Posted by Murtaza Hamid On: Wednesday, June 8, 2022

The Art of Happiness Workshop

Happy people are lively, witty and have the ability to spread joy and laughter around them. Above all, happy people lead a more successful life and possess a greater capacity for handling challenging situations.

Burhani Serendib School organized a program, “The Art of Happiness” for all parents of the school on the 1^st of June 2022 from 10.30 am to 12 pm in the school hall. Likewise, a program, “Happiness in Class” was also conducted for all the teachers from 2 pm to 4 pm.

This mind opening session was conducted by a motivational speaker and life coach, Mr. Hasalaka Arampola. Mr. Arampola holds a BA in International Relations and Business (London) and a MBA (Southampton, United Kingdom). He is a former lecturer for University of London International Relations Degree under the Academic Direction of LSE for over 10 years. He is also the founder of English Village in Kurunegala and Colombo 03.

In “The Art of Happiness” the parents were divided into small groups for discussions where they had to explain what a happy home meant to them and where that happiness came from. Thereafter a number of interesting activities were conducted, one in which the parents had to make charts based on what their ideas on happiness was. This activity was eye opening to many as they collectively brought their own opinions to the table. Many parents agreed that happiness and contentment stems from nourishing food, good health, a stable income and of course, a happy home wouldn’t be complete if not for the laughter of children! There was also an activity where the parents had to create a country of their own where they would apply their own rules of happiness.

“Happiness in Class” was from a teacher’s point of view. Here the teachers were told about the different types of students in class and how to identify them based on certain activities. That way it would be possible to observe each student’s concentration and to have an idea on how much attention each student needed. The teachers were also told to deal with students wisely and according to the situation, not too lenient nor too stern. Moreover, a teacher’s reaction to a student plays an unexpected and major role in their lives. Thereafter, the teachers had activities to be done both individually and in pairs.

All in all, this was a productive and fun filled program where both parents and teachers benefitted immensely.