Silence

One good thing about invigilating exams is that for once, I can be in a classroom full of students and hear only the sound of the fans whirling. Ah...such silence. Educationists will tell you that a quiet classroom can mean unengaged students, but still it's a (beginning) teacher's dream.

And I think kids these days really need a good dose of silence in their life. There's so much noise and activity in their lives everyday, and I feel that most of them will be frustrated by a sudden powerlessness in the face of mute silence. It will be a whole new experience for them, to have nothing to entertain them except for the surrounding scenery, where they can only meditate and ponder on their own thoughts.

I recall the times I spend in Nepal, when I walk through the vast natural landscape for days, often hearing nothing but the murmuring of the wind. And everyday, I wake up to continue the same routine of hiking, undisturbed by thoughts of unread emails, phone calls not received, work not done. That was really really liberating, and I was perfectly happy with that.

If they can't take time out to think assert their own personality and straighten out their thoughts about their own lives, how can they be confident individuals? I wish I can give them an experience that rivals mine; there's no way they will ever be the same again if they can learn to talk to themselves and be happy with that conversation.