STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: “Story telling is an art and every teacher must acquire it with great dedication and passion. Children love listening to stories. Stories are magical, they transport children into the word of imagination. Stories can create an alternate world with emotions, ideas and make the everyday appear incredible. They can teach us, empathize us and take us on terrific journeys. They can make us laugh, cry, jump with fright and then comfort us with a happy ending”, reflected the Principal JKPS Kunjwani Rajesh Rathore while addressing the teachers of primary schools.
“From a very young age we learn how to enjoy a story both for pleasure and to help us make sense of the world and ourselves. The act of storytelling appeals to different learning preferences and personalities ensuring that from the most shy to the most active of students, everyone has a chance to participate in a way that they can enjoy. This ranges from listening quietly to taking part as an actor”, added the Principal further.
“Storytelling also helps students to enjoy and be aware of intonation and tone of voice, natural sounding expressions and phrases as well as interaction between native speakers. For senior students, they offer the opportunity to retell, rephrase, enact or summarise what they’ve heard, to rewrite the story or to create their own ending as a group or individual”, pitched in a master story teller from the faculty of English.
“Stories also offer a link between the classroom and home. Students may have the same books in their own language at home; they may read with a parent or family member and be able to identify vocabulary in English; simple stories in English can be read again by a parent at home. Stories offer everyone a chance to enjoy language and discover new worlds, new words and new things about themselves.
“Recently I was speaking to my friend over phone and we were reflecting over world renowned pesonalities, who dreamt big and left no stone unturned in achieving them successfully”, shared the Principal.
When I made a reference to Alexander the great, my friend Anil Dobhal, a brilliant story teller couldn’t resist his temptation of narrating an incident associated with the life of Alexander. Thus, he proceeded:
Place: Temple of God Apollo at Delphi
Suddenly a person jumps from the window behind Pythia, the spokesperson of God Apollo. Shell-shocked she looked behind. A tall, broad shouldered and handsome Greek soldier was standing in front of her.
“Who are you? How did you enter my room?”, asked Pythia flummoxed.
Calm n composed soldier responded with a smile, “I’m Alexander. God Apollo helped me”, said the soldier extraordinaire pointing towards the giant statue of God Apollo in the courtyard of the temple.
“What do you want?”, asked Pythia perplexed.
“I want answer to my question”, coolly retorted the soldier.
“It’s not the way seeking response to a question. Write it on a piece of paper, observe fast for seven days with austerity and then God Apollo will answer your question”, said Pythia.
“Pythia, I don’t have time. I’m attacking King Darius shortly. I want to know the fate of my action”, asked Alexander.
“Are you a nerd? Out of your wits completely? Any clue about the size of the Syrian army?” asked Pythia flustered.
“Yes, I do know. King Darius has quarter of a million soldiers & I have 40K cavalry”, smilingly replied Alexander.
“King Darius doesn’t know me. With my swift moving horses, I’ll catch Darius at Damascus unprepared. History is full of examples, when pygmies baffled the giants”, thundered Alexander.
“Invincible! You’re invincible”, muttered Pythia.
“Thanks, Pythia. I got my answer”, expressed Alexander with gratitude.
“No! No! These are my words, not of God Apollo”, said Pythia instantly.
“I got my answer. Goodbye, Pythia!” Alexander jumped out of the window, mounted on his horse Bicephalous and got disappeared shortly.
Those words of the World Conqueror are still ringing into my ears. “Pygmies may baffle the Giants”. I have been trying desperately to pass on the message of Alexander the Great to my beloved students. “Background never matters. Existing image of an individual can be changed instantly. One may transform oneself completely with a determined massive action. With determination and passion, one may evolve oneself into a gigantic shape”.
“For a moment, Alexander must have nurtured the idea of being the World Conqueror & he gave his heart and soul, his sweat and blood to transform his dream into a reality. He made himself immortal in the pages of history”, summed up the Principal.
