April 17, 2013: St. Stanislaus High School - Bandra: The AVEC team concluded its programs for this scholastic year 2012-13, with its final Value Education Orientation Program for the Primary and Secondary Teachers of St. Stanislaus High School - Bandra. Fr. Jude, Principal of the school welcomed the guest speakers and introduced Fr. Glenford and Mr. Rochwyn Fernandes to them,
After an opening Prayer Song, Mr. Fernandes took the teachers through a fantasy meditation and an awareness of life's situations and the relaxation of one's body. The silence generated a peaceful calm and restored many a tired heart and mind. The opening Prayer song was well appreciated by all. After the meditation, Mr. Fernandes introduced Fr. Glenford Lowe to the teachers. The theme for the Value Orientation was 'Management By Values' (MBV)
Dividing the Orientation into three brief segments. Fr. Glenn invited to teachers to focus on some basic Teachers' assumptions and clarified a lot of old mind-sets. "Until you have a perspective change, it would be difficult to have a procedural change", he said. The Orientation was an opportunity for the teachers to focus their attention to living their life as a Vocation rather than a career. Through the use of everyday practical examples, he was able to drive home a lot of pedagogical insights that were value-based and humane too.
Through the use of a small puzzle and team building activity, the teachers understood the importance of enlarging the parameters of their school by giving each one their rightful place in society and school. "Paradigm enlargements happen when we are ready to break down our old mind-sets, only then can we be able to reconstruct something new that is wider, deeper and more expansive", he said. Values help us to translate our life styles into something more significant.
In the second part of the session, the teachers were guided by the need to move from living mere 'lives of survival' to leading more 'significant lives'. Using the matrix of Personal Satisfaction against Job satisfaction, the teachers were able to plot their performance and move on ahead. "Today, Management by Values' is no more a luxury but a necessity.
In the final part of the session, using the Brian Hall - Benjamin Tonna 'Value Map', the teachers were able to plot their life story and performance and Value system, and in a sense, able to discover their Value System and phase of consciousness. Drawing upon many insights and personal everyday school experiences, the teachers were able to connect with the topic and able to understand themselves better and to even understanding the other better.
Mr. Fernandes summed up the session inviting the teachers to use the Value based resources and the 'Values for the Yatra' as moments for enhancing Value Education among the students. Teacher Sabitha Menezes proposed the vote of thanks. Mr. Roger D'Abreo too invited the teachers to cooperate in the Value Education program in the new scholastic year.
