Teachers' Training - Topics on which Teaching-Learning Material Requires to be Developed

Topics on which Teaching-Learning Material Requires to be Developed

1. INTRODUCTION:

The target group for this material will be teachers, and the material will be so presented that teachers can use it, with suitable modifications, so as to be accessible to the learners.

The language of the material has to be chaste, chiselled and beautiful. One can use materials already available in the concerned literature, which might have been authored by good or famous writers. If they are perfect for our purposes in their original form, we may adopt them in toto. This would be largely applicable in regard to illustrative stories/plays/ poems

The collected material will be in any language; but later on, it can be translated into the language in which publications will be proposed to be brought out. A special emphasis will be laid on writings pertaining to the vision of universality and unity of humanity

At a larger stage, a small Editorial Board will be constituted, and final shape will be given by the Board.

2. TOPICS FOR STORIES/PLAYS/POEMS

The ideal of truth: to speak the truth, whatever the consequences.

Aspiration for perfection : whatever you do, do it as perfectly as you can.

Dreams of the new world : where truth alone prevails, where beauty and goodness pervade.

Self-control

Self-knowledge

•Frailties of human nature and how they can be overcome by means of (i) understanding; (ii) sense of dignity; (iii) transforming power of love.

Lessons of life

Power of concentration

Heroism

•Sense of wonder

• Intelligence and nobility of animals

Imagination

• Each one in his/her place is indispensable and has unique role

• Power of knowledge

•Beauty of Nature

•Harmony of Humanity and Nature

Search for Freedom

Self-discipline

Sincerity

• Honesty

Straightforwardness, cheerfulness, dis-interestedness, patience, 'endurance, perseverance, faithfulness

.Stories from the Upanishads

Stories of Bodhisattava from the Jatakas

Yuddhishthira and Yaksha

Story of Socrates

Parables from various religions and secular literature,

3. TOPICS FOR BIOGRAPHICAL AND LEGENDARY STUDIES

Story of Sri Rama

Story of Sri Krishna

Story of Mahavira

Story of Buddha

Story of Zoroaster

Story of Moses

Story of John the Baptist

Story of Jesus Christ

Story of Prophet Mohammed

Story of Guru Nanak

Story of Sri Chaitanya

Story of Sri Ramakrishna and Vivekananda

Life and Work of Sri Aurobindo

4. SUBHASHITAS :

Quotations

Exhortations

Thought for the Day

Thoughts and Aphorisms

5. Exercises of Observation

Nature : Description of important:

leaves of different trees

plants

• flowers

minerals

• scenes

animals

figures

human body

• artistic pictures

buildings

objects

.events

6. Exercises of observation of Inner Self :

Distinction between : thought, will, emotion, impulse, sensation, perception, functions of the body.

Outer personality and inner personality.

Definition of virtues.

Story of Arjuna at the beginning of the Mahabharata War to illustrate the distinctions between different parts of the being.

Psychology of self-control (Distinction between suppression, rejection and transformation of lower impulses and desires.)

What is creativily?

Creative urge towards poetry, music, art, crafts, dance, drama, reading, writing.

Account of Dr. Rabindra Nath Tagore's experience of his opening to poetic inspiration

"Powers of the Mind" — from Swami Vivekananda.

Concentration: "Solar Plexus", and Methods of Meditation, Concentration and Contemplation.

Knowledge of the Soul and Self.

7. Higher states of Consciousness :

* Quietude

*Tranquility

* Calm

* Silence

* Peace

*State of equanimity (sthitprajna)

State of compassion

*States of consciousness described in "The Sermon on the Mount"

* State of Perfect Detachment and Perfection of Work.

8. Science and Values :

Mystery and Excellence of the Human Body: Yogic view of the Body

Wonders of Physical Nature.

O Appearance and Reality

Art of Relaxation and art of sleeping

Five senses of Knowledge; five senses of Action.

How to increase powers of senses?

Inner senses: capacities to see The Invisible and to hear the inaudible.

O Evolution : Matter, Life, Mind

Human beiny as transitional preparing for a higher species

Striking phenomenon of the mutation of a caterpillar into a butterfly

Yoga and Evolution

Complex organisation of social life in certain species of insects, animals, birds.

is human intelligence SUPOHON loc intelligence of animals and birds in every respect?

The Life and work of Jagadish Chandra Bose his discovery of CONSCIOUSNESS IN Plants

Inner Presence in Nature (Poems of Wordsworth)

Speed of Light, speed of consciousness.

In the company of flowers.

Role of Intuition in discoveries and inventions of science.

Materialism, science, yoga

Science and the discovery of the fourth dimension

9. Pursuit of Art and Value of Beauty :

What is Beauty? What is Goodness? What is Truth?

Beauty of the Human Bodily Perfection; Diet, Health and Harmony of the Body

Listening to music :

Indian Ragas,

Western Harmonies

What is Poetry? Examples of poetic excellence.

What is the relationship between Poetry and Music?

What is art? Examples of Indian and Western Art.

Study of drama. Its contribution to development of personality.

What is Rhythm? Rhythm and Dance.

Beauty in Architecture.

10. Thought & Expression :

OWhat is Thinking?

Difference between scientific Thinking and Philosophical Thinking.

What is Mathematics? Relevance of Mathematics to Life.

What is Technology? What is the relationship between Technology and Art?

"All Knowledge tends towards unity"

How to practise thinking and writing?

Aim of Faultless expression in language.

On writing Poetry.

11. Towards Higher Realms of Knowledge :

O Higher states of consciousness :

Experience of the Witness self. Experience of the Second Birth. Experience of Cosmic Consciousness. Experience of Transcendental consciousness.

O Value and Limitations of the Philosophical concepts of :

Deism

Pantheism Theism Monism Omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence of God, Can God be experienced? (Sri Ramakrishna's answer to Swami Vivekananda)

12. Towards Perfection :

Perfection of knowledge, works and love. Concept of Integral Perfection. Process of Perfection of Personality Programme of Self-Education