Workshops for students: Which one to choose?

The rapidly rising coronavirus numbers in the last few weeks across the country have brought back the fear of yet another lockdown. Maharashtra has already imposed stricter restrictions starting 5th April 2021, and unsurprisingly Mrs Malhotra is worried. Hailing from South Bombay, the safety of her family matters the most to her but at the same time, she doesn’t want Ahaana to lose out on learning a new skill at this age. It is a Wednesday afternoon; she turns on her laptop and starts reading up about online workshops for students and children.

She has been observing Ahaana for some days now and had some sort of idea of what she wanted. The first thing she had to do is to find a list of extracurricular activities for which the workshops are conducted for. With the kind of information available on the internet, Mrs Malhotra is spoilt for choices but knows that she needs to find something that matches her daughter’s personality traits and if not that, something that would truly excite Ahaana as a child. A couple of hours later, Mrs Malhotra had managed to shortlist a few online workshops for students that she could now choose from.

• Introduction to French: Mrs Malhotra was super elated when she came across workshops on online french lessons for children. She knew that the cognitive benefits of learning a second language would be undeniable for Ahaana and will improve her memory, problem-solving and listening skills. French also is the official language for 29 countries around the world and Mrs Malhotra thought it’s the closest she can get this year to take her daughter on a trip to France.
• Reiki level 1: Fascinated with its simplicity and the innumerable benefits that Reiki brings, Mrs Malhotra thought the idea of Reiki level 1 certification might seal the deal for her. Most of 2020 had been tiring for Ahaana because of the shift in education and Reiki was sure to aid relaxation, assist in the body’s natural healing processes, and develop emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being for her.
• Creative writing: For who Ahaana was as an individual, a workshop on online creative writingmight just be just about perfect for her. It would surely allow Ahaana to express her thoughts, emotions and communicate her ideas more effectively and Mrs Malhotra looked quite inclined towards it.
• Public speaking workshops: Good communications skills will take Ahaana a long way in her personal and professional life and is vital to help children convey their messages. It does help to overcome stage fright, building their persona and charisma, using emotions to their advantages and turning nervousness into excitement.
• Online art workshops: Last but not the least, doodling and painting will bring out the creative side of Ahaana, reduce her stress to some extent and more importantly help her retain information better. It will also promote attentiveness and truth be told, art is vital, if somewhat intangible, and that if children engage in hands-on art activities, they learn much better in all other disciplines.

Mrs Malhotra has had a long afternoon. Comprehensive research on workshops for students has ensured that she now has a list of extracurricular activities to choose from and can make the right decision for Ahaana. Just as she was about to take a quick power nap, she saw a text from her friend Pummy which read, “what about the extracurricular activities in school?”

To be continued.