By Didi Ananda Gunamaya
In June, we held a Teacher Training in Lome with thanks to the sincerity of our headmaster there, Lokesh. We started implementing Yama and Niyama teaching in the Neohumanist Lome school. The teachers got a guidebook regarding the first phase of the training. Daily, we explained the meaning of different words related to the principles of Yama and Niyama. The teachers also got trained in storytelling and how to share their messages with children by discussing ideas and doing artwork. Lokesh noted that although our classes were quite long, sometimes taking 4 hours, the teachers were unaware of time. Teachers enjoyed the classes as they were given in an interactive way, and the teachers experienced how learning can be interesting. They also were touched to understand more how being a teacher is a great mission to the world.
Some teachers who couldn’t attend the training were concerned about putting out effort to implement moral values when it is not part of the government. Lokesh explained how it is important to create a strong moral base in the life of our students, and the use of stories is just the same as the ways their ancestors used to teach the youth. He told the teachers that if the whole world would introduce those principles of morality to their children, then there would not be such crises and corruption.
During the training, each teacher pretended to be in class interacting with his students. The others teachers pretended to be the students. They had fun sharing stories and practicing on how to make open questions to bring discussions about moral ideas.
Lokesh follows up guiding the teachers on how the children should be given freedom do choose the scene of the story they want to represent in their artwork. All these are new things which need time to be assimilated.
This is the experience of one of the teachers who attended the training: “Hello! I’m Yendouboime Honoré Tchifagou, one of the teachers at C.S. Neohumaniste in Togo. Some few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend the training on teaching on moral principles. I appreciate the aim and the strategy that was taught to us in order to teach these morals, especially in school to the pupils. I like the teaching of these ten moral principles because I’m convinced that if we all put them into practice, it will help to change later the entire world into a peaceful and happy world. It was with Joy that we discovered that through our contribution as teachers, we can help to change the world positively. Here is the opportunity to express my gratitude to the team that is working hard, investing in countries, changing mentalities, and behaviors into good ones. Thanks to Didi who is doing her best for us in Togo to learn these morals”
The people of Togo are very musical, so they were quite excited that every day we would open the classes learning a bit of the Prabhat Samgiit Gore nabo gurukul and going deep into its meaning. Finally, on the last day the teachers were very glad to have mastered it fully.