In the first week of October 2023, thirty-two administrators and master teachers of the Jesuit Basic Education Commission holed up at the beautiful Mirador Jesuit Retreat House and Ecopark in Baguio City for the “Learning by Refraction” Trainers’ Training Lab. Baguio had also been the venue for the very first JBEC LbR training workshop four years ago back in October 2019.
Rita Atienza, Ateneo Teacher Center Director and LbR co-author, introduces the workshop process to the trainees.
The training, conducted by LbR originators Fr. Johnny C. Go SJ and Ms. Rita J. Atienza, was designed to support the Jesuit schools in the Philippines in their efforts to strengthen the practice of Ignatian Pedagogy among their teachers. Like the Training Labs offered earlier in Alicante, Spain for our colleagues from JECSE (Jesuit European Commission for Secondary Education, October 2022) and from JEA (Jesuit Education Australia, March, 2023), the participants learned how to be IPP trainers by doing training.
Fr. Johnny Go SJ, GBSEALD Dean and LbR co-author, offers an overview of the LbR approach to Ignatian Pedagogy.
The trainees did not disappoint. The level of discourse at the plenary discussions and especially the modules that they designed and facilitated at the workshop exceeded every expectation. Both Father Johnny and Rita repeatedly expressed their gratitude not only for the quality of the participants’ workshop outputs, but also for their enthusiastic participation. The generosity and respect with which they exchanged feedback about one another’s work also defined the workshop experience, resulting in an abundance of learnings about the practice of Ignatian pedagogy.
Rita shared that she herself learned so much from the experience. “The participants are all already currently champions of IPP in their schools,” she said, “So they brought this wealth of expertise to enrich the whole group.” She expressed confidence in their readiness to train their colleagues. “I feel honored to have been part of their journey through LBR,” she concluded.
The entire experience was designed to be holistic so that not only did the participants receive inputs on the key principles of Learning by Refraction, but also they were able to converse with their colleagues from other schools and work with them in designing and running their modules. Just as important as the formal sessions were the breaks that provided opportunities for the participants to chat and get to know one another. The JBEC experience has always been characterized by the building of personal relationships among partners in mission–friendships that strengthen the network among the different schools and that facilitate collaboration among them.
The days began with very meaningful prayers alternately led by Jude Liao of JBEC and Je Ching of IGNITE. The morning when the sky cleared, the participants trooped outside and gathered at the Mirador labyrinth for the morning prayer.
Jude Liao of JBEC leads the morning prayer at Mirador’s labyrinth.
For many participants, it was the process of the workshop that stood out.
Eden Reyes of Xavier School San Juan Grade School, for example, shared:: “I truly enjoyed the simulation of training modules. I feel that actively participating in this process, along with receiving valuable feedback, has significantly enhanced my understanding and confidence in designing IPP training modules. This also not only deepened my knowledge but has equipped me with valuable skills that I can apply in our school.”
Some participants even provided energizers before presenting their module.
D Candido of Ateneo de Zamboanga Senior High School had this to say about the design of the process: “I like that we were immersed with developing a semi-training module that really put into action our learning in the workshop. It is not content-driven but process driven. We were able to really deeply look into how we understand IPP and align it with what IPP-LbR really is.”
“I enjoyed designing, re-designing and the continuous development of our module,” concurred Vun Leeu Ween Romerde of Ateneo de Davao Junior High School. “Listening to the feedback, brainstorming, and the honest discussions all made such a humbling experience.”
Participants wasted no time and immediately dove into their task as soon as the mixed groups were formed. Shown in the foreground (from L to R) are JZ (AdZU SHS), Arnie (AdNU SHS), Christian (XS SJ), and Tina (SHS-Cebu).
Kim Ambulo of Ateneo de Davao Senior High School described her experience as enjoyable, adding, “At first, I was a bit apprehensive to be assigned to a different group. But the warmth and welcoming spirit of the people in my group, and even the positive and happy disposition of all the participants made the experience very enriching, humbling, motivating, and inspiring. I also enjoyed how the facilitators developed a culture of welcoming feedback and comments. This made the entire experience even more meaningful and enjoyable.”
The groups were deliberately mixed for greater diversity of ideas, but also for the chance to collaborate across schools. Shown here (from L to R) are Malou (AdMU JHS), Neng (AdDU JHS Principal), Joel (XS SJ), and Tony (AdI-Sta. Maria).
