Listening Art–The Art of Listening

My drawing from the story

Students who got the instructions right.

Last Thursday afternoon was another unmitigated disaster as fifty learners swarmed in my tiny classroom. I was caught off guard by the situation. In a normal manner, I teach twenty children this hour. And a large number like thirty is too much–now fifty. Wow! And when it happens, it drives me nut. The rule is the students must inform the receptionist if they couldn’t study in the morning, but nobody did–not even one. Sending half of the students back home it wasn’t a perfect idea. I had to do something else impromptu even if it took me changing my activities for the day. What about playing any game? “No!” defied my unmerciful instinct. Not this time–not in this tiny, crowded room. Guess what? I came with up a listening art where no messy movements are involved. After giving a few instructions (wondering if they could hear me well for being noisy), there came silence. Thanks goodness, it turned out so well.

In this particular activity, I had to tell them a very short story about me having an adventure in a dream. I told it as vivid and as colorful as I could describing each picture and character until they grasped the whole scenario enough–in a hope I will be able to see at least a fifty percent of mutual communication. When I checked their art works this morning, only two kids got it right. Some got it closely right but not that enough. They have to learn the art of listening and its importance. In fact, each one of them can draw beautifully and no doubts about it. But that task wasn’t about who could bring out the most colorful or unique or eccentric portrait–it was all about following instructions. I didn’t ask them to draw exactly like I did, but all I needed to see was the right placement of every object or nature–the right color would also help. I think have to give more activities like this in the future. 

Students' artworks colorfully and uniquely done.

Students' artworks colorfully and uniquely done.