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My Classroom Lost its Walls- how it came into being my first picture book

The wild adventure of kicking off my book “My Classroom Lost Its Walls” was totally accidental, almost like getting-a-pie in the face kinda accident! A big dirt-covered accident so to say. Picture this, I’m sitting in my comfortable, air-conditioned admin office at a newly launched elementary school in Gurugram, surrounded by the kids’ crafts, beautiful hand made hangings, picture books beautifully arranged, i am starting to journal my day at my desk, etc when i hear a knock on the door by my director to join him for a tour of the green, well, a not-so-green belt enveloping the school premises.  And just like that, I’m whisked out to the sun-drenched lawn, for a sweaty tour in 104 degrees Fahrenheits in an unfit attire and shoes.

How a pie-in-the-face moment inspired my first picture book- My Classroom Lost its Walls

I am standing, still adjusting to the stark weather change between my office and outside, when the school director waves his arwms dramatically over the 2-acre parched land, declaring we need to work some magic here. I give him my best hopeful nod- realising later that “we” needed to create some magic, with a predominant “me”, this colossal mission was aiming over to “lil’ ol’ me”.

 

Now, I was no botanist, I wasn’t even someone who kept a houseplant alive for more than a month. Yet, fate (and a very persuasive school board) decided that I—a school administrator with zero gardening credentials—would be the proud manager of this dry chunk of land.

When dirt became my destiny

India, with its rich cultural heritage and diverse landscapes, presents unique challenges and opportunities in the field of education. Schools often have limited open spaces, and those that do exist are typically dedicated to playgrounds or meticulously landscaped by gardeners. Also, back home kids spend most of their time buried in books and homework, with barely any outdoor exposure. Between scorching summers, freezing winters, and academic pressures, outdoor activities barely make the cut. The focus on academics often overshadows the importance of outdoor exposure, compounded by the harsh climatic conditions—scorching heat in the summer and biting cold in the winter.

In this environment, I was entrusted with the management of a 2-acre land at a school in Gurugram. I pondered over the best possible use of this land, and an idea struck me—what if the students themselves managed the land? What if they became the caretakers, the gardeners, the ones who nurture and transform it?

That’s when a wild idea struck: What if the students managed this land themselves? What if they could learn to grow their own food, get their hands dirty, and understand where meals come from? And so, the great experiment began. Each grade and section was given a patch of land to manage. The goal? To take it from bare soil to a flourishing garden and ultimately to their lunch plates. We called it Farm to Table, and spoiler alert: it was a massive hit.

My Classroom Lost Its Walls

Of course, the beginning was a comedy of errors. Kids—many of whom couldn’t tell a shovel from a spade—stared at the tools like they were alien artifacts. When I said, “Let’s prepare the soil,” they asked, “Prepare it for what?” But with a little guidance (and a lot of researching on my part), they learnt. The concept was simple—assign each grade and section a patch to manage. It was a win-win: the students would get their hands dirty, learn how to grow their own food, and, here’s the kicker, we’d save on our veggie costs in the kitchen.

So, what started as a “not my circus, not my monkeys” responsibility turned into a groundbreaking (pun intended) educational project. “My Classroom Lost Its Walls” captures this fun tour to school garden where the kids learn basics of flower beds, prepping the soil, tools and their uses, etc.

“My Classroom Lost Its Walls” is a reflection of this journey. It captures the essence of breaking free from the confines of traditional classrooms and embracing the world as a learning space.

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Picture of Jasneet Sethi

Jasneet Sethi

My name is Jasneet Sethi and I am an emerging author in the world of picture books. I strongly believe that stories have a transformative impact on the minds of all ages- old, young, young at heart, as young as a year old, that lingers after ‘The End’!

Picture of Jasneet Sethi

Jasneet Sethi

My name is Jasneet Sethi and I am an emerging author in the world of picture books. I strongly believe that stories have a transformative impact on the minds of all ages- old, young, young at heart, as young as a year old, that lingers after ‘The End’!

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