SEKEM School teachers are no strangers to continuous personal development. In normal times, the teachers are enrolled in several programs throughout the year for personal and professional development. Sometimes welcoming foreign expertise to learn new pedagogical methods and concepts and other times, the teachers themselves lead training programs to pass on their knowledge to their fellow colleagues.
Now, SEKEM School and its staff are facing an unusual circumstance imposed by the global health crisis due to COVID-19, and this forms new opportunities for further self-development. Away from their students, the teachers are coming up with new initiatives every day to be the most productive and helpful community members they can be.
Activities for and with teachers
Other than their pedagogical training, SEKEM School teachers are participating in five practical workshops. After their experience in making natural organic soap bars with SEKEM School for Special Needs students, the teachers took on a project to make liquid soap, wax candles and paper recycling; activities they look forward to teach their students after their safe return to school. They have also taken on new skills learnt from the workers of SEKEM’s company for organic textiles NatureTex; for instance in making tapestry from NatureTex’s waste and animal figurines with crochet.
SEKEM teachers supporting factory workers
As different professions were affected in different ways with the precautionary laws to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, SEKEM School teachers volunteered to share the intense workload of their fellow workers at NatureTex factory. “We all share a sense of brotherhood within the SEKEM community, and we’re all part of something bigger; so we wanted to help out to support our colleagues and ensure SEKEM’s success and sustainability,” explains Rafik Costandi, one of SEKEM’s first teachers.
SEKEM’s motivated community members continue to inspire and deliver messages of hope and optimism. They are SEKEM’s beacon of light, guiding the SEKEM vision through the crisis.
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