"True education does not simply allow a child to learn how to earn a living, it prepares him to live his life." Sathya Sai

The fundamental project of education is that of taking care of the comprehensive formation of every student. Education should be accompanied by the development of talents, good qualities and inner virtues, in order to foster self-realization.

• How can a teacher create an educational relationship which inspires students and initiates a process within, for the the expression of their full human potentiality?
• How can a teacher make the educational process “meaningful and evolutionary” supporting the formation of a good character?
• How can a teacher improve didactic paths to facilitate the awakening of Human Values?
• How can a teacher facilitate the creation of a welcoming and cooperative environment?

These were the thoughts and the reflections which emerged and which were discussed with the teachers of the Comprehensive Institute of Borgo Tossignano (Bo) during the “Human Values Based Training Program” course. The course drew on the programme of Education to Human Values and was held between March and April 2017.

Preliminary Conference 

A preliminary conference was held before the course. It consisted in a 2-hour presentation to which kindergarten, elementary and middle school teachers took part.The conference aimed to share with the mentioned teachers educational, motivational and present needs, as well as to illustrate the objectives and the methodology of the formative path.

Training Activities 

The high interests for the topics presented in the “Education to Human Values” programme made it possible to start, at a later time, formative and training activities. 30 teachers of elementary and middle school took part to those activities. The course lasted in total 8 hours, divided in 4 meetings of 2 hours each.

Objectives

• Making together with the teachers a path of knowledge, comprehension and understanding, transformation and application.
• Giving value to self-confidence and teachers’ sense of “mission” while carrying out everyday activities with students
• Experimenting ways that might favour and foster a good, welcoming and loving class environment.
• Facilitating an integral pedagogy approach which takes into account the multidimensional aspect of every student: cognitive, emotional, relational, physical, ethical, spiritual
• Reflecting on ways which might help to bring out students’ positive qualities, talents, self-confidence and virtues hidden in one’s heart 
• Identifying didactic paths and ways for improving the 5 technics, in order to awake the Human Values in the students:
  • Silent sitting, to focus on the breath to improve concentration skills; develop memory ad intuition; favour proactivity instead of reactivity 
  • Quotations/metaphors to raise both mind and heart towards noble ideals 
  • Group singing/good music: harmony, discipline, collaboration, joy, relax are some of the positive effects of group singing and of listening to good music. It improves students’ intellectual and intuitive capacities 
  • Story telling: an effective teaching method for developing the character and awakening Human Values 
  • Group work: special synergies originate, listening and collaboration skills improve; possibility to help and be helped, possibility to get ready for society life. 
    
    
• Sharing effective didactic and educational tools. Among those, the “self-awareness project”: a path for discovering oneself, which starts from elementary school and can last one year or more.

Methodology 

An experiential – participative methodology was adopted, with a maieutic approach and also that of facilitation of the group. The path involved moments of sharing, practising, activities in couple or small groups, moments of harmonization and silent sitting.The main aim was that of increasing awareness, both of individuals and of the group, and self-esteem, to improve life quality, didactic and transversal competences and the cooperation of the group of the teachers.

Responsible of the educational project 
Dott.ssa M. Fabiana Laruccia