Day 1 - Reflection

One of today’s key learning was reflecting on the importance of peace education as philosophy and a process. One of my teaching principles is that each student has to feel safe, valued, and equal with others to be able to express himself/herself, engage in the learning process, and grow into a responsible and ethical individual. For me as a learning facilitator, it is important to reflect on my daily teaching practices, my behavior, and my values as these shape the learning environment that I create for my students. 

The collaborative norms that we have addressed today: pausing, paraphrasing, pausing questions, putting ideas on the table, paying attention to self and others, providing data, and presuming positive intentions made me reflect and be more conscious of my responses and interactions in relationships with students. I believe that teacher-student relationships are part of the foundation of the learning process. Students need to feel that they are seen, heard, and understood and they should be given choices and autonomy in the class. These collaborative norms play an important role in daily interactions between teachers, students, parents, and other members of the school community as they help cultivate respect and acceptability. 

In my practice, I always try to stay approachable, use positive paraphrasing as well as asking open-ended questions to promote an inclusive environment and encourage students to share their ideas and opinions. 

I have enjoyed “The Chair Power” reflective activity that gave us the opportunity to analyze power. I have even shared this activity with my family in the evening after the course.

The quote “Character is what you are in the dark” by Dwight Lyman Moody made me reflect on the importance of having integrity and staying true to yourself and others. Our true nature is on the inside but at the same time, we can see someone’s real colours in times of struggle.