Every Child is Special

21 December 2007
Taare Zameen Par/Initial release

The film educates the audience about dyslexia and promotes the idea

that every child should be treated with love and respect despite his or
her faults.

 Every teacher plays an important role in the development of his/her students.

This one holds true in the movie “Every Child is Special” which is about the
boy, Ishaan Awasthi, who was suffering from dyslexia and the teacher who
changed his life. Ishaan had difficulty in recognizing letters and numbers and
could hardly read and write. The condition his parents and his teachers had
no idea of. Because no one understood him, he felt different from the rest.
Parents and teachers thought he’s dumb and lazy. These gave him a feeling of
isolation.

The kind of relationship we build to the young ones greatly affects how they
perceive themselves and what they will become. The lack of patience, love
and kindness and most especially knowledge of one’s physical, intellectual
and emotional condition can make one feels unworthy and unwanted.

In the movie, Ishaan met Mr. Ram Shankar Nikumbh, a substitute art teacher.
With his persistence to help the young boy, he found out the boy’s condition
and so offered extra time to teach him in areas he had not mastered yet. For
me, the character of Mr. Ram Shankar Nikumbh shows us some qualities of a
great teacher. A teacher who does not only teach, but inspires as well. A
teacher who is not afraid to use unique and unconventional ways in teaching
his pupils. Furthermore, a teacher who exhibits a broad knowledge of
Psychology in teaching and using positive approaches in dealing and
addressing students’ concerns. The teacher’s persistence to truly understand
the boy changes everything.  From a lazy, dumb boy as others thought he
was, turned a very smart and gifted boy in the end. An artist to remember.
Oftentimes we are blinded by the strict rules and high standards in meeting
academic requirements, that, we fail to see the person’s worth. We believe
that an underperforming child, someone who can hardly read and write and
demonstrate certain skills and knowledge in the given situation is not worth
of our time. In my personal point of view, teachers should help a child in
every way they can. They should look into the child’s potentials as a learner
and of what motivates a child and what does not. Other than a having a broad
knowledge on subject-matter, curriculum and standards, teachers must have
strong desire to make a difference in the lives of young people.