At Rewachand Bhojwani Academy in Pune, India, a fast pace of activity is more the rule than the exception. The 65 devoted staff members spend most of the academic year in activities that leave little time for thought. As an innovative, coeducational school for 500 diverse students ages 2–16, Rewachand Bhojwani Academy is constantly engaged in responding to the needs of its students and in developing new approaches to learning.
One of the school's beliefs, however, is that reflection must accompany learning activities lest teaching become a routine affair, a regurgitation of what someone said a long time ago. Such desensitization happens even at our school, despite our best efforts to make sure that classroom teaching is never routine. Also, just as in any other institution, the school has a turnover of staff members who need integration into the school community and philosophy.
Getting away from the hurly-burly of routine chores gives staff members a chance to contemplate their profession, share ideas, and recharge their batteries in a serene environment. More important, a retreat gives them the time and space to restate and renew the school's vision and purpose. Every year, then, the teachers at Rewachand Bhojwani Academy leave their families, homes, and city behind for a two-day retreat of intense thought and discussion interspersed with moments of relaxation, laughter, song, and dance.
Celebrating Diversity and Unity
Tucked away in a little village only 25 minutes away from the bustling metropolis is Ishwani Kendra, a Christian missionary complex that has hostel facilities, a conference room, and an ambience that radiates peace and well-being. When teachers gathered there at noon for last year's retreat, the principal, Madhavi Kapur, greeted them with chocolates and colorful badges. After checking into their rooms and sharing a delicious lunch, the participants settled down to two days of reflection and fun.
India is a land of diverse cultures and languages. To reflect this diversity, every session at the retreat began with a song sung in a different language. Because the staff members come from many cultural backgrounds and speak different languages, everyone could take turns leading the songs. So enthusiastic were the participants that they spontaneously got up to dance. Beginning each session in this way brought into focus one of the underlying values of the school: to celebrate diversity and respect differences while working together to achieve a common purpose.
After singing a song in Malayalam, participants began the first session by closing their eyes and holding hands in a circle. One person then pressed the hand of the next person, who passed on this pulse of energy until it came full circle. Bound together in this symbolic manner, the teachers were ready to begin serious reflection.
They worked in groups to list and discuss the values that govern the functioning of the school. Each group had a facilitator to ensure that no single person dominated the discussion and that everyone had a chance to express opinions. A recorder kept the minutes; a materials manager ensured the supply of pens, paper, and charts; and a timekeeper made sure that the group completed its tasks on time.
Sharing Ideas
Books form an integral part of a teacher's life, but where is the time to read? Sharing what one has read helps create that extra enthusiasm needed to read with interest. Most participants had read parts of some books at home during the week before coming to the retreat, so the second session, which began with a song in Bengali, was devoted to discussing interesting books about teaching. Five teachers each reviewed a book on such subjects as teacher-student relationships and teaching as a subversive activity. After the presentations, each participant chose a book to explore further and met with others to read sections together and to discuss the book's ideas.
Exploring Expectations and Stereotypes
People often behave as others expect them to behave. Rather than acting as individuals, they react to the expectations of others, becoming victims of stereotyping in the process. During the next session, we played the Label Game. Each person received a crown with a title—such as kind, selfish, funny, or gossip—that everyone except the wearer could read. Others then reacted to the particular person's label through actions and comments. It was fascinating to watch as the labeled person's behavior began to conform to the label. Reflecting on this experience, we discussed the disabling nature of labels. The activity reminded us that when we stereotype our students, they tend to live up to their labels, which makes bringing about behavioral change difficult.
Next, in the Block-Building Game, groups of four teachers assumed the roles of a student, a teacher, and two parents. With a set of wooden blocks on a table in front of a blindfolded “student,” each of the “parents” and the “teacher” made estimates of how many blocks the student could pile and then guided the student with comments and directions. The person playing the student often became stressed because of too many instructions and unrealistic expectations from those playing the parents and teacher. When we discussed this activity, we agreed that teachers and parents should help students set realistic targets, encourage them to reach their goals, and provide clear, specific guidance.
Articulating Values
- Joy, love, and peace.
- Respect for both living and nonliving things. We respect the different religions, lifestyles, appearances, and aptitudes of others, and we take care of the school, its property, and other public and private properties.
- Security, both physical and emotional.
- Sincerity and hard work.
- Balance between freedom and discipline, the needs of the individual and the group, flexibility and structure, creativity and conformity.
We then discussed in groups how to translate these abstract values into concrete behavior. Each group developed some “golden rules” that we shared with the entire staff. These rules included carefully listening to one another, respecting others' lifestyles, giving time for each student's special needs, not stopping students from speaking in their mother tongue, and sharing joyful experiences and events.
We ended the retreat with a bit of theater. Each group dramatized an interesting segment from one of the books we had studied and presented the short play to the entire staff.
Finally, with chocolates in our mouths and a mental spring in our steps, we wound our way homeward, nourished in body, mind, and soul.
