Every Friday, our teachers come together for professional development, diving deeper into the Buddhist Experience Curriculum (BEC) that forms the foundation of our school. On November 28th, teachers examined how we can recognize our common humanity while celebrating what makes each person unique.
The Heart of the Matter
At the heart of this session is a simple yet profound idea: each of us has Basic Goodness, a natural sense of well-being, clarity, and care that is always present, even when it’s hard to see.
Mingyur Rinpoche uses a watch as an analogy: if we don’t realize a watch tells time or forget we’re wearing it, we won’t know the time. Basic Goodness is like that. It’s always with us, but if we don’t recognize it, we can’t tap into it or let it guide us. This unit invites learners to explore what makes us different and what connects us, holding both in mind at once.
What We Explored
Led by learning leader Karma Shenden, the session moved beyond theory into full classroom-based activities, focusing on how strong emotions cloud our thinking, habits of thinking that keep us stuck, and ways to see more clearly.
Teachers worked collaboratively through activities, engaging with the material just as learners would in the classroom. The session explored how emotions like anger, fear, or jealousy can limit how clearly we see ourselves and others, and how mental habits, quick judgments, labeling, or “me versus others” thinking can keep us stuck. Teachers then practiced responding more skillfully through pausing and opening before reacting.
Learning Through Play
The highlight? Teachers broke into groups to create teaching demonstrations on “Big Feelings,” turning reflection into movement, play, and shared discovery. Small groups presented their ideas creatively, building simple models and activities to later introduce to students.
Reflecting on why this topic matters, the session lead Karma Shenden shared that the session was about teachers first deeply understanding and practicing Unity and Uniqueness themselves, before bringing it into the classroom. Ensuring clarity and shared understanding among teacher was the day’s intention.
What Teachers Are Taking Away
Learning leaders Nimmi Basnet and Samit Shakya both captured the session in one word: Creative.
Nimmi reflected on the collaborative magic: “When teachers work collaboratively, they bring different ideas to the table. The same topic ‘Big Feelings’ was presented in three different ways by teachers and all three demonstrations were my takeaways.” She noted how BEC lessons can come alive through songs, chants, role plays, and art; not just lectures.
Samit appreciated discovering new ways to help students pause and reflect: “It made me realize that reflective activities could be effectively carried out through games and interactive activities.” He noted that these approaches are especially effective for helping students navigate conflict or difficult moments in a supportive and engaging way.
Why It Matters
As Karma Shenden emphasized, this session was about more than just learning new content, it was about teachers fully understanding and experiencing the curriculum themselves before bringing it to students. The goal? To have teachers take these teaching materials, activities, and approaches directly into their classrooms, helping students recognize both their unique gifts and their shared humanity. Because when we pause before reacting, question our assumptions, and remember that everyone, just like us, wants to be happy and faces challenges, we create a classroom built on respect, kindness, and understanding. And that’s something worth practicing, every day.
