Thursday, July 08, 2010

MUTUAL LEARNING









Facilitating an in-service for teachers yesterday was exhilarating and rewarding for me, and hopefully for them as well. The group of 23 teachers of special needs kids jumped right into the art experiential, asked probing questions about art therapy and seemed to enjoy the process and interactions (of a different kind) with each other. The two students at the site also participated and were able to show some of the kids' art and talk a bit about the children they're seeing. They say here that "guests are like gods," meaning that it is part of the culture to make visitors feel at home. We certainly felt welcome and appreciated throughout the in-service, and left with many expressions of thanks.. The warmth, helpfulness and friendliness of people in Chennai has been the one thing that has been consistent through all that is inconsistent.