about three times (this is not uncommon in Indian schools), then escorts him outside. She then returns and yells at another boy and takes him out, but is not physically abusive to him.
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Later the second boy returns, and several teachers confer outside the door. Then one of the students informs me that they have to convene on the grounds. So the class all exit, and three teachers enter and search all the backpacks. Meanwhile the students are forced to position themselves face down with their feet on the edge of the stage and their hands on the ground. They remain in this position for about half an hour, during which time some of them do pushups. It feels as if they are being tortured to confess something, But apparently no one does.
Class being disciplined at Senior Campus
After school, walking into the village, I pass a bull as I frequently do. Just as I’m walking past, it swivels its head around and butts me. I have no idea why– I was at least three or four feet away, so I should not have been perceived as a threat. But it’s definitely something I can add to the bucket list, so I can cross it off.
FRIDAY
Kimberly has classes as usual, but Dennis has none today. So he decides to catch a ride in the van with her to the school so he can explore and do some errands in that neighborhood. We go along the bumpy road through the forests, where elephants are reputed to roam. And we even see some evidence of their passage — small trees fallen, branches crushed. But alas, no sign of the beasts themselves.
KIMBERLY: First thing in the morning everyday, I have Preschoolers (3-4 year old class). Sometimes when I arrive they are unattended but sitting quietly in their seats waiting patiently for the teacher. I wish I knew the secret for getting them to behave so well with no adults around. This day we take them out to play some skill games with balls, focusing on following directions.
DENNIS: After I finish my errands, I catch a tuk-tuk back home. As we’re waiting at a train crossing, another tuk-tuk pulls up beside me, and the driver, a garrulous fellow smoking a brown cigarette, shows me a shiny coin and says “Brazil”. I look at it and see that it is indeed a Brazilian real. He asks if I know how much it’s worth. I check on the currency converter app on my phone, but the Brazilian real is not among the currencies included. I manage to get online, and start searching for the answer, but then the gate goes up, the traffic starts moving, and so do we. But the driver maintains pace with us, evidently waiting to see if I could give him a response. Finally our driver pulls over, and so does the other. And at last I find what I am looking for and report that the coin has a value of 14.83 rupees (about 17 cents). He thanks me and says, “I wish you good trip”, and drives away.
KIMBERLY: I typically teach 3rd grade solo, left to my own devices and not given any curriculum and supplied only minimal guidance as to the goals of the session. This week I decided to teach them a story with the hopes they will be able to perform it for another class or the teachers. I find they are eager to copy anything I wrote on the board in their notebooks. I’m also surprised to find that they prefer to write in cursive, which I thought was a dying art. Only a few can read what they write or speak in English unprompted.
Another week of teaching is in the books, and it leaves us feeling a bit frustrated by the lack of communication and direction from the administration and — especially in the case of the older students whom Dennis teaches — by the lack of interest and motivation from most of the students. We’re beginning to look forward to the end of our three-month commitment here. And at the same time, we keep hoping that there will be a turnaround and a big breakthrough. If not, the few students who are responsive make it all worthwhile. Plus, we have monkeys and hornbills on the balcony, and monkeys in the lobby attacking our garbage. Not to mention head butts from a bull. You can’t top that.
Events occurred 11/2-8/2024
world travel with a theatrical flair 
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