Who is the teacher in class?

Monday morning. Grade 1. I enter class with the day's agenda in my hand. I put it up on the board, like every other morning. It is 13th of October today. 14th and 15th are going to be holidays, due to elections in the state. We start class as usual. My class is lively, as always, wanting to talk to me more everyday. They are more like friends and less students to me. The naughtiest kid of my class asks me," Didi, we have a holiday tomorrow, right?" I say "yes". Another kid, " yes Didi, Diwali holiday".
I tell them no, these two holidays are for elections. Since our school is a voting centre.
I realise that these 6 year old kids have no idea what elections are. I decide, immediately, that we'll do a class election that same day. I explain the whole process. Rights and responsibilities of a leader. Why elections? How does it happen in state. How do we do it in school? 4 children stand for elections. For the post of the class leader. All others are excited. They cheer. They form strategies during lunch time. They discuss. Rationalise. We conduct quick 5 minute campaigns. Each one tries to convince why we should vote them and not others. "But Didi, I'll help the class." "I'll make the class more fun". Such answers from those little politicians!! We create ballot boxes. We vote. We select a leader. Children celebrate. Just like how we adults do. It's the same. The talks, the thinking, the ideas, everything.
This got me thinking of how true it is that there's a child in all of us. We all function the same way. Our minds function in similar patterns. Whether it's a 5 year old or a 50 year old. We all are the same. But there was a major difference that I noted in the kids' behaviour. These children, all of them, including the competitors, were so happy to celebrate one winning candidate. There was no ego. No negative emotions. Just joy. Pure happiness. Here, I was trying to teach them GK and they taught me life lessons. And I wonder the same thing over and over again. Am I their teacher or are they mine?