Dharma Rain - Dharma School Manual

Dharma School Manual (back to table of contents)

Description of Sunday Program

Grade School Girls’ Group

Girls in the grade school group are in first through fifth grade. They have two female teachers. There is a lot to do in less than one hour of class time, so it is helpful to have two teachers so one can concentrate on the lesson and the other on the mood of the group. The second teacher can pay attention to body language and prepare comments or questions for discussion with hopes of drawing in girls that are “checking out” or getting restless. What follows is the usual format for a dharma school day, but variations may occur to include other kinds of practices in the year's lessons, such as chanting or walking meditation.

When they reach their classroom, the girls set up an altar together. They take turns with various roles: candle lighting, incense offering, timekeeping, and candle snuffing. At times teachers will give short lessons on the use of altars or how to meditate, and will use questions as opportunities for short reflective discussions.

The teacher will then give a short review of what the class has been studying recently, and a short introduction to the teaching for the day. Following this, there is a check-in: girls say their names and a little something about themselves, or how they're feeling this week, or ask questions about dharma school topics. Including a check-in with every lesson allows for the girls to bond with each other, but also gets them used to thinking about what is going on inside them, to communicating their feelings, and to expressing their questions about life and the dharma. It is good for the teachers to start so they can explain the process and set an example. Having this follow the meditation allows for a transition from the quiet activity of looking within to the more outward-directed activity of expressing themselves to others.

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Lessons are based on the year's theme and will often be stories from Buddhist teachings, or other relevant stories that demonstrate the concepts of the day's teaching. At times the concepts will be introduced directly without storytelling, and discussion is encouraged. Often dharma lessons can be very complex and hard to understand for adults, not just children. It is helpful to address the complexity by finding a single strong point to the lesson, and focusing on that throughout the story and discussion. Most girls throughout this age group respond well to metaphor and fairy-tale type stories and anecdotes. Older girls may have fun exploring the nuances and the implications, younger girls often like strong images and stories with good resolutions. The girls also respond well to lists and categories, and like to remember and re-create them. For example, Bodhisattvas each have certain things they carry, concepts they represent, things they sit on, and so on. One year the girls had great fun reviewing the Bodhisattvas through a mock “Jeopardy” game, and then presenting that same Bodhisattva Jeopardy to the rest of the sangha during the end-of-the-year presentations.

Since the age range and the cognitive and emotional abilities of this age group can be so broad, the dharma school teacher needs to be responsive to several different reactions to a single lesson. Younger girls may be more restive; some girls are very self-conscious; some older girls may be bored by lessons that must be simple enough for the younger ones. Having a routine schedule helps them to know what to expect, but it is important to keep aware of the different needs and come up with various ways to address them. For instance, a couple of bold, very curious girls would ask questions often, which were welcome, but these questions would interrupt the flow of the teacher's storytelling and the attention of the other girls. In this case, the girls were asked to approach the second teacher quietly and whisper any questions, so the story could continue and all questions or comments could be addressed at the end of the story.

The day’s lesson ends with a small creative activity. If it involves coloring, it will be introduced before the story or lesson so the girls can color while listening. Popular recurring activities include making cards, small booklets, malas, clay figures, shrinky dinks and other quick crafts. At lesson’s end we bring in the snack, and the girls help themselves while they work on their craft. Most of the time the activity of the day will result in something the girls can take home with them. This gives them something tangible that can remind them of the day's lesson and talk to their parents about. Having an activity also gives them a chance to express their own understanding of the dharma. While their hands are busy it is possible for more informal discussion to take place, and older girls can be encouraged in subtle ways to help teach the younger girls.

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