10-year-old Rohit is an open learner. His passport was to be renewed. He was very nervous on the day of the appointment because he thought he would miss his cricket coaching. Finally, he and his father started for the passport office. He called his mom after an hour to convey that they were on their way back home. He sounded happy that he did not have to miss his cricket coaching. The next day Rohit visited us. He was brimming with excitement to share his learning through following observations and reflections –
Observations
- In the morning Papa prepared all the required documents. We reached the office in about 40 minutes. We landed 45 min earlier than the scheduled time.
- Papa requested the guard to let us in because I did not want to miss cricket coaching. The office was good.
- We waited for our turn. Inside there were many desks/counters. They were marked with the Alphabet. We moved from one counter to another counter. There were separate counters for people who applied for a fresh passport. Everyone did their work nicely. People waited in the queue patiently.
- They asked us some basic questions. They took my fingerprints and asked me to write my name. Papa was keenly rechecking all the information filled in by the counter person. He corrected the information in 2 places.
- Our work was done ahead of time. We started back home and I was super happy that I would reach much before my class time. The cab driver took the wrong turn 3 times (I had my Google Maps on) because he was busy on Facebook. It took double the time and I hardly made it on class time.
Reflections
- I remained worried about my coaching class. I assumed that we would arrive late. It did not help at all. Because of my worry, lost my focus when they asked me the questions.
- Papa managed all the required documents in advance. One needs to keep all documents in order. There we need to act quickly because officers don’t have much time.
- An honest request can help us at times. In general, people are helpful everywhere.
- The officers are probably tired of asking the same questions to everyone. How do they take breaks and what do they do to avoid boredom?
- Basic life skills like listening, communication, reading, and writing are important for everyone to lead everyday life
- How do they keep track of all the files received in one day? How do they inform people when their passports are ready?
- Why do they need police verification to believe the information we provide? Why can’t they trust me when I am giving my information?
- Do presidents and Prime ministers need passports and visas to travel to other countries?
- Who decides the design, content, and validity of the passport? How one becomes a passport officer.
- Focus and active listening are most important aspects for any work. For instance, consider two drivers: one efficient and focused, the other distracted by Facebook. The focused driver is likely to earn more due to a more number of passengers.
- He shared some new words he learned – Application form, Police verification, etc.
This little story made me wonder how much children absorb and interpret from their surroundings. They observe without judgment. They process a whole bunch of information irrespective of whether they share it with others. If genuinely interested in learning something, children feel a sense of responsibility for their own education.
Opening learning might not provide a well-defined structured path to learning. As a family, one might explore multiple ways of learning and enjoying the journey. Every day presents new challenges, but it also offers opportunities to explore different perspectives and broaden our horizons. Keep learning, keep living. Let learning be a celebration