Some of the Social Emotional Learning ambassadors.
Kohima, October 4 (MExN): The Department of School Education, Nagaland in partnership with ‘Dream a Dream’, has trained 207 teachers across 176 schools in Nagaland as Social Emotional Learning (SEL) ambassadors.
This initiative aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, aimed at nurturing empathy, self awareness, emotional regulation, and healthy interpersonal skills among students, while creating a positive and inclusive learning environment.
The final batch of 73 teachers completed their training in Dimapur on October 4, bringing the total to 207 trained teachers from all 16 districts of the state.
The training was delivered in two phases, each lasting two days, with a three-month gap between phases to allow teachers to reflect on their learning and experiences.
The first phase, held in June 2024, focused on building self-awareness, helping teachers appreciate their unique strengths, and encouraging them to explore facilitation as a teaching approach, rather than just instruction. The second phase, held from late September to early October, emphasized developing compassionate teachers who can build deeper connections with their students by empathizing with their backgrounds and needs, understanding child adversity and focusing on strength-based approach rather than punishment & detention.
The training sessions were highly interactive, using experiential methods that involved fun activities, reflection, and hands-on participation, according to the school education department.
One teacher noted, “We need to look deeper to understand children, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds. I’m grateful to Dream a Dream for helping me see from a new perspective.”
The inauguration of the final training was graced by DEO Dimapur Neivizolie Meyase, where he encouraged teachers to adapt to new teaching pedagogies and advancements with the changing times.
He encouraged participants to utilise such opportunities to enhance their skill with the help of organizations with specialised expertise coming forward to support education systems.
Dream a Dream, a Bangalore-based nonprofit, has been collaborating with Nagaland's education system for two years to integrate life skills and holistic assessment into schools.
This training program is another step towards transforming education in the state by empowering teachers to nurture the overall development of their students.
