Every Child is Special

This story is all about a playful nine year-old boy named Ishaan Awasthi who is suffering

from dyslexia and misunderstood of being lazy, slow, idiot and dumb. He was known to be a

boy who likes to disobey his parents not knowing that he is having a difficult time and

trouble in recognizing letters, reading and writing. His teachers, fellow students and even his

own family don’t even know what he was going through.

He was sent to a boarding school to be disciplined yet he suffered from trauma after having

a wrath with his teacher for being disobedient especially when being asked to read. That is

why he apparently ditched all of his classes and roams around the streets alone, even his

passion for painting and drawing was totally gone. He became so depressed when his family

got a spare time to visit him in the school yet say nothing to him.

One day in class, a substitute English teacher who also loves arts came into surprise. He is

Ram Shankar Nikumbh, he eventually recognize the special need of the boy because he

came from a school that caters students with the same case like Ishaan. And that leads to

the conclusion of his other teachers to send him to another school that has specialize

program for his case. But his arts teacher intended to give him a chance and let him

experience what other normal learners do. That is what Education for All insists.

Mr. Nikhumb discussed Ishaan’s case to the principal and suggested that he will be the one

to give special classes to Ishaan specifically in teaching him how to write and read, in

connection with this, the teacher also recommended that he must be graded orally for the

time being stayed in the class not knowing how to write. The teacher helped him how to

manage deficiencies brought about by his illness. With the use of appropriate interventions

that measures constant practices, drills and problem solving. Ishaan’s potential was unveiled

by his teacher.
This confirms the theory of operant conditioning by Skinner. Being exposed to rewards or

punishment, stimulated and conditioned to learn because of the immaterial reward of being

accepted, cared, valued and loved by his teacher.

One fine day, Ishaan’s dad visited him at school. He was alone and tell Mr. Ram, the Arts

teacher that his wife is busy doing research about their son’s condition. After having a small

talk with the teacher and his son, he decided to leave and on his way out, he heard hi, read a

poster advertisement for the upcoming school painting competition. It was the first time he

had heard his son to read.

Before the end of the school year, Nikumbh organizes an art fair for the staff and students.

The competition is judged by Lalita Lajmi. Ishaan is so great that he was awarded as the

winner, and Nikumbh who paints Ishaan’s image, is the runner up. eachers and parents were

very proud of Ishaan. It was all thanks to Mr. Nikumbh who did not give up on the boy who

once didn’t know how to write and read.

The principal decided to make Mr. Nikumbh as school’s permanent art teacher and Ishaan

came back to his family with a very big positive achievement not just in his academic

performance but most especially with his whole being.

As a teacher, I am very much touched with the story of the movie. It was really an eye

opener for us and to the other people also, to do not rely mainly on the academic

performance of the students but then give them the whole universe to explore on what they

are interested to. It is the teacher’s role to discover these talents or skills that our students

may have interest in and let them pursue it and encourage them to develop it more. It is for

a fact that we are living in this world that is full of judgmental people who will, in the future,

test our courage; we really need some people who can pull us up. In this movie, it was the

teacher’s role and had his student skills be developed and be more confident with himself.