36 Teachers of 7 AC Congregation Institutions attend ‘ME TIME’ Programme by CASK

36 Teachers of 7 AC Congregation Institutions attend ‘ME TIME’ Programme by CASK

36 Teachers of 7 Institutions run by Apostolic Carmel {AC} Congregation namely St Agnes CBSE School; St Agnes High School; St Agnes Kannada Primary School; St Agnes Special school; St Agnes PU College; St Agnes Degree College; and St Agnes Post Graduate College, located at Bendore, Mangaluru in St Agnes Institutions Campus attended the “Teacher Enrichment Programme {ME TIME} organized by Catholic Association of South Kanara {CASK} on Saturday, 7 July 2018.

Mangaluru: Quoting Robert Frost, “There are two kind of Teachers- the kind that fill you with so much quail shot that you can’t move and the kind that just give you a little prod from behind and you jump to the skies”. This quotation illustrates the difference between today’s emphasis on education toward “Teaching to the Test” and truly Good Teaching-the difference between acquiring facts and learning how to think and apply what you’ve learned. And for that matter, we had 36 teachers from seven Institutions run by Apostolic Carmel {AC} Congregation namely St Agnes CBSE School; St Agnes High School; St Agnes Kannada Primary School; St Agnes Special school; St Agnes PU College; St Agnes Degree College; and St Agnes Post Graduate College, located at Bendore, Mangaluru in St Agnes Institutions Campus who attended the “Teacher Enrichment Programme {ME TIME} organized by Catholic Association of South Kanara {CASK} on Saturday, 7 July 2018- to become “Better Teachers” way more than the “Better Teachers” they are now. The entire programme is sponsored by Late Dennis Vas and his wife Jessie Vas from Mumbai.

The programme began with a very sentimental prayer song “This Love” by Country Singer Anne Biddie from Ireland, followed by a short prayer led by Ms Nayanna Fernandes- the Vice President of CASK, and while the prayer was being recited, the 36 teachers walked with flowers to the lit lamp- a very unique concept by Patsy Lobo-the Editor of CASK magazine “Mangalore”. The welcome address and introduction of the dignitaries was done by Patsy Lobo, and the chief guest Fr Wilfred P D’Souza- Director, St Joseph Engineering College, Mangaluru; Guests of honor Sr Maria Roopa AC -Superior, St Agnes College Convent; and Jeswina AC, the Principal of St Agnes College, were all welcomed with a memento and flower bouquet.

Addressing the audience, chief guest Fr Wilfred D’Souza said, “This Teacher Enrichment Programme-ME TIME will surely benefit all you teachers who are into a great profession. Yes, teachers job is more challenging, which requires patience, empathy, passion, determination, dedication etc. What makes a great teacher? Teaching is one of the most complicated jobs today. It demands broad knowledge of subject matter, curriculum, and standards; enthusiasm, a caring attitude, and a love of learning; knowledge of discipline and classroom management techniques; and a desire to make a difference in the lives of young people. With all these qualities required, it’s no wonder that it’s hard to find great teachers- and that’s when programmes like these will be useful for someone to become great teachers”.

“Some characteristics of great teachers are: Great teachers- set high expectations for all students; they have clear, written-out objectives; they are prepared and organized; they engage students and get them to look at issues in a variety of ways; they form strong relationships with their students and show that they care about them as people; they are warm, accessible, enthusiastic and caring; they are masters of their subject matter; they communicate frequently with parents. So today make the best use of this programme ‘Me Time’ which is very informative and will benefit a lot in your teaching profession. If you ask anyone which person they remember the most, the answer will be Teachers” added Fr Wilfred.

Also speaking Sr Maria Roopa AC said, “Teachers should also be facilitators. Teachers should develop a learning environment that is relevant to and reflective of their students’ social, cultural, and linguistic experiences. They should act as guides, mediators, consultants, instructors, and advocates for the students, helping to effectively connect their culturally- and community-based knowledge to the classroom learning experiences. Finally, being a facilitator in a classroom means being a successful teacher. This means that one builds constructionist classes where there are mutually positive and active responses from the teacher and the learners, and even among the learners themselves within the one classroom”.

After being felicitated during the occasion for her hard work, dedication, and committed as a discipline and strict principal of St Agnes College, Sr Jeswina AC addressing the gathering said, “I feel humble for the honour bestowed on me today by CASK. You should all know that the success of a student depends on a good teacher. The top five qualities of a great teacher are-The ability to develop relationships with their students; Patient, caring, and kind personality; Knowledge of learners; Dedication to teaching; and Engaging students in learning. What you learn from today’s programme will be an added asset to your teaching profession”.

President of CASK, Richard C Rodrigues also spoke on the occasion and promised to organize such kind of Teacher Enrichment programmes in future too. While the topic for the inaugural Teacher Enrichment Programme {Me Time} at St Agnes College today was ” IQ Versus EQ”, future programmes will be held on First Saturday of every month which will comprise of topics like -“Goals of Education”; “Personality development”; Leadership Development”; Effective Communication”; Self awareness, Self Esteem, Self Confidence”; “Public Speaking”; Working in a Team”; “Human Relations”; “Stress Management”; “Environment Sensitivity”; Social Graces and Etiquette”; “Empathy/Mindfulness and Sensitivity to Human Suffering”; and “Financial Management”.

After the introduction of the Topics, according to Patsy Lobo the “Young Photographer of the Year” Dominic Saldanha, an IInd PUC student at St Aloysius PUC, Mangaluru, and CASK’s favorite Photographer/reporter, Yours Truly of Team Mangalorean were also felicitated on the occasion. It means a lot when you are recognized for your service- thanks for the kind gesture! Concluding this report, with the lyrics from the Prayer Song “This Love” by Anne Biddie on YouTube below, which is very appropriate for a teaching profession, which needs love, care and support from the Lord.

Click Here for Photo Album