‘The Ministry of Teaching’ Teachers Training held in connection with Sunday School Golden Jubilee
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
As part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations of St. Gregorios Indian Orthodox Church Sunday School,Kuwait - the largest Sunday School of Indian Orthodox Church with 1,365 students - a Teachers Training program with the theme ‘The Ministry of Teaching’ was conducted, in which teachers from 3 Orthodox parishes participated.
The key speaker was His Grace (Dr.) Yakoob Mar Irenios, President of Orthodox Sunday School Association of the East and Metropolitan of Kochi Diocese, who himself was a teacher for many decades The keys to successful teaching are proper preparation, social awareness, wide reading habit,inquisitiveness, innovative thinking and a close and affectionate attachment to the students. They should understand their lessons well and love their students. A good teacher shouldn’t be teaching but only making grounds for the students to learn by themselves.
Learning happens only when a eaningful relationship establish between the teacher and student. A teacher shall exhibit the love of a mother and the discipline of a father.
The second session was by lead by Fr. Mathai Edayanal Cor-episcopa, a great orator and a well known teacher for over 3 decades. He lamented the deplorable conditions of the teaching fraternity where they are no longer role models as in the past. A good teacher shall be enthusiastic and should encourage the students to think differently. He further gave practical and simple tips to become a successful teacher including how to use body language in communicating effectively with the students.
Earlier, the inaugural meeting was presided over by Fr. Reji C. Varghese (Associate Vicar). Fr. Shaji P.Joshua, Kurien Varghese (Headmaster) and P.C. George (Golden Jubilee convener) spoke on the occasion. John P. Abraham (Program Jt. Convener) compered the programs.
Besides St. Gregorios Maha Edavaka, teachers from St. Basil and St. Thomas parishes participated in the program.
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