REFLECTIVE TEACHERS’ FORUM MICO UNIVERSITY COLLEGE PASSION & PURITY CONFERENCE Sept. 2012

FORUM EVENTS/ACTIVITIES Registration Welcome & Purpose Inspirational Moment Exploratory Moments:  Reflection: Plurality or Singularity: The Identity Issue.  Principles and Practice/Strategies from the Sacred  Insights from Personal Practice  The Way Forward

INSPIRATION Giving Thanks and Acknowledging God

CHURCH How do you see yourself in different contexts?

WORK How do you see yourself in different contexts?

PERSONAL How do you see yourself in different contexts?

PROFESSIONAL How do you see yourself in different contexts?

MY IDENTITY

EXPLORING THE SACRED Discoveries

DIMENSIONS OF TEACHING Group Activities  Planning an integrative assessment task The problem The criteria for marking The feedback process

DIMENSIONS OF TEACHING Group Activities  Mapping: Contextually relevant place/space for learning  Demonstrating activities for self and learner knowledge (Affirming, Validating & Compassionate Revealing, Community, Reflectivity/Reflexivity).  Making a chain of learning activities (inspiration- orientation – information – application- assessment)

Dimensions of Teaching & the Sacred Alternatives to Traditional Learning Activities Assessment Profiling the Learner & Self Environment Dimensions of Teaching

The Environment & The Sacred The Physical  Prepare the physical space/place for learning  Rationale – God ensured that the earth was perfectly designed before He placed man to live in it and gave man the responsibility as a RESIDENT. The Spiritual  Prepare the spiritual atmosphere  Rationale – The physical place and man’s internal atmosphere (soul) were in such a condition that God communed with man.

The Environment & The Sacred How to Prepare the Physical Environment  Assign responsibility for the physical space to teams of students. Each team could be identified by an interesting name. Students who are specializing in Geography or Environmental Education or any related discipline could be considered as members of each team.  Teach students the meaning of responsibility using a relevant topic from the curriculum and integrate this with sacred principles to inspire and point students to the value of caring for the space/place they have been given as learners and workers.

The Environment & The Sacred How to Prepare the Physical Environment  If allowed or possible, enhance the learning space/place with:  Artistic pieces created by students (Visual Artists)  A plant or two (The Biologists or the Naturists)  Reminders of expected code of conduct (The Lawyers and Sociologists)  Demonstrate respect and care for the space/place God has provided for you to work to the best of your ability. This may require you to join with students as a team player to preserve and have dominion over the place you have been given to touch lives. Christ demonstrated how we are to serve when He washed His disciples feet. Can you stoop to do likewise?

The Environment & The Sacred How to Prepare the Spiritual Environment THE PLACE OF INSPIRATIONAL ACTIVITIES  Always start the learning episode with an inspirational activity to influence a healthy climate and to help students to be psychologically ready for learning. Negative emotions have five (5) times greater effect than positive and so it is important to guard against experiences that encourage negative moments. If participants are in a negative mode, giving them the space to reframe their thinking can inspire in a short time more positive feelings providing the situation is not traumatic.

The Environment & The Sacred

THE SPIRITUAL NATURE OF ETHICS OF CARE  Be compassionate in revealing to others the detriment of inappropriate behaviours:  The achievement of their learning goals especially for those with a learning oriented motivation style  To the development of a strength, gift/talent they possess  In light of ethical, legal and sacred principles  Point others away from self and inspire them to consider the greatest source of all wisdom (GOD)  Remember, strong emotions are indicators of values so try to unearth values from expressed emotions.

Dimensions of Teaching & The Sacred THE SPIRITUAL NATURE OF ETHICS OF CARE  Provide reminders of the capability and power of the team (see each class as a team) by using inspirational quotes. A team can be assigned the responsibility of sharing inspirational quotes or clean jokes or riddles. Participants who specialize in Religious Education and Literature can be members of this team. Students with strong interpersonal qualities may also be considered as members of this team.  Note: Reminders in the form of inspirational quotes can be creatively prepared and displayed in the room. Temporary stickers with powerful inspirational words can also be used

The Environment & The Sacred Linking the Physical & the Spiritual Environment  Provide reminders of the capability and power of the team (see each class as a team) by using inspirational quotes. A team can be assigned the responsibility of sharing inspirational quotes or clean jokes or riddles. Participants who specialize in Religious Education and Literature can be members of this team. Students with strong interpersonal qualities may also be considered as members of this team.  Note: Reminders in the form of inspirational quotes can be creatively prepared and displayed in the room. Temporary stickers with powerful inspirational words can also be used

The Environment & The Sacred ORIENTATION ACTIVITIES and the Spiritual Environment  Prepare your learners for their roles and responsibilities not only at the start of a lesson or session but at various points as lack of awareness of change or transition to another focus can affect each person.  Engage students in a short activity that requires them to determine their role and your role and work with them to assess the ideas shared.

The Environment & The Sacred ORIENTATION ACTIVITIES and the Spiritual Environment  Negotiate or come to an agreement with students about the roles and responsibilities expected and actions to encourage adherence  Check for understanding of expectations using quick trial run. Do not rely on telling and only explaining. Each person will use their meaning which may be inconsistent that of others.  Ensure that your orientation activity expose learners to the learning objectives for the session; by indicating what they should be able to do with the experience and information.

The Intellectual Environment as a Dimension of Teaching

THE WAY FORWARD