Had she dropped the bundle of answer sheets in the school bus or in the school premises? What if somebody found it and took it to the Principal? It would be worse if a student found it and meddled with it. She felt sure the Principal would ask her to quit.
Only a month ago Rita had joined work as a probationary teacher. The school was 14 Km. away from home. Every day, around 3 p.m. the school bus would drop her at a convenient stop. She would then pick her two children from the crèche nearby and all of them would be home by 3.30p.m.
Today the first exam of the First Terminal Examination Schedule got over. On exam days the school was dispersed early so that the students got time to study and the teachers got time to check the answer sheets. Rita and her children were delighted to be back home by 12.30 p.m!
However when she opened her bag to put the house keys back she realized that the bundle of answer sheets was missing. She froze. Fear gripped her and all sorts of negative thoughts played havoc in her mind.
Had she dropped the bundle in the school bus or in the school premises? What if somebody found it and took it to the Principal? It would be worse if a student found it and meddled with it. She felt sure the Principal would ask her to quit. The Principal seemed super strict with no empathy for new teachers.
This was Rita’s first experience of conducting an exam. in this school. She was struggling to keep a balance between work at school and home. She was overwhelmed by the responsibilities of teaching and managing a class of 6o children. She was struggling to keep track of the innumerable overbearing rules of the school.
Things were improving but now this missing bundle filled her with despair. She could not afford to quit because the family needed the money to pay back the house loans. Her mind was churning. Suddenly she made a decision. She would go back to school just then and find out where the papers were.
Rita and her children got into a taxi and reached school. Taxis were expensive but she did not have the patience to wait for a bus. The turmoil in her mind did not help. As the taxi dropped her at the school gate she saw the Principal and the Vice-principal strolling in the garden. She wished they would not notice her. Nevertheless she went in.
“My dear, why are you back in school?” asked the Principal.
“I want to take my bundle from the class cupboard” she replied weakly, not knowing where the bundle actually was.
“Yes, tomorrow is a holiday and probably you will get time to check them at home” he replied.
Rita now sped to her class room on the first floor. She prayed silently as she opened the cupboard. The bundle of answer sheets was right in front! She felt so very light and her heart was singing as she descended the stairs. She whispered a ‘thank you’ prayer to God.
The taxi and her children were waiting. With a smile on her lips she got in. Her children kept chatting and commenting on the scenes outside. She tried to recollect the events of the classroom that day. She wondered why she could not remember that she had kept the papers in the cupboard.
How the bundle of answer sheets went missing
The children in her classroom had been a mixed lot. At each double-seater desk a child of her class (class II A) had a child of class III A as his/her partner. Children of two classes were mixed with the hope of preventing cheating and talking. Similarly III A classroom also had children from both classes.
Consequently half the answer sheets she tied into a bundle had come from the other classroom. When the time got over she collected all the papers. While she signed the respective bundles and also sent and received bundles she told the students to put their heads down and be quiet. They were restless and impatient after the two hour exam. So she allowed them to whisper with their heads down.
Meanwhile she too kept her bag and perhaps her bundle too in the cupboard and waited for the final bell. Suddenly the dispersal bell rang and the peace and calm of the classroom was broken. The bell triggered a feeling of freedom in the children. It was the moment of release for them! Besides, the joy of going home early animated them.
They rushed to collect their bags which had been left outside the examination room. In the process they blocked the students coming in single file from the adjacent classroom. There was jostling and pushing. Everything became chaotic and noisy. The teachers and prefects on duty came to the rescue and restored order.
When she returned to the classroom Rita had just enough time to snatch her bag and sign in the teachers’ register. She too had to catch the school bus! In her hurry she forgot to take the bundle of answer sheets from the cupboard and had no recollection of having left it.
The whole incident left Rita deflated and humbled. Rita decided that she could not afford to allow this to happen. She could not let the kids out till she established order. She had to plan the exit.
The next day, after the answer sheets were collected she allowed them to go out and take their bags. She too kept her bag ready and made sure that the bundle was inside. She kept looking at her watch and five minutes before the bell the students were asked to line up within the classroom.
When the bell rang they moved out quietly in single file. Clear instructions were communicated to the students before the exam. They were told that they were a good set of students in a wonderful school and running, yelling and dragging aside of chairs were not expected. The children complied.
Rita realized that her mistakes had helped her learn. Every day was just one blur of activity but also brought new lessons to learn and grow from! Unexpected situations could arise anytime.
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Hi! My name is Rubitah. I’m a Content Writer certified Life Coach, Counselor, Social Work professional and the Founder of Being Rubitah. Over the years through my professional and personal life, I have realized that prayers and love can do wonders to family life once you come to terms with yourself and surrender to God. Do you relate to me? Then you may like what I post here! Read more about me
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