Teachers' Association
The aspiration of a teacher is to nurture the unique talents of each student through loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and selfless giving.
The Tzu Chi Teachers’ Association was officially formed in Taiwan in 1992. From preschool teachers to university deans, members of the Association promote and teach character education through love and personal examples. Presently, there are about 30,000 active members in the Association.
Teachers of the Association incorporate concise, wisdom-laden Jing Si Aphorisms into their lessons, which cover topics about life, social issues, language, etc. By using a five-stage teaching methodology comprising “experience”, “story-telling”, “self-reflection”, “contemplation”, and “practice”, the teachers design various experiential and practical activities that gradually guide the students along the path of positive character development.
Since 1998, the Tzu Chi Teachers’ Association in Taiwan has been invited to conduct workshops and learning camps for teachers in Singapore. The visiting teachers from Taiwan are generous in sharing their precious teaching experiences and insights with local teachers who are passionate about character education. Deeply inspired and moved by the efforts of their Taiwan counterparts, a number of the Singapore teachers began incorporating what they have learned into classroom teaching. Thus the seeds of Jing Si Aphorisms are sown in students’ hearts, helping them cultivate positive thoughts and a heart of kindness from a young age.
In 1999, the Tzu Chi Teachers’ Association in Singapore was established. It holds regular gatherings for teachers, annual learning trips to Taiwan, etc. and encourages its members to take part in Tzu Chi activities in the community. The Association hopes to recruit many more like-minded educators who strive to serve as humane and competent teachers with a sense of mission. By instilling self-love, love for others and an attitude of gratitude in students, a virtuous cycle of love and kindness can be created.
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