Order, order!
Subha Das Mollick
When Sound of Music first released, I remember going to Odeon Cinema (in Delhi) with my family to enjoy the film. It turned out to be a perfect film for family viewing as everybody had something precious to take away from the film.
Many years later, when I watched Sound of Music after I entered the teaching profession, I realized that a teacher too has a lot to take away from the film. For me, the most important learning experience was how to win the confidence of a bunch of unruly, defiant children. Maria came to the Von Trap family as a governess for the seven children. She was informed that she was the 12th in the long line of governesses, her predecessor having lasted just for two hours.
So how did Maria win the hearts of the seven children? Let us take a close look at the scene when Maria introduces herself to the children.
MARIA: At ease. Now that there’s just us, would you please tell me all your names again and how old you are.
LIESL: I’m Liesl, I’m 16 years old and I don’t need a governess.
MARIA: I’m glad you told me, Liesl. We’ll just be good friends.
FREIDRICK: I’m Freidrick, I’m 14 years old and I’m impossible.
MARIA: Really, who told you that Freidrick?
FREIDRICK: Fräulein Josephine. Four governesses ago.
LOUISA: I’m Brigitta.
MARIA: You didn’t tell me how old you were Louisa.
BRIGITTA: I’m Brigitta, (pointing to Louisa), she’s Louisa, she’s 12 years old and I’m 10 and that is the ugliest dress I’ve ever seen.
KURT: Brigitta, you shouldn’t say that!
BRIGITTA: Why not? Don’t you think so?
KURT: Why yes, but Fräulein Helga’s was the ugliest. I’m Kurt. I’m incorrigible.
MARIA: Congratulations.
KURT: What’s Incorrigible?
MARIA: I think it means you want to be treated like a boy.
MARTA: I’m Marta, and I’m going to be 8 on Tuesday. I’d like a pink parasol.
MARIA: Pink’s my favourite colour too.
Gretle stamps her feet.
MARIA (cont’d): Yes, you’re Gretle.
Gretle holds up five fingers.
MARIA (cont’d:) And you’re five years old? My, you’re practically a lady. I have to tell you a secret. I’ve never been a governess.
ALL CHILDREN: You don’t know anything about being a governess?
MARIA: Nothing. I’ll need lots of advice.
So we see that in this scene of mutual introductions, Maria comes down to the level of the children. When the eldest child Liesel says that she is 16 years old and she doesn’t need a governess, Maria offers to be just a friend. To befriend the two youngest children, Maria literally goes down on her knees. When the sixth child Martha says that she’s going to be 8 next Tuesday and she likes pink parasols, Maria creates a bonding by saying that pink is her favourite colour too. Maria befriends the two boys by treating them as young men. In this session of introductions, she does two more things. She proves to the children in a very subtle way that she is nobody’s fool. Here is the conversation:
LOUISA: I’m Brigitta.
MARIA: You didn’t tell me how old you were Louisa.
Maria had been alert when the children were rattling off their names in their father’s presence and she cared to remember the names. The last thing she does is to confess to the children that she knows nothing about being a governess and she’ll need lots of advice. With these words she sheds her air of superiority completely. The older children begin showering ‘advice’ on how she ought to behave and the younger ones, who are more honest, warn her that she should not take any of the advice seriously.
When Frau Smitsch takes Maria up to her room, a frog jumps out of Maria’s pocket – a gift sneaked in by the children during the ‘advice’ session.
Later in the evening, something magical happens at the dinner table. Maria does not complain to Captain Von Trap either about the pine cone left on her chair or about the frog. Instead, she says:
Maria: I’d like to thank you all. . .
. . . for the precious gift you left in my pocket today.
Captain: What gift?
Maria: It’s a secret between the children and me.
Captain: Then I suggest you keep it, and let us eat.
Maria: Knowing how nervous I must have been. . .
. . .a stranger in a new household. . .
. . .knowing how important it was for me to feel accepted. . .
. . .it was so kind and thoughtful of you to make my first moments here. . .
. . .so warm and happy. . .
. . .and pleasant.
Captain: What is the matter, Marta?
Martha: Nothing.
Maria’s words bring the children to tears. It begins with the youngest one and then all of them begin shedding tears of repentance. The question is, why did Maria decide to talk about the evening’s episode at all? The reason is, if she had let it pass, the children would have got the message that they can get away with anything. So she had to bring it up. But if she had mentioned the frog to the captain straight away, she would have antagonized the children. Thus she brought up the matter in a way that touched the conscience of the children and at the same time helped create a stronger bonding between her and the children.
By examining these two scenes we conclude that every teacher/mentor has to play with the duality of being at the same level as her children/students and being a notch above them in knowledge, tact, and wisdom. The children should look up to the mentor and be willing to learn from her. The mentor should mingle with the children and yet be in control. Perhaps, most importantly, the teacher should not lose faith in the inherent goodness of the children. By appealing to the ‘good’ ness of a child, even the naughtiest of children can be made to perform.
The author is the secretary of Bichitra Pathshala, an organization that promotes learning with moving images. She is also an associate director at iLEAD Institute, Kolkata. She can be reached at subha.dasmollick@gmail.com.
