‘Role of educator extremely challenging’

Islamabad : Millennium Institute of Professional Development-MIPD launched Pakistan’s largest Annual Teacher Development Conference TDC 2020 on the very real-life concrete theme- “35 Minutes” in continuation to The Millennium Education Teacher Development legacy at Pakistan China Friendship Center, Islamabad last day.

Millennium Education, Pakistan understands that the role of an educator and a school leader is extremely challenging, complex, and continually demanding in today’s time of constant change and innovation. Nearly 1000 teachers from The Millennium Education network nationwide and organizers were enthusiastic and highly motivated to take the learning initiatives and training ahead to their classrooms. This year’s conference brought together leading national and international speakers including Mr. Abbas Husain Director Teachers Development Centre, Dr. Pervez Hoodbhoy a renowned Nuclear Physicist, Umair Jaliawala Director and founder Torque, Yousaf Bashir Qureshi Artist and spiritual speaker, Asma Mustafa OD trainer, Uzma Yousuf Country Director CAIE, Shazia Khawar Regional Director British Council, Dr. Nishat Riaz Director British Council, Dr. Rizwan Taj Head of Psychiatry PIMS, representatives from Microsoft, JS bank, ACCA Pakistan who motivated and injected new ideas into the conference delegates comprising The Millennium Education CEO Chaudhry Faisal Mushtaq TI, Executive Director Anna Faisal, Academic Director Erum Atif, Director Communication Sabina Zakir, General Managers, Head Mistresses, Branch Heads, Academic Coordinators and the entire teaching faculty. Millennium Education Annual Teacher Development conference TD/C is the largest gathering of educators, teacher educators, reformers and thinkers who are fiercely committed to transform teaching and learning practices. For the past eleven years this platform has provided a phenomenal opportunity to think thanks and classroom practitioners to engage in discussions and dialogues on issues that matter the most for the students, they serve, to achieve educational excellence and equity.

Mohsin-e-Pakistan Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan graced this auspicious occasion as a worthy chief guest, who presented awards and certificates to teachers who had completed their Cambridge Professional development qualifications, foundation courses and Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert certificates. Overall 600 teachers were awarded for their excellence in service for the Millennium Education.

Founder MIPD and CEO Millennium Education Faisal Mushtaq has been a visionary advocate of professional development which is the significant parameter of growing systems. Enrichment and skill development is the only constant in contemporary education world. TD/C 2020 promoted the magic of 35 minutes: the minutes which could redefine, reshape and rebuild learning experiences.

Abbas Hussain, the founder of SPELT (Society of Pakistan English Language Teachers), facilitated the conference and enlightened the delegates about the concept of ‘critical spaces’ in classrooms and how effective and enthusiastic teaching converts all kinds of areas into “learning spaces” that may nurture young minds and foster quicker learning. He emphasised that the ideal and intrinsically motivated teachers open new doors of knowledge that helps intelligence transition from one phase to another productive one.

Umair Jaliawala, mesmerized the audience with his motivational talk. He urged the teachers to build positive classrooms that don’t insulate learning spaces from young and impressionable students through knowing learners as per their needs and abilities

Dr. Pervez Hoodbhoy talked about the 21st century skills that students need to survive and succeed in the future world that is peppered with digital technicalities. His message of creating safe spaces for such an environment hit a spot with the audience.

Yousaf Bashir Qureshi spoke elaborately about the impact of spirituality on mental health of young minds. With values and ethics becoming a necessity in every home and classroom, majority of today’s youth spends a big chunk of their time without a goal in life.

While addressing the session, Chaudhry Faisal Mushtaq Chief Executive The Millennium Education and Founder MIPD, talked about the underlying objective of the conference. His discourse revolved around creating collaborative thinking on key issues like education to generate thought provoking discussions on contemporary approaches. He reiterated that the institution’s support of the legendary history of teaching, learning, and knowledge creation has been the reason why the conference was conducted. From the beginning, the vision of the Teacher Development Conferences has been to bring teachers into direct contact with leading scholars, academia, and educational thinkers in a stimulating environment.

In the end, Abbas Husain glossed the learning outcomes of the training and presented the closing remarks followed by a question and answer session.

This Teacher’s Development Conference 2020 was all about providing word class learning opportunities to the teachers. It aimed to provide teachers with a platform to utilize every minute of the classroom and give the best to their learners in one class.