Dharma Rain - Dharma School Manual
Dharma
School Manual
Structure and Administration
Relationship of Dharma School to the Larger Sangha
We find the children and youth do best when they have their own place
at the Center and their own routines. Kids who can stay still and quiet
are
welcome at most Center activities (such as meditation, service, and classes),
but most prefer to be with other kids and do things that are geared to
them, their interests and their needs. It does not seem to bother them
that they are doing something different than the adults, except when they
are new to the dharma school and may resist being separated from their
parents. Before long, though, the youngest kids bond with their teachers
and the older kids find friends, and they hardly notice when the parents
leave.

Sangha members gather to watch end-of-year skits.
Several times each year, all ages of kids are brought into the larger
community for something special where the kids have special parts to play
and are prepared
ahead for the event. Wesak (the
festival of the Buddha’s birth) and Segaki
(the festival of the hungry ghosts) are annual special events where the kids
join the adults. At the end of the
dharma school year, in early June, each age group presents something to the adult
sangha, such as a skit, a song, a dance or some artistic creations. The children
and youth feel a sense of pride about their presentations, and the adult sangha
enjoys the youthful energy and connection with the kids.

Preschoolers enact the story of Maya, mother of the Buddha.
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Roles of Parents and Teachers
Parents pay a small fee each year to help pay for infrastructure. Parent
volunteers help with logistics, planning, feedback, and supplies. Snacks
are provided by a rotating list of parents who sign up for the duty. Parents
of younger kids attend the singing that comprises the first part of the
dharma school day, and usually attend the kids’ ceremonies. Parents
of pre-school and grade school kids may attend the age-specific classes
if their children want them to be there.
Teacher volunteers are Zen students that come from the sangha and usually
do not have children in dharma school. (If they do, they do not work with
their own child’s group.) Our teachers are not usually trained or
certified, just motivated. Ideally, each teacher goes through an apprenticeship
period of one to several years during which they assist a more experienced
teacher before they take on the primary role in leading a group. So far,
we have recruited teachers from among those members who 1) have shown some
interest in the kids when they have joined the adults for a social event
or ceremony, 2) seem to have a handle on the basics of their own Buddhist
training, and 3) have enough equanimity to avoid overreacting when the kids
are “acting out.” We have been cautious with people we don’t
know well who have been very eager or insistent about working with kids.
We feel it is necessary to protect the children from any adult with intrusive
issues.
Teachers work with a general syllabus that provides a theme
for each school
year. As often as once a month the “typical” dharma school schedule
is preempted by one of our annual ceremonies run by and for the kids (see
Kid-friendly Ceremonies), or a special event like
the spring egg hunt. The teachers customize the lesson plan for each day,
attempting to adapt to the individual students and the developmental stage
of the class.
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