The Teach Peace Build Peace Movement (TPBPM) regards peace as a transformational experience. Every individual who lives in peace radiates the same mindset to others. This holds true for one of the I TEACH PEACE Champions from Sugod Central Elementary School, Mona Domato.

For Teacher Mona, developing her inner peace has helped her get to know herself more – as a person and as an educator. She shares, “I got to know myself deeper… It’s so hard when our minds are occupied.”

Teacher Mona believes that the best way to impart knowledge to her learners is to have a nurturing heart. She recalled that before she became part of TPBPM, nurturing relationships with her learners was not her priority. But with her involvement with TPBPM through her Peace Education Journey, she shared that she started to understand and connect with her learners more. “I became more understanding towards the learners, and started to build a relationship with them for them to love learning.” She showed them enthusiasm for learning and they, in turn, gave the same.

Together with the other I TEACH PEACE Champions of Sugod Central Elementary School, Teacher Mona spearheaded the Bully-free Classroom Campaign to shine the spotlight on bullying, one of the issues affecting their students.

Teacher Mona shares, “Peace education is very important because if not for it, there will be no wisdom. What is the importance of education if people are not peaceful with themselves and with others? Peace education helps with educating children and raising pressing issues for the teachers.”

Building a stronger school community and a more peaceful environment for children means fostering a transformational journey for teachers too. For someone like Teacher Mona, it is not enough to just tell children what peace is – but also, show them how peace can be a way of life.