On Class V and my kids gaining adolescence!

Few weeks into Class V, and I am suddenly seeing a lot of changes in my tiny-minny creatures with whom I started this journey an year back. 

Suddenly, my kids have talking about stuff that I do not know how to deal with. It took me one entire week to deal with one of these issues that cropped up with a girl, Deepika. She has not been her normal self since 1-2 months. I was trying to think about the possible reasons but I could not get anything. Talking to her parents also, I could not get what was bothering her. She was suddenly becoming very girlish. From a confident girl, she was becoming a shy girl. Not responding back to whatever I used to ask her. Just standing there in front of me, silent and smiling, and doing nothing. 

Last to last week, her close friends in my class told me that one of the boys in her colony was teasing her. I was so shocked to hear this. For that moment I just told them to not tell this to anybody and quietly sent back home. I talked about this with my co-fellow in school and asked her for suggestions on exactly what should I be telling Deepika in such a case. She said just ask her to ignore that guy, but if the guys continues teasing, ask her to tell him that she is a little girl and wants to study. I did this. And Deepika did follow my advice. 

The teasing still did not stop. Her friends again came and told me that the guy is not stopping at all. At that moment, only one thing came to my mind-Talking about this with her parents. And I did. I simply told them to take care of her a little more, dropping and picking her up from school. That's all! 

The parents were unhappy that Deepika herself did not tell them about this and Deepika was unhappy with me that I shared this with her parents. She stopped talking to me. So much so that she did not even wish me good morning, or smiled at me. And this made me so unhappy within.

Her mother came the next day and started crying in front of me. She told me that Deepika's father had scolded her the previous day. I was unhappy to hear this as well. I had told them explicitly not to scold her or get angry with her. But they did. 

I finally decided to have a long conversation with Deepika. I kept on talking to her, wanting to get answers, wanting her to talk to me. But she did not say a single word. I was getting angry. But suddenly, my co-fellow intervened and she talked to her. She took Deepika away from me and talked to her. I could see Deepika talking to her. I could see her getting back to her normal self. I could see her smiling a little. She came back to me, shook hands and we were friends again. Her mother was smiling too. 

What extra/special did my co-fellow do which I could not? I am still thinking about this. As a teacher, it was my duty to tell her parents about it since I am not with her after 1 PM. The real care takers are the parents.

So many mood changes are happening in her. Yesterday, she suddenly said this to one of her friends and I heard, "Padhai Likhai kisi kaam ki nahin!" and this left me questioned again! 

May be Deepika will understand me when she grows up a little and when she will be able to think from my perspective. For me, she is one gem of my class and will always be! <3 <3