The "Next" Normal for Salesian Educators

By THA SC

       Bangkok, Thailand, 4 October 2021 -- On Saturday, 2 October 2021, from 09.00 - 12.00 hrs., the Education Commission of Salesian Schools headed by Fr. Thomas Smith Daengamphan, the chairperson, organized an online seminar for new teachers and personnel in Salesian Schools in Thailand for the 2020 - 2021 school year. The theme was on the "The 'Next' Normal for Salesian Educators". St. Dominic School in Bangkok was the host. There were 87 new teachers and personnel who participated. This seminar was also open tor interested persons who wanted to join the online activities.

       The seminar was opened by Fr. Aaron Alcoseba, the vice-Provincial of the Salesians in Thailand. Fr. Smith Daengamphan took the stage to welcome the seminar-participants. He also introduced the participating schools, the management head of the 7 schools, and Fr. Yarat Chaiyara, the guest-speaker who shared thoughts on "The Preventive System of St. John Bosco".

       The theme on the Preventive System of St. John Bosco was made up mainly of the use of "reason" in order to think, educating in the context of "religion" in order to instill moral values and ethics, and exercising "loving kindness", which means that we not only love those in our care, but most importantly, that we make them know that we love them. Aside from these, one of the secrets of a highly effective teaching was being a good example to the students, or what we usually hear in comparison, was that a good example has greater value than the teaching, which Mamma Margaret, St. John Bosco's mother, had done in order to teach a lesson to little John.

       Moreover, the Education Commission of Salesian Schools announced that there would be this annual seminar for the new teachers at the start of the school year. But because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the seminar was not done the previous year. This year an online system was used which was more fitting to the situation. This seminar allowed the lay personnel, who were mostly not Christians, to better understand and absorb Don Bosco's charism. This will enable them to cooperate effectively with the Salesians in order to achieve quality education for the good of the young who have been entrusted to us by God.

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