Dream with eyes open

Aspiration

“The trouble with not having a goal is that you can spend your life running up and down the field and never score.” says Bill Copeland and “you need a plan to build a house. To build a life, it is even more important to have a plan or goal.” says Zig Ziglar. Time and again, history has been witness to the soul-less passivity of life where societies just live life on a meandering, day-to-day basis. Year on year, lives largely remain the same, save for a few changes that are really more the result of others’ actions and desires rather than their own. Without goals, life remains a mundane routine and without dreams and aspirations, there are no goals set. Aspirations drive dreams to being fulfilled.

Civilisations have blossomed and flourished only because its populations dreamt and aspired. Dreams and aspirations motivate the humankind to action and is the fuel which drives the individual and society forward even in challenging situations or a funnel which guides and channels inputs effectively to desired output. Visualising in the mind is creation in the mind and coupled with clarity of what one wishes to achieve ensures manifestation into reality. Therefore time, energy and effort that each of us devotes to a clear focus, becomes the input for the output. Channeling of efforts in a focused direction ensures that we are not swept away by the currents of everyday life. This is critical for all individuals in society and more so in the field of education.

J&K has a large chunk of student population not just in the urban cities but also in the rural areas, straddling the economically well off as well as the not so well off. Every student will have a certain aspiration, a dream, and a desire to be somebody and do something with his or her life. A school is the first foundation of this skyscraper that contributes to shaping, motivating and nurturing to enable children to aspire to be motivated to work harder and achieve. It is not enough to just have dreams and aspirations. There is a great responsibility attached to it and hard work associated with it.

The recently announced board results have highlighted that behind this achievement is a collective effort, reflecting the old adage “ it takes the whole village to raise a child  ”.  Yet we see a cut throat competition among all stakeholders lining up to take the credit and hit the bill boards, newspaper front pages and social media.

Children often become pawns in the fulfillment of their parents' aspirations and dreams.  The private tuition system is the biggest beneficiary of this phenomenon. Children are burned not only with homework  but also  with assignments from tuition classes. They attend  school, then additional classes afterward, even during  vacations. It is disheartening to see children not spared even during the biting cold winters, attending tuition classes early in the morning.

The question arises who will bell the cat; in this case responsibility lies with both the parents and the tuition class owners. Parents need to recognise the pressure they place on their children and seek a balance that allows for academic growth without compromising their well being. Tuition class owners should also consider the broader impact on children’s lives and promote a balanced approach to education. Together they can create an environment where children can thrive academically without being overwhelmed by the relentless pursuit of success .

Michelangelo famously said “The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.” The tuition class phenomenon amply illustrates this. Are we aiming only for high marks alone leaving behind the true purpose of education? At the same time, my heart races in delight reading about the success of young economically marginalised  students who have  without taking recourse to tuitions, even while working and earning to support  their families. How can we enable the dreams and aspirations of these economically marginalised children to fruition is something that all of us can ponder on and act upon. Thinksite Services Pvt.Ltd is making sincere efforts to make an impact in this regard.

Dreams are essential in our journey of life, providing ambitions to chase and goals to reach. Having no direction leads to an empty life and can cause depression. Knowing what we want and how to achieve it is a blessing, as without aspirations there is no goal to pursue. It doesn't matter whether our dreams are big or small. Look at any successful individual; it is their dreams, aspirations, and striving towards them that have made them successful. Dreams give purpose to life and focus to efforts.

One of the most exciting parts of classroom interaction is when children share their dreams. Becoming a doctor, engineer, teacher, artist, sportsperson—the list is endless, and the excitement and shining glow on the faces of children are thrilling. Teachers encounter both common and uncommon dreams during these interactions. I recently read the book: A Tale of Wonder, Wisdom and Wishes by Susan V. Bosak, which examines the power of dreams and the courage to achieve them.

As schools close for summer break, I encourage my fellow teachers to include in their summer assignments for board classes a written exercise on "Know Yourself and What Is Your Dream." We must recognize that our children have aspirations, and we play a critical role in providing space for these dreams to germinate by helping children discover their dreams and goals.

Ask children to write down their dreams and aspirations, sharing with the class only what they wish to share. Children may come up with a list of dreams and goals, both short-term and long-term. Spend time helping them categorize these into academic and non-academic, short-term and long-term. Relevant short-term academic goals can be selected, and children can identify one or two critical areas to focus on. These goals can then be displayed on the classroom wall as a daily reminder for focus and effort. You will be surprised at the change in children’s attitudes when this is done, as an invisible drive propels them forward. This exercise, done at the beginning of each academic year, sets the tone for the year as both learners and teachers remain focused. It helps children develop a sense of time and place in their journey of life. When done year after year, it builds on and explores new possibilities, trains the self in reviewing and reflecting, and provides opportunities for celebration and a sense of pride in achievement, however big or small.

We definitely want our children to have a purpose, a direction and meaning to life. We also want our children to be able to make right life choices, contribute to society and without doubt we want our children to blossom in their full potential and using their talents and capabilities to the fullest. They can change the world, their dreams can change the world and I as a teacher can help bring that change. Do I as a teacher have the courage and creativity to see beyond ‘what is’ to ‘what can be’? This vital ingredient in the psyche of a teacher who also propelled by dreams, aspirations and a clear focus will make that monumental difference to our children.

A published author and educationist, Dr. Farooq Ahmad Wasil, is Consultant & Advisor to many Educational chains. Dr Wasil is Founding Director of Thinksite Services Pvt. Ltd. He has over  four decades of experience in the field of education – setting up, operating and managing schools.