Converting a Parable into Reflective Thinking Tool

A parable is a short and simple story used to teach a moral value, ethical conduct, or spiritual lesson. Unlike fables, they typically feature human characters and everyday scenarios, placed alongside a deep idea to illuminate it. They encourage self-reflection, urging listeners or readers to apply the lesson to their own behavior.

It is worthwhile to empower students and teachers to convert parable given in the textbook into a reflective tool. The reflective thinking can be done through a parable either in small groups or individually.

Objectives of using a parable as a reflective tool

1. To demystify the process of converting a parable into a reflective tool.

2. To expert-validate the produced reflective learning tool of parable.

Procedure

1. Tell participants that they will identify the parable from different Jeevan Vigyan books.

2. Read the identified parable and remove the value loaded sentences and interpretative sentences.

3. Rewrite the parable to limit it to 150 to 250 words.

4. Complete the parable as a group reflective tool by including the task questions. First learning task consisting of three statements, sharing of similar real life incident or experience and reflective thinking question by role substitution or what two things do and what two thing not to do to keep things positive and avoid conflicts.

Note: You may give a separate sheet to each participant with the heading:

1. Title of the parable;

2. Parable (30 lines);

3. (a) To which of the following three statements can be used and why?

(b) Share an incident or experience depicting similar situation as in the parable;

(c) What would have you done if you had in the place of a role-actor or what two things not to do in such a situation?

5. Collect the parable worksheets produced by the participants and get them edited and expert-validated to be given as a document at the end of training.

Example of a parable by Paramhansa

A frog lived in a small, shallow well. It knew only that well, thinking it was the biggest body of water. One day, a frog from the ocean fell into the well. The well-frog asked, "How big is your home?" The ocean-frog described the vast ocean. The well-frog laughed, disbelieved it, and tried to jump from one side to the other, thinking nothing could be bigger.