The city of Trutnov, which is the metropolis of the Giant Mountains, was short of the lectors for a long time. Since last year Karla Mihatschova has been the first lector. She offers the schools ethics programs on the basis of ethics workshops. As sometimes happens, the work was difficult first for various reasons, however, the lectures are currently going well.
Karla gives her lectures in a distinctive way: she comes to a class every month and in one-hour cycles she discusses specific ethical issues with the pupils. The most important part of the session is held by the pupils themselves. In a guided discussion they express their views on specific situations or model questions they are asked by Karla after having divided into smaller groups.
This kind of work is rather risky in terms of discipline and cultivated cooperation. The particularly risky part was a sketch the pupils were supposed to perform when they were discussing the topic of family relationships. Yet this kind of activity works – I saw the 7th, 8th and 9th grade and after the session, I was joking about them showing off for our visitor. In fact, Karla found a way that goes well with her ability to lead and host this kind of discussions. She is able to make teenagers talk and highlight positive aspects of every topic by asking targeted questions. The best case scenario is that people come up with correct answers themselves, which especially goes for teenagers. We wish Karla good luck in her activities. She organizes also several follow-up activities in order to go with the kids more deep.
Petr Horacek, the Executive Director of INCZ