Character-Based Education and Peace Education Prog

Character-Based Education and Peace Education Program: Project H.E.A.R.T. (Humane Educators and Righteous Teachers)

Dr. Mauro De Gulan, Superintendent of Department of Education, Division of Malabon City, approached Dr. Dinah F. Mindo and asked her help to design and organize a seminar-workshop in order to instill and heighten the commitment and dedication of public school teachers in Malabon City.

The Mayor of Malabon City, Hon. Antolin Oreta’s vision for Malabon is to be the city that is constantly working for progress for a better future where each and every citizen is proud to live in it, to become a more developed and disciplined city, to alleviate poverty through programs and actions that will provide education and livelihood for everyone. Hence, Dr. Mindo came up with a program design anchored on the culture of heart and thus named it Project H.E.A.R.T. (Humane, Exemplary, And Righteous Teachers).

Hon. Antolin Oreta A. Oreta III, mayor of the city of Malabon, decided to invest in Project H.E.A.R.T. because he wants the city of Malabon to improve and be progressive; and in order to do this he needed the cooperation and help of the Department of Education specially the teachers who are directly involved in educating the children. The City of Malabon funded Project H.E.A.R.T. with Php 2,376,000.50.The program’s focus was in producing humane educators and righteous teachers.

Dr. Mindo then presented Project H.E.A.R.T. to the School Board on November 13, 2012 where the Mayor is the Chairman. It was decided that the City of Malabon will finance the project and the approved budget was Php 2,376,000 for the 2 batches of seminar.

A total of 700 public school teachers were oriented on enhancing commitment and dedication to service and understanding what it takes to instill a culture of heart in the classroom. The seminar-workshop was a 3-day affair divided by 12 sessions where the four A’s of adult learning were utilized: activity, analysis, abstraction, and application. The workshop staff consisted of educators and former DepED Regional Directors and Schools Division Superintendents who were former PRODED (Program for Decentralized Education) trainers of the Department of Education.

The primary objective of Project H.E.A.R.T. included helping public school teachers establish and develop a culture of heart inside and outside the classroom. The seminar workshop also aimed to instill and heighten commitment and dedication to service among educators. The program focused on:

1. helping a teacher build his/her own sense of worth and efficacy as a person and as a professional
2. aid in building camaraderie and a climate of trust among educators;
3. inculcating the skill of giving and receiving feedback;
4. helping teachers develop the heart and foster love for school children;
5. assisting teachers in recognizing their values and identifying strategies for building one’s value system;
6. aiding teachers in determining and enhancing their degree of commitment and dedication;
7. guiding teachers in drawing up their personal and professional development plan.

The Workshop was Divided into 12 Sessions:

Session 1: Program Orientation

Participants got to know each other and opened themselves to one another. Each session hall broke the silence at the start of the first activity, rooms are filled with laughter as they share some of their secrets and things they loved the most to their co-teachers. Participants introduced themselves by sharing their personal characteristic as well.

Session 2: Communication and Learning ( Program expectations)

Participants gathered in groups and discussed their expectation from the program and how it helped them improve their skills and develop their teaching capabilities. They carefully examined one’s sense of worth as a person and as a professional.

Session 3 and 4 Building a Sense of Efficacy, Building Trust

While sharing, others listened, avoiding passing judgment on what he/ she is saying about himself/herself.
The activity aimed to recognize one’s sense of worth and efficacy and what it takes to build a climate of trust with their fellow teachers.

Session 5: Feedback and Personal Growth

Participants analyzed themselves by giving feedbacks and answering these questions:
-How much do I know about myself?
-What do I appreciate most in myself?
-What are the things I need to improve?
And they gave feedbacks to their fellow teachers, uplifting them through giving positive feedbacks about their character and personalities. After receiving feedbacks from fellow educators they reflected on these questions:
-How do you feel about the cards you received? Why?
-What did you discover about yourself?

Session 6: Culture of Heart

Dr. Fredirico Niduasa,International Lecturer, Global Peace Festival Foundation Philippines,Inc.
gave a lecture on the Culture of Heart.

Session 7: Value Clarification

On this particular session participants discussed the value of money, religion, education, work, marriage and family in their respective lives
“Values are continually changing. What was considered as very important last year may not be as important right now.”
As they ranked the most valuable things in their lives they came out with this summary:
1.Family 2. Religion 3.Education 4.Marriage 5.Work 6. Money
Participants identified their value system and recognized the process through value clarification

Session 8: Building My Value system

All those values, interests and attitudes acquired in the past, influence our present values or help our value indicators become values

Session 9: Teaching as A Profession ( Joys and Pains)

At this point participants were asked “why am I still teaching?”
And each of them shared the joys and pains of teaching and the sources of it.
As a group they performed and presented the sources of their joys and pains as teachers.
-Everything a teacher does, says, or teaches has or could have a psychological impact. What he offers helpschildren to discover their resources and their limitations. He is the central figure in countless situations which can help the learner realize and accept himself or which may bring humiliation, shame, rejection, and self-disparagement.

Session 10: Teacher as Value Developer

Participants recognized that one is a valuing person: examines one’s values, identifies strategies for building one’s value system.
What are the common behaviors/ practices we teachers do that build-up/ tear-down our pupils?
What values are passed on because of these realities in the classroom which we have created for our pupils?

Session 11: Video Presentation

Session 12: How committed and dedicated am I?

Participants reflected on how dedicated they were with their profession, and their characteristic or level of commitment.

Federico V. Niduasa, Guest Resource Speaker on the topic institutionalizing the Culture of Heart. Right: Dr. Rolando Magno, Lead Facilitator, PRODED (Program for Decentralized Education) Trainer, Former Director III of Department of Education and former Schools Division Superintendent

Left: Ms. Rosalinda Mabunga, PRODED Trainer.
Right: Ms. Celia Nakpil, PRODED Trainer, former Superintendent, DepED Region 3.

Left: Dr. Estrella Mercado, one of the facilitators handling Orange Team.
Right: Mr. Paul Marasigan, Former PRODED Trainer, Former Division Supervisor, Division of VALMANA facilitating the yellow team.

Ms.Cynthia Farma, ALS Supervisor, and Ms. Ann Marlita Montejo-Arevalo (Program Manager of GlobALS, GPFF) one of the facilitators of Project H.E.A.R.T.