If you ever watched the British TV serial ‘Mind your Language’ and loved it thoroughly then I bet you shouldn’t miss a chance to take a sneak peek into the classroom on the ground floor of Auxilium Convent High School, Baroda.
At half past one, you will see students or young adults scurry from the classrooms, from across the ground and from the garden to grab their favourite seats. Their excitement, enthusiasm and eagerness to master the language has been building up every day ever since their classes have begun. And if you are still wondering who these students are… well… they are our Class IV employees.
To converse in English, like the Sisters do, was a wish they secretly desired. And when their wish became a reality, it was like a dream come true for each of them. Don’t ask me the reason for I haven’t one.
But what I do know is that the classes have placed a kind of magical spell on them. It is really hard to tell but there seems to be a kind of air of confidence about them; a spring in their steps, briskness about their daily activities, a smile that plays on their lips. You would often catch them either muttering under their breath words and phrases they have learnt or even checking with each other on how much they remember.
If seeing is believing then you have to see them in class; they are all ears; literally hanging on to every word that the teacher says; biting their lips and rolling their tongue, trying to get their pronunciation and accent right accent; at times the entire school resounds as they roar and double over with laughter. They seem like the best students ever – very punctual, highly energized, alert and attentive, eager and ready to grasp all and also competing with each other to give the right answers.
The important question is…who is this English teacher who is giving Professor Jeremy Brown a run for his money?!! …well…no prizes for guessing the right answer…It is Sr. Priscilla Travasso. Putting her teaching and mentoring skills to the test she is teaching them more than just the language. Her creativity, liveliness and infectious esprit captivates her students and keeps them engaged for a little over an hour. (Pity we already know a bit of English or else we would be the first to grab the first bench.)
Thanks to the pandemic this is possible. Let’s not allow this pandemic to dampen our spirits; instead let’s take advantage of the situation, seek out the lost, find new ways to reach out and help, make dreams come true, bring a smile on faces of people, be a beacon of hope and joy…living the true Salesian Spirit creatively!
