TEACHERS' VALUE EDUCATION ORIENTATION PROGRAM : ORLEM
August 13, 2013
Today wasn't like any other day. One hundred and three teachers of St. Anne's High School & Junior College had the privilege of participating in a full day's Value Education Orientation Program. 'Management By Values' (MBV) was ably handled by the AVEC Team. Mrs. Stella Rebello, Assistant Headmistress of the school welcomed the guest speakers Fr. Glenford Lowe and Mr. Rochwyn Fernandes to the school and introduced them too.
Mr. Rochwyn Fernandes began the session by taking the participants on to a spiritual plane. The introductory prayer song, 'Sarweshaam, Swastir Bhavatu', with it's inter faith visuals was appealing to all. He led the teachers into a fantasy meditation that coupled rhythmic breathing with slowing down and connecting the dots of their teaching profession and personal life. The AVEC Team and its activities were also made known to them. He took the time to say a few words of introduction about Fr. Glenn, making reference to his noble act of donating his kidney two years ago.
Fr. Glenn worked through the next four hours in a very logical and insightful way. He challenged the teachers, right from the start, to be ready for a 'Perspective Change'. "You can choose to make a 'change in more' or a 'change in making change'. The first is a mere quantitative change, while the latter, is a qualitative change. Value Education is about enabling one to make this qualitative change in life," he said. Through the use of a PowerPoint presentation and moments for personal and group discussion, he was able to draw the attention of all to three major aspects: the attitude of the young and their world, the alignment of one's personal values with the institutional values, and finally, plotting one's value consciousness on the 'Hall-Tonna Value map'.
'Management By Values' was an opportunity for the teachers to look at where they stand and where they would like to arrive as an individual and as an institution. When one has the courage to make the necessary Value Shifts, then there is a significant change in the 'way of changing' and then the educator becomes a 'Value Guru' in the lives of the students. Through the use of a number of everyday examples, the life of Jesus, and present day opportunities for planning and working towards the teachers were able to 'distill their values' and make the necessary shifts or change.
At the end of a four hour long session, Mrs. Louella Aranjo proposed the vote of thanks. This is how she summed it all so beautifully: "Thank you for having given us valuable insights into the necessity for CHANGE. The various quotes, examples and anecdotes, we're sure, will provide for qualitative change. Guiding our youth, we realize, has now become a challenge, but through this program, we have understood that it is up to us teachers and parents, to use all our resources, coupled with love - to make a change in change! We now understand that we need to change our words, and that will indeed change our world. Thank you for this much needed 'heart transplant'. All the best" - Louella Aranjo
"Lighting a candle challenges the darkness and in doing so one has to be ready to challenge oneself. Thank you for this enriching session which has paved the way for deeper insights and introspection. May candles be ready to light themselves" - Candice Colasco
"Congratulations! Fr. Glenn for the WORD. It was an eyeopener. Looking forward for more sessions for the heart transplant" - Ms. Clara Barnes
