Dharma Rain - Dharma School Manual
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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