Institute of Sathya Sai Education
10th Floor, Blk. A1&2 , Burlington Mansion
92-94
Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Kowloon, Hong Kong, SAR
Email: info@ssehv.org , Website:
www.ssehv.org
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METHODOLOGY The SSEHV Programme identifies three approaches to the teaching of these human values. These are: i. The Indirect Approach; ii. The Indirect Co-Curricular Approach; and iii. The Direct Approach The Indirect Approach is based on the premise that every school subject has inherent values and that if this is taken into consideration when lessons are being planned, it is possible to inculcate values during the course of one’s normal teaching. The Indirect Co-Curricular Approach emphasises the instilling of values in the extra-curricular activities in which children participate. Such activities are outings, field-trips, sports, drama, dance, etc. The Direct Approach seeks to instil values in a direct systematic way. It employs five teaching techniques, each of which, aids the development of a particular level of the child’s personality. The techniques are: Silent Sitting, Quotation or Prayer, Group Singing, Story Telling and Group Activities. Let us understand these 5 teaching techniques. SILENT SITTING Silent Sitting provides an opportunity for the children to sit quietly and let their minds be peaceful for a minute or two, thus allowing them to tune in to their inner resources. The advantages of this are superior concentration, better receptivity and improvement of understanding. At a deeper level, it improves memory and prepares the ground for intuitive awakening; it develops patience and discipline. As the thoughts, desires and emotions are stilled, new vistas of Peace are unearthed. While it improves the quality of work, it directly instils the values of Truth and Peace. It is said that silence is the most effective form of communication for it enables the individual to communicate with his/her own inner self. It is only in moments of silence that one is able to reflect upon one’s conduct and seek scope for improvement. Again, it is only in silence that the intuitive flashes of excellence are seen and experienced. This form of tuning in is the force behind genius and it imparts a new dimension of depth to the human personality. All this tuning in requires is asking the children to sit still in a steady posture and close their eyes. The teacher may ask the children to picture an object e.g. the beauty of a flower or a beautiful scene, or they may be asked to listen to a piece of soothing music. QUOTATION / PRAYER The teacher may use either a quotation or prayer in the lesson. The quotation must relate to the value being taught. After the quotation is introduced, the teacher allows for a few minutes of discussion. This encourages the children to express their views on the quotation. Quotations help to develop memory, promote analytical thinking, establish truly human ideals and they enable the children to relate to the highest in themselves. Prayer has a tremendous capacity to maintain the rhythm of the breath. It helps one to remain in tune with and to draw on the energy of Love within. It is a communication technique with Cosmic Energy. It provides a safe outlet for pent-up feelings and frustrations; it aids the development of memory and it confers peace which is a logical outcome of rhythmic breathing. GROUP SINGING Singing is a wonderful way in which children and teachers can join together in fun and friendship while learning. Songs express the language of the heart; they remove barriers and promote peace and love. Music and group singing are the most powerful weapons to put the human system in harmony and rhythm. When the children sing together, they also realise the value of co-operation. Singing improves memory, instils peace, love and appreciation and gives a feeling of joy. The songs can be varied in nature – folk, patriotic, ballad or popular. Anything that is learnt through song and music remains much longer in the memory and is easy to recall. The songs go round and round in the mind, reminding the children of their values and actions. STORY – TELLING Story-telling may be the most effective of the five techniques. The stories create role-models that the children will want to emulate. Since the dawn of creation, nothing more effective than stories has been thought of when it comes to driving any message home. A story generates interest, captures the attention and leaves a beautiful moral to think about and act upon. Stories bring out the parallel situations of life and suggest solutions; they add colour and variety to the school situation; they widen the imagination and help to sharpen the children’s sensibilities and sensitivities. Stories can be drawn from any source such as history, folk-lore, mythology or even created afresh. They symbolise the flight of human imagination and plant heroic and adventurous ideals in the minds of children. They have a direct impact on the conduct of children and are consequently extremely useful for cultivating the value of Right Action. GROUP ACTIVITIES These activities entail participation of all students. They could be organised both inside and outside the classroom. They include a wide range of activities that hinge on the lesson. The activities include role-play, mime, drama, creative writing, art, attitude checklist, games and service activities. The basic idea behind these activities is to reinforce, to allow for interplay and interaction so that learning proceeds from all directions. Follow-up and Life Application activities are designed to help the children incorporate the values into their lives, as part of their developing personalities. They are intended to give children the opportunity to practice the values so that the values cease to be abstractions. It is part of the lesson that is intended to take the values into the children’s home. It is one means of establishing contact with the parents, who, together with the teacher, must mediate between the children and the environment |