Intrapersonal development: Ignite the change within

• In Event: Round-Table Session 1
  In Round-table Session: Teacher Education and Educational Programming to Promote Peace and Conflict Resolution

Proposal

The rising extremism in Pakistani society has shown its traces in a number of incidences of violence during the recent past. Pakistan carrying the labels of violence and terrorism has experienced its scars within the society in different ways. Although the world believes that Pakistan is nothing but a group of extremists and fundamentalists who are propelled to drive the society towards their beliefs and compel people to adopt their value system, but it is actually a victim of hand full of internal and external factors that have extensively worked to dwindle Pakistan from its roots. These extremist entities have been victorious in infuriating hatred amongst the people in the name of culture, cast, language, and religious beliefs.
The resilience of Pakistani society gives it up when the effects of hatred and violence comes to the innocent minds of the young children; especially from the ranging age of puberty to adulthood. The recent incidents of violence in schools, colleges, and universities have shattered the society with un-rectifiable losses. The findings show that many of such incidents were not an external act but the students were directly involved in it. There is no doubt that the external factors have an unseen hand behind changing the mindsets of the young generation in their own hidden ways. The hegemony of the external factors can only be extinguished through the teachers’ role within classrooms and beyond.
The teachers are considered to be the peace ambassadors who carry the responsibility of bringing harmony to the society. To work in developing teachers’ ability to carry the message of change in the society is what Teachers’ Resource Centre has worked through a comprehensive programme, ‘Intrapersonal Development – Ignite the Change Within’, for teachers.
Intrapersonal Development – Igniting the Change Within targets at inculcating reflective practices as an essential skill in teachers to help them transform themselves into advocates of peace, social inclusion, diversity, and tolerance in the classrooms and beyond. This programme constitutes training for teachers of the private sector from Karachi. The programme is conceptually developed to enhance teachers’ awareness regarding their intra-personal development, role as a social person in the society, responsibility towards the society, and rediscover themselves as global citizen.
The programme is divided in two phases. the first phase’s main objectives were to develop a better sense of self amongst teachers, define their roles and responsibilities as a person, as a professional and as a social being, identify outside influences that shape their personalities, analyze situations from different perspectives, and examine how mindset impacts personalities. However, the second phase’s objectives are to recognize the meaning and importance of critical thinking and its importance in today’s world, differentiate between reflection and introspection and its relevance to reflective practices, appreciate the value of documenting reflections for personal and professional development, and promote reflective practices and critical thinking within and beyond the classroom. The teachers were also introduced to reflective journals with its importance for them as reflective practitioners. The complete step by step guidelines for making journal entries were introduced and explained to the teachers.

All the concepts offered during the programme were connected to the teachers’ particular role in the classrooms, schools, and communities. The teachers were able to develop the concept of igniting the change within so as to see how change in attitudes, perspectives, and behavior bring a difference in the classrooms and society. The sessions were interactive and teachers were able to gain from the intrapersonal development programme and learn from each other’s experiences and knowledge.
Teachers’ pre-test and post-test have also been conducted to check their awareness of the different topics, terminologies, and concepts offered in the training programme. The comparative analysis of the pre and post-tests was also executed so as to see the clarity and improvement in teachers regarding the concepts given in the programme.
The prime objective of this presentation is to share the atrocities Pakistan has gone through when it sees its youth being either the culprit or the victim of extremism in the society. It also presents the counter narrative for violence and extremism Teachers’ Resource Centre has developed through educating teachers to become ambassadors of harmony and equanimity. The way world sees Pakistan with its endeavours for bringing peace and social inclusion in the society is what the discourse will be all about. The discussions may also take responses of other countries that have been victims of terrorism and extremism and how they have dealt with it.

Author

• Saira Shahab, Teachers' Resource Centre