It's necessary to plan
Rita Foelker
When we know our purpose, our soul's intent is fulfilled in the best way through our body. A clear purpose removes all doubts because we are able to recognize what leads us to our goal or what deviates us from it. There is an immense amount of energy in our lives when a purpose is clear. Sônia Café in "O Anjo do Propósito (The Angel of the Purpose)"
Defining goals, priorities, and strategies to be developed in the beginning (the whole year or semester) simply, clearly but efficiently can make the difference between success or failure of the efforts of the teachers' team.
In the beginning of the year, all our attention must be focused on this important opportunity, when it is possible to see what is working in order to make it even better. It is possible to see if there were problems or misunderstandings in past activities in order to find solutions and create new ways of acting individually or in groups.
Meetings for planning
It is suggested that all teachers in the Children's and Youth Spiritist Education involved with the new year's work have at least one planning meeting in the new period. In order for the proposals and thoughts to mature other meetings can be set up giving everyone topics to research on. Whatever the duration of the meeting is, promoting adaptation among teachers is essential. Even if there are no new members, an activity to break the ice will help everyone to become spontaneous and also will help in the next steps:
- the previous period evaluation;
- the clear definition of the goals;
- the planning of actions.
1. The previous period evaluation
An observation of the last year can be done to help the teachers understand their difficulties and comments. Although the educational work evaluation must be continuous, this is the time to talk seriously about success and failures of what has been done, always without directly considering people or someone's specific attitude. We suggest group dynamics.
A self-evaluation can be done in private with a list of questions as follow: Do I really know my mission? What is it? What brought me here? Am I happy with what I have done? What was the best thing I did this year? When did I really feel like an educator? What could I do even better? What is my real need? How can I fulfill it? Who can I count on?
2. The clear definition of the goals
The general educational purposes will be decided according to each group. Topics will be elected and approached during the period considering the time that is necessary for each one.
In the spiritist house, the main purpose of Child and Youth Education is to create support for a spiritist understanding of life creating circumstances that stimulate reflections and experiments about the concepts of the Doctrine and the values of God's laws.
Perceiving it clearly, beyond specific purposes defined to each group of teachers and students, is what keeps the efforts going in the right direction.
It is suggested that each teacher create her/his own purposes based on self-evaluation and do her/his best to carry them out. These purposes should be related to learning, relationships with friends or students, improvement of the teaching work or adopting new personal attitudes. How can we expect the children to change if we stay the same?
3. The planning of actions
The conclusive element of planning actions is the special attention given to the reflective and creative work, instead of just physical work. A child that deals with topics in a contextual and pleasant way can get in touch to the concepts and will be able to relate them to real life.
Leaving some topics open and using first classes to get closer to the children's reality is a good way to work more efficiently. After all, planning is not a plaster mold that everyone must fit in to. Nor is it a strict schedule that everyone has to follow at any cost. Planning is to make things easy, it is not to obstruct the teacher's practice. That is why it must be created within a group and has to be examined from time to time.
Supporting student's initiatives that promote companionship, solidarity, and intellectual curiosity could be more interesting in terms of inner transformation, rather than precisely executing a plan, especially if that plan does not stimulate and attract the children's attention during the year.
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