How Are The Human Values Taught?

There are two main approaches these are the direct method and the inter-curriculum and extra-curriculum method

The Direct Method

The direct method uses five proven teaching techniques, they are:

1. Thought for the day
2. Stories
3. Values based songs
4. Activities
5. Silent sitting

These are simple and enjoyable techniques, yet they are a very powerful combination.

Thought for the day:

Through consideration of this thought, the child contemplates simple yet great pearls of wisdom that has been passed down through the ages. This helps to develop discernment and discrimination skills.

Values Based Stories:

The stories enable the child to assoicate with positive role models.

Values Songs:

The children voice positive reinforcement of the goodness inherent in them.

Activities:

The children take the concepts, which to this point have been understood in the mind, or voiced through song and put them into practice through the activities.

Silent Sitting :

This enable the children to bring the body and mind to stillness. It is a technique that improves both the memory and their efficiency.

These techniques, supported by a teacher who is a postive role model and who teaches by example, prepare a child for life, encourages the growth of self confidence, and keeps the child in touch with their inner being and environment through total integrated awareness.

A Word To The Wise: Children learn from the examples they are set, if your words do not match your actions, children, in all their wisdom will notice and question the validity of what you are saying. As Shakespeare said "To your own self be true, and it follows as day follows night, you will not be fa.......... by anyone."

The second method of teaching Human Values is the:

Inter-curriculum and extra-curriculum methods

Using this method, the teacher draws the values from whatever subject is being taught, or activities being undertaken.

When the importance of the human values to human development is understood, they can be drawn out from any subject or activity, for behind each is a value-orientated thought, which is either noble or ignoble. In the game of life the aim is to foster the noble.

In the words of the Chancellor of the Institue of Higher Learning, Sathya Sai Baba:

"The four main goals of life are interdependent. They cannot become single objectives of life. Earn wealth adhering to right conduct and have always one wish - to get liberated; that is the way to realise the four main goals fo human life. Let right conduct dominate wealth and liveration dominate desire, then you life will be a success. Let us progress together, let us move about together, let us live together without enmity." - Sathya Sai Baba

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