PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT | LUMEN
11
Attending the Congress was highly inspiring . The keynote speakers urged us to nurture big dreams and to challenge our fears . We were enlightened in learning that , of all teaching strategies , providing students with individual feedback had the greatest impact on learning . We learned that many schools in many regions are responding to the need to aid and educate parents in supporting the education of their children , and many have already revolutionised the way they engage parents . We were reminded of our call to be Lasallians – to serve the last , the lost and the least . With each address , the messages seemed to strike a chord with each educator , whether we worked in Nicaragua or the Philippines , the USA or France , Angola or Singapore , Venezuela or New Zealand .
Yet the most wonderful experience we encountered was when we participated , separately , in workshops conducted in Spanish , a
language we did not understand . In our separate experiences of the workshops , we were deeply moved . We initially feared we would not understand or be able to follow all the activities . As soon as the sessions began , other workshop participants probably noticed us looking lost , and then informally took turns to translate quietly for us through the activities , constantly checking our understanding , ensuring we were not left behind . Even those who knew little English , they communicated through gestures and expression , and from the beginning till the end , we felt welcomed and included because we encountered their kind eyes and smiles . The experience was indeed memorable – we will never forget what we learned .
In Mexico City , on the other side of the world , we experienced a Lasallian community ’ s warmth , faith and fellowship : an example we hope we can follow and share .
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We were reminded of our call to be
Lasallians – to serve the last , the lost and the least .
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Facing page ( top ): An engaging , global panel discussion
Facing page ( bottom ): Among the 600 Lasallian Educators from all around the world . Can you spot us ?
This page ( top left ): Nasero from Acapulco , Mexico , and Jason from Singapore , in front of our ' hands ' at the end of our workshop learning Cooperative Games to Build a Culture of Peace . With a little bit of English and a lot of smiles , Nasero gently guided me through parts of the workshop .
This page ( top right ): Lunch party on the final day of the Congress
This page ( bottom left ): We were also fortunate to be able to visit the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe .
This page ( bottom right ): Diana , from the United States guided Jason through much of his workshop on Cooperative Games to Build a Culture of Peace . He also learned of the wonderful work she does with her students in Washington DC .