By Ms Pearl Fernandes for BISMumbai

The teachers of Don Bosco High School and Junior College, Yerwada, Pune, had an enriching orientation session on 13 and 14 June 2023. The teachers, refreshed from their summer holidays, were all set to begin the academic year 2023–24 with great zeal and enthusiasm. The Principal, Fr Ajit Munis welcomed the newly appointed Rector, Fr Crispino D’Souza, and the staff. 

On 13 June, during the first part of the session, the resource person Mrs Vijayam Kartha, an Educational Consultant Educator and Trainer, mesmerised the teachers with her views and thoughts on a very important topic  ‘Interpersonal Relationships’. Mrs Kartha touched upon various elements of relationships and spoke about the important role a teacher plays in nurturing these relationships. The second part of the session focused on another important aspect: Coping Post-pandemic. The teachers were given various examples and were asked to identify the challenges faced by students after the pandemic, and together discuss realistic solutions to combat these challenges. Mrs Kartha involved the teachers, cited many examples, quoted a number of research outcomes, and made the session lively and interesting.

On 14 June, Sr Dr Teresa Joseph FMA, spoke on the importance of creativity through her innovative and interactive ways. The teachers were given various tasks in the form of games and group activities, and the role of creativity was emphasised in the lives of both the teachers and the students. The session was an eye-opener as the teachers realised that creativity could be a means of helping students in their journey of self-discovery and that a lot more could be achieved in the teaching-learning process. Later, Mrs Fatima Oliver, an education consultant and counsellor, touched upon key issues in the field of education and asked the teachers to question their role as educators. She discussed various areas of concern, such as the reality of education today, child abuse and domestic violence, bullying, parenting issues, emotional and behavioural patterns of students, POCSO, the National Curriculum Framework, and so on.

On 15 June, Fr D’Souza, the new Rector, conducted his first conference for the staff. He thanked the Principal and the staff for the warm welcome and expressed his joy at returning to Yerwada. He highlighted various important aspects of being a Salesian educator, including the preventive system and its three pillars: reason, religion, and loving-kindness. He beautifully guided the staff to be authentic and credible Salesian educators and assured them of his support. Fr Ajit Munis, the Principal, then interacted with the staff, explained the goals for the new academic year, and motivated the staff to continue the good work.