By Express News Service CHENNAI : Lalitha Ranjani American politician Charles Bradford Henry once said, ‘A good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination and instil a love for learning.’ A manifestation of those words is Madurai-based K Saravanan, headmaster, Keezhasanthaipettai Nadar Uravinmurai Dr T Tirugnanam Primary School, a government- aided school. We ask the school’s students about their favourite teacher and their faces light up. “Kadhai solra sir!” (The one who tells stories), they delightedly squeal and unanimously point to Saravanan. Ask them why and 10-year-old T Priyadharshini comes forward and tells us that the fantasy stories and real-life stories narrated and enacted by Saravanan make him her favourite. Accidental teacher A native of Madurai, Saravanan hails from a family of teachers. His father N Karuppiah taught at the very same school he now works in. “Until post-graduation, I wanted to join the civil services. But due to my mother Leelavathi’s motivation, I took to teaching in 1993,” shares the 47-year-old whose association with Dr T Tirugnanam Primary School began in 1996 when he joined as a Science teacher. Eight years later, he was promoted as the headmaster. A typical day in Saravanan’s classroom begins with class 5 students singing poems from their syllabi. Later, their Science class begins amid an endearing tussle between three students over who will sit next to their favourite teacher. A lesson on the Raman effect, rainbow and why the sky is blue, is soon accompanied by the much-demanded storytelling session. Whimsical stories unfold The enthusiastic children gather outside their classroom to watch their teacher role-play while narrating a fantasy story on ‘Why the rainbow was broken into a semicircle’. Making his students burst into peals of laughter, Saravanan dances, jumps, rolls his body on the ground as he narrates the story, involving children in the act as well. Back into the classroom, Saravanan and his students transform the Tamil poem written by Kavimani Desigavinayagam Pillai about the sea, into a classical- Tamil rap fusion song, filling the air with music. Meanwhile, learning mathematics turns into an art activity. Step into his classroom and one cannot but notice a table full of books neatly kept on display. Saravanan calls it nool vanam (forest of books) and explains, “As the school lacks a library, two years back, every classroom at the primary school level was furnished with a similar display of children’s books and magazines (English and Tamil), according to the age of children in each class. While I purchased some, many books were donated by friends and well-wishers who were connected through Facebook.” The collection also includes books penned by him. “I have authored 16 short story books meant for students from classes 4 to 12. My students are my first critics. As I narrate my stories to them, I gauge their response and based on their suggestions, I tweak the stories before putting them on print.” Beyond the classroom Class 5 student M Keerthika says she grew fond of her teacher after the visits he made to the neighbourhood of her classmates every weekend. Throwing light on his trailblazing practice, Saravanan says, “Unlike private schools, most parents do not turn up for the parents-teachers meeting. So, to bridge this gap and to imbibe the reading habit among young readers, I have been visiting the families of students in areas including Anuppanadi, Melamadai, Kalmedu, every weekend, for two years now.” During such visits, the students and other children from the locale are gathered in any available public space. “I spend around three hours with the children, conducting games, listening to the stories they narrate and telling tales based on concepts including the Gandhian thought,” he says. A trailblazer The day comes to a close with Saravanan ensuring the children obtain membership in the local libraries. “Impressed by the activity-based learning methods during my visits, parents of two children who were studying in a private school transferred them to our school here this year,” he smiles. Recalling an incident, he shares that a young girl once pointed at him in a crowd and said something to her parents. “When I confronted the family, the mother said, ‘Our daughter once enjoyed your storytelling sessions on a weekend. She recognised you and told us that you were the ‘Kadhai solra sir’. Such moments are the biggest award and recognition of all!” he smiles.

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