A Povedan Pedagogy Programme for teachers was held in Anand, Gujarat, India, on 15 August, which was attended by about 30 people. They tell us in brief what the workshop consisted of.
During the drafting of our Common Mission Project following the 19th General Assembly and the lines of action, we assessed the needs of the community and explored new ways to share TA charism in our context.
We identified that most of our ACIT and Pre-ACIT members are teachers working in public schools, that would make Povedan Pedagogy a valuable contribution to the educational system. As a result, we decided to launch this program on 15th August, coinciding with India Independence Day.
Workshop
The workshop was divided into two parts. Goretti Gonsalves, A4 sector director that comprises India, Taiwan, Japan and Holy Land, led the first part, starting with sharing our life experiences as school children and discussing the positive and negative impacts of teachers in our lives.
Participants were divided into groups to share their stories and then choose one to share with the whole group. This was followed by identifying a common characteristic of a teacher that has a significant impact on a child.
Juanico
The second part taken by Jennifer Fernandes, school teacher, focused on introducing Povedan Pedagogy and exploring Fr. Poveda’s educational style. We began with the story of “Juanico”, the poor man from Guadix, whose story we know, and the profound impact that Fr. Poveda had on him, shaping his identity as a “Person”.
We discussed the three arts that could be identified in Fr. Poveda as an educator: the art of listening, the art of contemplation, and the art of doing.
The participants were enriched, emotional while sharing and listening, and gained valuable insights from Fr. Poveda. It was a real gift from Fr. Poveda for public school teachers.
We were delighted to have Monica González, director of Narcea Publishing House, join us for this event, and her presence as a representative from the country of Fr. Poveda was well appreciated.
TA Anand, India.
Published in Associative Unity