Opening Prayer
First: the spiritist teacher should question the children if they collaborate at home, at school, at their relatives’ home. How do they cooperate? How could they cooperate more, in case they do not cooperate much? Listen to the answers given by the children first; some could be collaborating more at home than others. You could then adapt some of the questions in accordance with the material prepared for this class.
Highlight how they can be more cooperative.
* To listen attentively when people talk to us;
* Share what you have with the other colleagues who would like to have something similar to what you have;
* Offer help when something must be made so it is not heavy for nobody;
* Talk kindly to the person who is offending you, for example;
* Always do your best when your help is requested for any activity. This will make others follow your example;
* Praise people who help you;
* Encourage others to do their best;
* Invite others to work/ play with you;
* Never isolate anyone. Everyone has something good to offer; nobody likes to feel isolated.
Second: ask the children to draw a situation where each of them have collaborated with someone on something. The spiritist teacher can encourage them to present this situation to the rest of the group so they feel stimulated to collaborate more outside the spiritist centre. One example could be to offer help to their parents to place the cuttlery on the table before meals.
Third: please choose one of the following activities to be done with the children.
Activity 1: Split the class up into small groups and ask them to create a new animal. They will give it a name, imagine where this animal would live and how. This activity will enable cooperation amongst the children to work as a group. The groups will have 10 minutes to create their new character. As soon as this task is complete, please ask them to present their animals to the rest of the class.
Activity 2: Split the class up into small groups. Tell them you will create a new song together as a team. One group will hand clapp; one will make whistling noise; another will tap their sits and another group will emit the sounds from their mouths. Each group will make their corresponding sound when the spiritist teacher points at them. In order to get a good sound out of it, the groups will need to pay attention to what their colleagues are doing. The spiritist teacher should point at one group at a time, so the children learn to wait for their turn. As time goes by, the spiritist teacher will realise the children will be working together in an organised way; the sound will be much better and synchronised. As soon as concert is over, please ask them if this activity was enjoyable. Ask what if cooperation was needed in this activity so that it worked. Why? Cooperation is key in the world; without cooperation we would not be able to progress spiritually and materially. It’s a great skill to develop. The spiritist teacher should praise the children for the work they have achieved together and encourage them to work more as a group.
Fourth: ask the children to number a list of benefits collaborating brings to each of us. Why is it good to cooperate? The spiritist teacher can ask for them to write in the notebook and soon later share with the rest of the group. A poster can also be created in which each child writes and/or draws two benefits from cooperation.
Fifth: talk to the children about the next lesson. Ask them to write down what they did to cooperate at home during the week with their parents and/or at school with colleagues. Ask them to bring this list for the following lesson, in order to analyze the progress of the children. Please hand over the following message to the parents so they can understand the need to stimulate the children to collaborate at home and also for them to know what was discussed in the spiritist education class.
Click here to find the message.
Closing Prayer
Class suggested being suitable for: 1st cycle (7 to 8 years old) and 2nd cycle (9 to 10 years old); it could also be adapted to other cycles, depending on the classes’ maturity and/or conditions.
Some of these activities have been adapted from the site: Good Character - Resources for Character Education, Guidance, Lifeskills.
Spiritist teacher: Carolina von Scharten, London, Sir William Crookes Spiritist Society linked to BUSS - The British Union of Spiritist Societies.
