Time: At least two periods or till the teacher is satisfied.
Learning objective: To help students develop respect for parents and also to ensure that they think before they assume anything about anyone.
Start the class with mindfulness – ask the students to focus on their breath for 2-3 minutes.
Story
In a family, the parents were working hard to educate their child but their child would always look at the things his wealthier friends had, such as expensive mobile phones, watches etc. and would get annoyed with his parents. Once he got obsessed with the thought of buying a motorbike. The parents did not have money for it. When his father said no, the boy got very angry and decided to leave his house. He was so angry that he wore his father’s shoes instead of his own. He was thinking in his mind that he would walk out now and would return only when he became a big man. “If they can’t even buy me a bike, why do they dream of making me an engineer,” he thought.
He picked up his father’s wallet, which his father would not allow anyone to touch. He thought the wallet would have money and his accounts diary. He would then get to know where all his father had saved money.
As soon as he came on the road outside his lane, he felt something was hurting inside the shoes. He felt the pain but kept moving ahead in anger. When he reached a little ahead, he felt his foot was wet. There was water on the road. When he lifted his leg and saw, the sole of the shoe was broken and the nail was hurting as well. Anyhow, he reached the bus stop limping. When there was no bus that came to the stop for long, he thought he should open the wallet and check what’s inside. He opened the wallet and found a slip inside which read, “Borrowed Rs. 10,000 for mobile.” He remembered that the previous month his father had got him a mobile by borrowing money from someone.
He saw another folded paper inside the wallet. It had a chit from his father’s office hobby day programme. His father had written his hobby – wearing good shoes. He looked at this father's shoes which he was wearing and felt sad. He remembered that for the past four months his mother would tell his father on his salary day to buy new shoes. His father would laugh it off saying his shoes would last another six months. “Now I understand how long they would last,” the boy thought to himself.
He opened a third chit from the wallet. On that, there was an ad which read, “Buy a new bike by exchanging old scooter.” As soon as he read this, his mind was baffled. “This means that Papa will exchange his scooter to buy me . . . ,” he thought as he ran towards his house. He didn’t find his father nor the scooter at home. He understood everything and went running to the nearby motorbike agency. He saw his father there; he ran and hugged him. His father’s shoulder was wet with the boy’s tears. He told his father, “I don’t want a motorbike. Please get new shoes for yourself. I do want to be a big man, but like you.”
Day 1
Proposed questions for discussion
1. Have you got influenced by someone and demanded something from your parents? Share with an example.
2. Are expensive mobile phones, watches, cycles etc. important to get success in life? Why?
3. Why do parents want to educate their children despite facing hardships?
4. Have you ever sat and discussed with your parents how much they spend on their own needs from their income? If yes, then why? If no, then why not?
At home – Observe, Enquire, Understand (for the students)
Day 2
Start the class with mindfulness – ask the students to focus on their breath for 2-3 minutes.
1. Has it ever happened that you made an assumption about someone without knowing the whole thing and then later you realised that your assumption was wrong.
2. Who is a ‘big man’ according to you and why?
3. In what way will you become big, and how?
Ask the students to sit quietly for 1-2 minutes and reflect on the essence drawn from the day’s discussion.
Learning objective: To help students develop respect for parents and also to ensure that they think before they assume anything about anyone.
Start the class with mindfulness – ask the students to focus on their breath for 2-3 minutes.
Story
In a family, the parents were working hard to educate their child but their child would always look at the things his wealthier friends had, such as expensive mobile phones, watches etc. and would get annoyed with his parents. Once he got obsessed with the thought of buying a motorbike. The parents did not have money for it. When his father said no, the boy got very angry and decided to leave his house. He was so angry that he wore his father’s shoes instead of his own. He was thinking in his mind that he would walk out now and would return only when he became a big man. “If they can’t even buy me a bike, why do they dream of making me an engineer,” he thought.
He picked up his father’s wallet, which his father would not allow anyone to touch. He thought the wallet would have money and his accounts diary. He would then get to know where all his father had saved money.
As soon as he came on the road outside his lane, he felt something was hurting inside the shoes. He felt the pain but kept moving ahead in anger. When he reached a little ahead, he felt his foot was wet. There was water on the road. When he lifted his leg and saw, the sole of the shoe was broken and the nail was hurting as well. Anyhow, he reached the bus stop limping. When there was no bus that came to the stop for long, he thought he should open the wallet and check what’s inside. He opened the wallet and found a slip inside which read, “Borrowed Rs. 10,000 for mobile.” He remembered that the previous month his father had got him a mobile by borrowing money from someone.
He saw another folded paper inside the wallet. It had a chit from his father’s office hobby day programme. His father had written his hobby – wearing good shoes. He looked at this father's shoes which he was wearing and felt sad. He remembered that for the past four months his mother would tell his father on his salary day to buy new shoes. His father would laugh it off saying his shoes would last another six months. “Now I understand how long they would last,” the boy thought to himself.
He opened a third chit from the wallet. On that, there was an ad which read, “Buy a new bike by exchanging old scooter.” As soon as he read this, his mind was baffled. “This means that Papa will exchange his scooter to buy me . . . ,” he thought as he ran towards his house. He didn’t find his father nor the scooter at home. He understood everything and went running to the nearby motorbike agency. He saw his father there; he ran and hugged him. His father’s shoulder was wet with the boy’s tears. He told his father, “I don’t want a motorbike. Please get new shoes for yourself. I do want to be a big man, but like you.”
Day 1
Proposed questions for discussion
1. Have you got influenced by someone and demanded something from your parents? Share with an example.
2. Are expensive mobile phones, watches, cycles etc. important to get success in life? Why?
3. Why do parents want to educate their children despite facing hardships?
4. Have you ever sat and discussed with your parents how much they spend on their own needs from their income? If yes, then why? If no, then why not?
At home – Observe, Enquire, Understand (for the students)
- Students should discuss the story at home and understand the thoughts and views of their family members. They should also discuss the above questions with them.
- Students should have a discussion with their parents about how they organise money for running their house and fulfilling their (students) educational needs or demands. What are their parents income and financial responsibilities?
Day 2
Start the class with mindfulness – ask the students to focus on their breath for 2-3 minutes.
- Have some students recall the story.
- The first day’s discussion questions can be used again for recall.
- Have them share the feedback received from their homes in small groups. Some students can share their thoughts with the entire class.
1. Has it ever happened that you made an assumption about someone without knowing the whole thing and then later you realised that your assumption was wrong.
2. Who is a ‘big man’ according to you and why?
3. In what way will you become big, and how?
Ask the students to sit quietly for 1-2 minutes and reflect on the essence drawn from the day’s discussion.
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- Alexander and Diogenes
- The Mind Palace
- Rabia’s Needle
- What is real and what is fake?
- How much land?
- Ego’s room
- Turban
- My Identity
- Arunima Sinha
- Socrates’ three questions
- Three labourers, three perspectives
- Serene water
- Who is speaking?
- The kite string
- A big man
- Brother, not a burden
- All together
- Sugar in milk
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