Once a little boy went to school.
One morning
The teacher said:
“Today we are going to make a picture.”
“Good!” thought the little boy.
He liked to make all kinds;
Lions and tigers,
Chickens and cows,
Trains and boats;
And he took out his box of crayons
And began to draw.
But the teacher said, “Wait!”
“It is not time to begin!”
And she waited until everyone looked ready.
“Now,” said the teacher,
“We are going to make flowers.”
“Good!” thought the little boy,
He liked to make beautiful ones
With his pink and orange and blue crayons.
But the teacher said “Wait!”
“And I will show you how.”
And it was red, with a green stem.
“There,” said the teacher,
“Now you may begin.”
The little boy looked at his teacher’s flower
Then he looked at his own flower.
He liked his flower better than the teacher’s
But he did not say this.
He just turned his paper over,
And made a flower like the teacher’s.
It was red, with a green stem.
On another day
The teacher said:
“Today we are going to make something with clay.”
“Good!” thought the little boy;
He liked clay.
He could make all kinds of things with clay:
Snakes and snowmen,
Elephants and mice,
Cars and trucks
And he began to pull and pinch
His ball of clay.
But the teacher said, “Wait!”
“It is not time to begin!”
And she waited until everyone looked ready.
“Now,” said the teacher,
“We are going to make a dish.”
“Good!” thought the little boy,
He liked to make dishes.
And he began to make some
That were all shapes and sizes.
But the teacher said “Wait!”
“And I will show you how.”
And she showed everyone how to make
One deep dish.
“There,” said the teacher,
“Now you may begin.”
The little boy looked at the teacher’s dish;
Then he looked at his own.
He liked his better than the teacher’s
But he did not say this.
He just rolled his clay into a big ball again
And made a dish like the teacher’s.
It was a deep dish.
And pretty soon
The little boy learned to wait,
And to watch
And to make things just like the teacher.
And pretty soon
He didn’t make things of his own anymore.
Then it happened
That the little boy and his family
Moved to another house,
In another city,
And the little boy
Had to go to another school.
The teacher said:
“Today we are going to make a picture.”
“Good!” thought the little boy.
And he waited for the teacher
To tell what to do.
But the teacher didn’t say anything.
She just walked around the room.
When she came to the little boy
She asked, “Don’t you want to make a picture?”
“Yes,” said the little boy.
“What are we going to make?”
“I don’t know until you make it,” said the teacher.
“How shall I make it?” asked the little boy.
“Why, anyway you like,” said the teacher.
“And any color?” asked the little boy.
“Any color,” said the teacher.
And he began to make a red flower with a green stem.
~Helen Buckley, The Little Boy
(HT Amanda White)
I don’t want to comprehend this, please let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
Happiness and sunshine 🌼
Nidhi
We constrain ourselves and our children with rules and conformity. Be free, smile and let us embrace all the flowers, trees, animals and dishes of the world with wonder and excitement. 🙂 It’s a really good lesson to remember each time we judge and put objects/people in boxes. Thank you for this share dear Nidhi. Wish you a beautiful weekend. 🙂
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Thank you ans wish you the same Krishnapriya 🌼
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I think this story shows us the value of choice. The first teacher required her class to copy her while the second teacher gave her students to draw what they pleased. While the boy may have drawn a red flower with a green stem, it was his choice the second time round rather then the teacher’s.
Choice is important.
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Yes it was his choice , but his choices were never let to explore previously and hence the damage .
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That is a very true statement.
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Beautiful story dear Nidhi ❤😊 May we guide children, but respect their imagination and growth of creativity. We should not put them in a mould we make and expect them to fit in it. Let they grow naturally 😊
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Thank you Krishna , have a beautiful day 🌼 let them be , let them free ..
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Beautiful day to you too dear 😊🌸
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I just felt painful after reading this
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It’s fine that we understand this pain and convert it into smiles by not over controlling the future generations .
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For sure 👍🙂
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Brilliant- if you get time, search for Sir Ken Robinson TedTalk on Education – it has a similar rendition towards the end
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Thank you for this share , will surely check
It out 🙂
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Sure 🌸😊
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Checked this now, it is brilliant . Thank you so much for the share 🙂
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Thank you for sharing this story…its heartwarming..
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Glad you enjoyed
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