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By Trs. Guilhermina Vas and Joy Lobo
Fr. Cletus D’ Souza SDB was invited for the orientation of teachers on 23rd June, and the teachers of Carona along with Sr. Antonette D’Souza too joined the seminar. He began by asking the teachers their expectations followed by a 3-minute capsule of introspection and expression which involved thanking God for his blessings, asking pardon for our mistakes and finally asking God for grace.
Teachers should shape a classroom of the future, and the focus should be on the child. Education is based on love; it is concerned with moving from dependence to independence and depends on Team effort. These were the points that he stressed with the help of powerpoint presentations and videos. A short activity followed which had the purpose of making the teachers aware that they need to move with the times to make education relevant to their students. Teachers need to update themselves with the latest technology, world news, knowledge of the subject, etc. They have to be enthusiastic about their work and double up their efforts to achieve their set of goals. Relating to Don Bosco’s Preventive system, the speaker said that Reason, Religion, and Loving kindness refer to working with one’s head, heart and hands. Further on the speaker stressed the seven habits of a win-win situation. Next, he highlighted conditions where teachers have to manage, focus and avoid being more effective.
In conclusion Fr. Cletus through the use of anecdotes and situations spoke about the four tools: to listen, to overlook faults, to feel, empathize and to encourage.
We were grateful to Fr. Cletus for his energizing input and for reviving the passion for education in us.