Always: DCHerald (February 22-28, 2009 issue)

The Pedagogy of the Heart

by
Erwin Joey E. Cabilan

In an unforgettable moment with my student-catechist few years ago, she shared to me her
frustration in handling a group of high school students whose behavior she could never “stomach” (A
colloquial term which means “a situation no one can ever take”. In Filipino, “hindi niya masikmura”.)
She relayed to me how she really tried her very best to catch their attention in a class discussion, how
she exhausted some of the best strategies and how she gave her best in order to make the teaching-
learning process possible. I did not only listen to her. To check the veracity of her story, I decided to
observe her and the class with whom she was struggling with. Lo and behold! Before me was not
only a group of learners who are not only branded as “E-generation” but also as “Generation XYZ”!

One of the great challenges that a minister (teacher, catechist, priest, parish/BEC animator, etc.)
is oftentimes confronted with is the “unbecoming” attitude of some of the people whom he/she is
serving. These are the type of individuals who can hardly be pleased in spite of the many efforts that
we do to effect desirable outcomes. When we encounter this situation, our patience is being tested, our
competence is somehow questioned and our creativity is being pushed to the wall. If we do not handle
this case squarely, we might find ourselves asking this question “Could this be the end of my
journey?”

Indeed, we find ourselves helpless when we deal with individuals whose behavior is not easy to
handle. If we insist our efforts on them, but at the same time they resist, what desirable outcomes can
we reap even if we have exhausted much goodness to bring out the best in them? I am not pointing to
an idea that we have to give up our good intentions of “winning their hearts” for God. As a matter of
fact, every minister must have this zeal not just to survive all the battles that we have to face but above
all, to find meaning in everything that we do, either in pain or in gain. The point that I would like to
stress is to “communicate” our zeal-driven intentions in ways that those whom we minister (learners,
recipients, participants, sharers, etc.) can understand and see the value of what we are doing. Teaching
is both functional and relational. Every minister has to integrate these two essential tasks so that
he/she can become effective and at the same time virtuous. I think, and I believe, this is the essence of
the so-called the Pedagogy of the Heart.

The Pedagogy of the Heart has no systematic steps to be taken. It is something spontaneous.
But I would like to share with you some tips on how we can faithfully carry out this task so that we can
be effective in whatever ministry we are directly involved with.

1. Take them! Accept with all humility that these people who come for a class, for a recollection,
for a retreat, for a meeting and for a seminar-workshop is a blessing. Take note! We did not
ask God to give us learners/participants according to our own expectations. We just announced
our activity. After which, they decided to come and be part of it. Their presence speaks so
much and it means a lot. Their presence is a blessing!
2. Befriend them! Most teachers have the difficulty to catch their learners’ attention because they
failed to establish friendship with them. Take note! Best teachers are learners’ best friends.
This is the secret of Jesus. His presence was like a magnet; it attracted many people. He never
started His Teaching Ministry not with a long exhortation. Reading their minds and looking at
their hearts, Jesus did not only invite them with the words “Come and See” but he opened to
them His heart to be their very home. This is what friendship is all about: “being at home”
with one another.
3. Speak to them! Words of kindness bring so much joy. Words of comfort ease every pain.
Words of wisdom can bring us to the top. Words of encouragement enable us to move on and
do more. In her famous concert at the Madison Square Garden, Barbra Streisand said, “It is
very easy for us to criticize than to appreciate.” She’s right! Together with her, we can chant
hymns of appreciation if we sing the lyrics of kindness, comfort, wisdom, encouragement and
love to all.
4. Play with them! In our schools, we don’t have time when we can play with our learners.
Kindly check your academic school. When learners play they are at their very element. They
 run, shout, jump, dance, laugh, cry, talk, think, etc. This task can be too demanding on the part
of the teachers/catechists. But there’s much that we can gain from this ordinary physical
activity. Through this, we can re-create their potentials, rediscover more who they are (their
natural element) and even experience rejuvenation. When we play, we help them bring out the
best in them as they fill us the water from their very wellspring: the fountain of the young!
5. Pray with them. Young people, when they are noisy, are conveying to this message: We have
a story to tell and we want everyone to listen. As we cultivate an atmosphere of mutual
dialogue, prayer ushers us to an experience by which they can call God “Abba!”, “Father!”,
“Tatay!”, “Dad!”, “Papa!” In a place where they can at home, by a posture that allows them to
be expressive and transparent before God and with one another, let this be a passage for them to
live in God’s presence “365-24-7”.

Begin in whatever tip that you would like to start. Be patient with yourself and with others as
God is patient with us. Take note! The Pedagogy of the Heart is the very heart of all pedagogies.