Teachers Reflections
There is no doubt that whenever teachers consciously begin to be aware of the principles of Educare in their teaching it brings about positive changes in them. Again and again we hear stories of teachers who have become happier and more fulfilled in their chosen profession, as well as in their personal lives.
In our Educare projects in Mainland China we ask teachers to write their personal reflections. Let us take a look at some of the ways in which teachers have described the changes they have experienced.
- Changing their perception of education: One of the earliest transformations that happens to teachers is that they begin to re-examine their ideas about what teaching should be, and shake off some of their old philosophies that may have been making them unhappy.
- Recognising themselves as being better people.
- Controlling their own behaviour: A natural consequence of teaching about human values is that the teachers naturally become aware of their own values. We quickly come to realize that if we are going to encourage children to be truthful we teachers cannot tell lies. If we want them to value love we must be loving. If we want to convince them that it is important to cultivate inner peace, we find ourselves consciously looking for ways to cultivate our own inner peace.
- Becoming more valuable to their colleagues and families: As teachers become more and more conscious of their roles as models of Educare they begin to realize that their behaviour is transforming not only themselves but also others around them.