On Tuesday, November 22, the staff of El Carmelo School in Caracas (Venezuela) had a discussion on the Vedruna Charism. It began with the reading of Matthew 7:15, the parable of “The fruits of the tree”, where it is pointed out that good trees produce good fruits, while bad trees produce bad fruits. This moment of reflection was used to carry out a dynamic in which each person had to draw a fruit on a piece of paper and place it on some branches, indicating why he/she identified with it. It was a very nice and interesting activity; each one related their virtues resembling the properties or characteristics of their fruit and how they apply them in their work.
El Carmelo School is a tree of good fruits with its roots, trunk and branches. The roots represent the values and the Vedruna Charism that sustain the school. The trunk represents the organizational structure. The branches, the different programs and activities carried out in the institution. And the fruits represent your staff. Jesus said: “By their fruits you will recognize them”. Carmel is known for good fruits, varied, different, but good. As in any tree, there may be crooked branches, roots that stick out of the ground, but it is still a great tree that bears good fruit.
Following these reflections, a group work was done on the Vedruna anthropology that a teacher should have, in its four principles:
- Relationship with oneself: knowing our strengths and weaknesses, feeling secure, confident and managing our emotions.
- Interrelationships with others: developing positive relationships with others, fostering respect, cooperation and empathy.
- Open to God: strengthening our relationship with God through prayer and reflection, being loving, compassionate and just.
- Openness to the Universe: promoting critical thinking and conflict resolution, fostering curiosity and lifelong learning.
By integrating these principles into our teaching practice, we can help students develop fully as individuals and contribute to building a better world.
Truly, this discussion was an opportunity to learn, improve and review our pastoral educational work.
Candy Rodríguez Socas
