Children's Class Preview

How I ended up taking on a children's class is actually a story in itself that I'd like to share before I go on explaining how the preview went. These children's classes are inspired by the teachings of the Bahai Faith (www.bahai.org) and occur weekly on a voluntary basis. In the classes, children learn moral values and spiritual principles that empower them and guide them through life. These classes are a worldwide effort and happen in every city across the globe- you never know, there might be one happening right in your neighbourhood!


Anyway, so there used to be a children's class teacher in my community and she had around 6-7 (3 of them being her own kids) students. I used to help out whenever I could with games, skits, songs and dance. But in december, her family moved away and the classes had to stop. Nothing happened for a few months, and by this time I had already gone through the training and become a qualified teacher. One day, my 8 year old sister asked me "Can you teach me childrens' class?" It was at this moment that I realized the class meant something important to her. So I made her a deal. She had to find a minimum of 5 students for me to begin the classes. She began her quest and started telling all her friends who lived in our neighbourhood. 2 weeks later, she told me with a disappointed look that she could only find 4 students. My sister, 2 of her friends who were from the earlier class, and 1 new classmate of my sisters came for our first 2 lessons. After some conversations with my sister and her classmate, I discovered that they had many more friends living around our area. I thought, why not share the class with these kids too! If I'm gonna put in 3 hours a week for this class, I might as well offer the benefits to more children! If their parents decided that they didn't want their kids to come, fine; but at least they know the class exists. It was the least I could do.


I took a walk around my neighbourhood with my sister, and talked to a few parents. The first parent flatly said, "Sorry, not interested". It was quite disheartening, considering that this was a community service initiative, not some piano or tuition class. The parents in the 2nd home were more friendly. It was a little tough explaning the class since it is kinda absurd-people hunt for good places and pay so much money for their kids to learn skills, and here I was knocking on their door, inviting their child to come for a free class! He was a bit surprised, but assured me that he or his wife would come for the preview on Friday night. The other families weren't at home and Friday was 4 days away- I had to do something!


So Cynthia (another youth who's gonna be helping with the classes) and I sat down and made a fancy flyer for my sister to give to her friends in school to invite their parents to come for a preview. The cover of the card looked like a birthday party invitation card, but it said "Let's play, learn and grow together!" On the inside, we included some Bahai writing on child education and we quoted Obama's inauguration speech! (I’ll take a picture of the card include it with this post soon)


So Friday arrived. 8.30pm. No one was there. Cynthia got stuck at a work meeting and said she would be late. I hadn’t prepared anything. I considered doing a powerpoint presentation, but I realized it might be too formal and the last thing I wanted was for the parents to think it was another tuition class. I sat down, said some prayers, took a deep breath and asked myself why I feel so strongly about the childrens’ class, why I bothered teaching it and how I benefitted from it since I attended it as a child.

Here were my thoughts:

I’ve been through many forms of education- Chinese, Malay, British, American. Some are very exam-orientated, some focus more on the development of the intellect, but they all place value on material existence and success. Ask any child to draw a picture of success and they’ll draw car, house and $$$. With the current economic crisis, the world has seen the most successful people lose everything over-night, people murder their own families because there was no hope of survival. The children’s class redefines success and strives to make every child see his/her larger purpose of serving humanity. I recalled the lesson the week before on ‘generosity’. When I first asked the kids, “If you have no money or food, can you give a poor man anything to help him?”, their instinctive response was “of course not!” but after we talked and discussed further, the said “ we can share with him our time, our care, our kindness and our love. We always have something to give.” This intrinsic value is what the children’s class is all about, and nothing can take that away from you, even during the darkest storms in life. I’ve seen how this perception of my own value has guided me through life, and I wanted to share this significance with the parents.


20 minutes later, 2 parents showed up-both mother’s. It’s interesting how fathers tend to let their wives deal these kinds of events more. Maybe it’s the culture here. Or maybe it was because I was a girl. I don’t know. But it was a nice, cozy get together. Everything I had mentally prepared (a speech of some sort) got flushed away and I decided to just be chill, sincere and speak from the heart. Our conversation went great! The parents are really supportive and have agreed to help sort out the food/share their specific talents with the kids, like baking, gardening etc. I did mention that the class is inspired by the teachings of the Bahai Faith, and I told them that when we do discuss about God or religion in the class, we refer to one universal God and teach that religion is part of a progressive whole. They had no objections.



So this Saturday, I’m gonna be having my first class with nine students!!!
(Wait, I won’t be here for the first class since I’ll be in Singapore for an oratory competition, but Cynthia will be handling it.)

The Inspiration Behind the Class

The education and training of children is among the most meritorious acts of humankind and draweth down the grace and favour of the All-Merciful, for education is the indispensable foundation of all human excellence and alloweth man to work his way to the heights of abiding glory. If a child be trained from his infancy, he will, through the loving care of the Holy Gardener, drink in the crystal waters of the spirit and of knowledge, like a young tree amid the rilling brooks. And certainly he will gather to himself the bright rays of the Sun of Truth, and through its light and heat will grow ever fresh and fair in the garden of life.

Therefore must the mentor be a doctor as well: that is, he must, in instructing the child, remedy its faults; must give him learning, and at the same time rear him to have a spiritual nature. Let the teacher be a doctor to the character of the child, thus will he heal the spiritual ailments of the children of men.

If, in this momentous task, a mighty effort be exerted, the world of humanity will shine out with other adornings, and shed the fairest light. Then will this darksome place grow luminous, and this abode of earth turn into Heaven. The very demons will change to angels then, and wolves to shepherds of the flock, and the wild-dog pack to gazelles that pasture on the plains of oneness, and ravening beasts to peaceful herds, and birds of prey, with talons sharp as knives, to songsters warbling their sweet native notes.

For the inner reality of man is a demarcation line between the shadow and the light, a place where the two seas meet; it is the lowest point on the arc of descent,and therefore is it capable of gaining all the grades above. With education it can achieve all excellence; devoid of education it will stay on, at the lowest point of imperfection.

Every child is potentially the light of the world -- and at the same time its darkness; wherefore must the question of education be accounted as of primary importance. From his infancy, the child must be nursed at the breast of God's love, and nurtured in the embrace of His knowledge, that he may radiate light, grow in spirituality, be filled with wisdom and learning, and take on the characteristics of the angelic host.

Since ye have been assigned to this holy task, ye must therefore exert every effort to make that school famed in all respects throughout the world; to make it the cause of exalting the Word of the Lord.

(Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 129)