|
Guidelines
for Parents and Teachers
Introduction
Swami Dayananda compares teaching to a
delicate artwork. It is delicate because the material on which one works
is a conscious material, not inert, like clay or canvas. The material is
the human mind. It is a material that is intelligent and constantly
changing. Teaching is an art because the teacher utilises skills in
unfolding a subject matter that he or she knows, making sure that the
knowledge is transferred to the student.
Whether one teaches a class in a school or
one’s own children at home, one has to understand one fact in order
to be successful in communication - when one teaches an innocent,
trusting child, one has to he creative, honest and clear in vision.
In teaching this Vedic Heritage Programme,
the teacher’s role does not end with simply teaching prayers,
telling stories and introducing different religious disciplines. Nor does
it rest with answering questions. Forcing a child to ‘do
this’ or ‘not do that’ is not teaching. Teaching occurs
when there is a process of unfolding facts with love, care and clarity.
In the process, the child discovers a love for the subject matter. This
discovery is natural because the teacher has guided the child to a point
from where the child cannot but appreciate the truth and beauty of what
is taught.
Because the child studies with the teacher
for a number of years, and often both live in the same community, a
teacher who reflects the values he or she teaches will have a silent and
profound impact on the child. Teaching is like parenting. For the child,
the parent is always a parent, whether at home or at work. Since the
child’s trust in the parent is total, the child looks for
consistency in the parent’s values and behaviour. So too, the
child’s trust in the teacher’s wisdom is total. Whether
inside or outside the class, the child does not separate the one who
teaches from the role of the teacher. Just as the child’s trust
transforms the life of the parent, the child’s trust in the teacher
creates a challenge for the teacher to exemplify what he or she teaches.
In this process, the teacher continues to
see himself or herself as a student, always ready to learn, grow and
discover the Vedic dharma. A
teacher who conscientiously pursues this subject matter with commitment
will naturally come to live the values he or she teaches and become a
source of inspiration to the students.
In order to understand the Vedic vision and
way of life, it is necessary to commit to an ongoing study of the
scriptures. Swami Dayananda’s Bhagavad
Gita Home Study Programme offers an excellent unfoldment of the Vedic
vision. A teacher can form a satsanga
group whose primary commitment is weekly study of the Gita. Regular discussions and
reading of the Gita brings an
understanding of the subject matter and clarity in presenting the Vedic
Heritage.
In the appreciation of the nature of the
self as unfolded by the Gita,
truth and beauty are unfolded. Through values, prayers and stories, the
teacher attempts to help the child discover that beauty within. The
teacher’s task can be likened to that of a sculptor revealing a
dancing Nataraja in a stone. The
teacher’s care in teaching and love for knowledge will help unfold
the Vedic Heritage, blessing both the teacher and the taught.
For more information, please mail to info@purnavidya.com
|