Xenia Gonzaga of Ateneo de Davao Grade School said this of the entire experience: “I enjoyed going through the whole refractive learning experience. The process of going through its ‘messiness’. The experience of trial and error elicited critical thinking and careful planning. It was an exciting experience that opened a lot of possibilities to create meaningful and engaging learning.”
Vera of XSN describes their module on music appreciation to show how having an Insight can focus the way we teach.
Asked what he liked best about the training workshop, Ivan Guanzon III of Ateneo de Manila Senior High School replied, “The friendships and connections formed as well as the collaboration and exchange of ideas with the participants from different Jesuit schools across the country.”
Participants had to run their module and try their best to engage their fellow trainees, as Xen of AdDU GS does in this discussion.
Marisse Villan Paraoan of Sacred Heart School Cebu Grade School spoke of the value of Ignatian Pedagogy: “Constant repetitive and reflective immersion in the effective way of delivering the IPP equips its champions to have enough personal fervor and apt skills to guide others. It is very easy to get lost in the daily grind of administrative work. But for a Jesuit school, maintaining its Jesuit roots is among the top and very urgent priorities to invest on. There is a need to constantly and gradually equip and enable Jesuit leaders as far as the entire academic and formation provisions are concerned.”
Shown here revising their module design for the nth time (as they should!) are: Jo (SHS-Cebu), Vun (AdDU JHS), Vera (XSN), and Era (LC Cullion).
Ariette Pacle of the Ateneo de Manila Grade School summed it up by saying that “…this is such a very enriching experience for us. I am inspired to deepen my understanding of the IPP so I can share and give more.”
Fr. Ari Dy SJ, JBEC Chair, organized the training in the conviction that it is Ignatian pedagogy that makes Jesuit education unique. “JBEC is grateful to Fr. Johnny and Rita for offering this trainers’ lab for our administrators who in turn will provide ongoing training and animation for teachers of Jesuit schools all over the Philippines.”
This happy team of facilitators poses for a group selfie while the participants are hard at work: Fr. Johnny Go SJ, Rita Atienza, Je Ching (IGNITE), and Jude Liao (JBEC).
Ignatian Educators have been blessed with this wonderful gift of Ignatian Pedagogy. The participants learned hhow to value this gem as they applied it in their teaching. Everyone finished the workshop believing that through the IPP, we can all make our classes more engaging and meaningful for our students. Remember, we are never alone in sharing IPP with others. We now belong to a global professional learning community of Ignatian educators dedicated to promoting the IPP in their classrooms.
The graduates with their certificates pose for a class photo with their facilitators.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the publication of Ignatian Pedagogy: A Practical Approach. Learning by Refraction: A Practitioners’ Guide to 21st-Century Ignatian Pedagogy was published five years ago on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the IPP. Since then, Learning by Refraction has grown into a movement among Jesuit schools in different parts of the world to unleash the potential of Ignatian Pedagogy in helping educators design more effective academic and formation programs.
The book has been translated into Spanish, Portuguese, Thai, Chinese, and Polish. Soon to follow are the Japanese and Dutch editions.
Here are the certified trainers at the simple graduation rites at the end of the Trainers’ Training Lab.
Father Johnny and Rita with Group 1 composed of (from L to R): Cora (XU GS), Cris (AdDU GS), Ayeth (AdMU GS), Maan (XSN), Eden (XS SJ), and Marisse (SHS-Cebu).
Group 2 composed of (from L to R): Con (XS SJ), Jen (AdMU GS), Jean (XU GS), Mitch (AdNU GS), and Xen (AdDU GS) with the facilitators.
Group 3 composed of (from L to R): Era (LC Culion), Vera (XSN), Vun (AdDU JHS), and Jo (SHS-Cebu).
Group 4 composed of (from L to R): Malou (AdMU GS), Joel (XS SJ), Tony (AdI-Sta. Maria), and Neng (AdDU JHS Principal).
Group 5 composed of (from L to R): Kervin (AdMU SHS), Joev (AdI-Sta. Maria), Kim (AdDU SHS), Red (AdNU SHS), and Cai (LC Culion).
Group 6 composed of Yan (AdDU SHS), Louie (AdNU SHS), D (AdZU SHS), and Ivan (AdMU SHS).
Graduates of Group 7, composed of (from L to R): Christian (XS SJ), Arnie (AdNU SHS), JZ (AdZU SHS), and Tina (SHS-Cebu), pose with Father Johnny, Rita, and Je.
