My Reaction Paper: Like Stars on Earth

Like Stars on Earth

Summary:

A nine-year old boy named Ishaan Awatshi, is always failing miserably in his second attempt to complete his third grade in school. But he is a child who is imaginative and also creative, but once he sees words or mathematical problem, they are backwards and as if the words and numbers are dancing. After that he begins skipping school to avoid trouble or bad test results, his headstrong father and worried mother decide that the only way to get him to take academics seriously is by sending him to a strict boarding school (New Era Boarding School). Ishaan doesn't understand why his parents did this and now this young boy without a family continues in boarding school and yet again, the teachers and students don't understand what his problem is. Things are no different at his new school, and Ishaan has to contend with the added trauma of separation from his family.

One day a new art teacher bursts onto the scene, Ram Shankar Nikumbh, who infects his students with joy and optimism. He breaks all the rules of how things are done by asking them to think, dream and imagine, and all the children respond with enthusiasm, all except Ishaan. Nikumbh soon realizes that Ishaan is very unhappy, and he sets out to discover why. He also went to the house of the family of Ishaan and talked to his parent what is the problem of the child. Ram Shankar Nikumbh also talked to their principal that Ishaan needed time to learn because he has dyslexia. He gives him his time, patience, care and he ultimately helps Ishaan find himself.

As time goes by, Ishaan had a great improvement and he even won in the painting contest. In that time, at the end of the school, his parent went there and has a great evaluation about their child.

Reflection/ reaction

We all have individual differences, as well as Ishaan in the movie that has dyslexia. He is a person that just cannot seem to get anything right in class but are more interested in his surrounding like in the arts, animals and playing games. Though he cannot cope up easily with his class, he has a talent that anybody can’t have.

As a future teacher, do not dismiss a person because they are not performing at the same level as everyone else. As we all know, every child has individual differences. Look for the underlying cause and work for it. Dismissal of Ishaan could have caused him to become much worse and he might have ended up being a drop-out. However, with a little dedication and some individual attention, he was able to strive hard and his above average intelligence showed. He also was able to express himself through his paintings which were very mature for his age. Sometimes what a person can offer to the world is not mainstream or one of the major interest areas such as science or mathematics. Encouragement should be given where children excel, though it may be art or another.

As the movie continues, I see how Ram Shankar Nikumbh, made a way on how he will be able to help Ishaan find himself.  We can also use that method to be make our learner improves, and put our whole heart to take care to them, to give them the attention they needed and let them find their selves.  As a future teacher, we should also know the strategy and technique to make our students to become independent. We should also get the support and extra guidance that they need.

In this story, every person will cry, even when you are deaf and you only have a subtitle. It’s a story that can affect everyone who watched it.

"Go as far as you can see; when you get there,

you'll be able to see further."

-Thomas Carlyle