The Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet organized a Two-Day Teachers’ Professional Retreat on 4th and 5th June 2026, centered on the theme: Energized Educators, Empowered Classrooms. The retreat brought the entire teaching faculty together to build shared purpose, strengthen instructional practices, and begin the academic year 2026–27 with clarity and energy. Day 1 focused on external perspectives and leadership vision, while Day 2 emphasized peer-led, classroom-focused strategies, creating a balanced progression from inspiration to application.

 Dr. Anup Dhar, Professor of Philosophy at BML Munjal University, opened the retreat with his session on the central theme of Energized Educators, Empowered Classrooms, urging teachers to anchor their practice in reflection and intellectual rigor. His session framed empowerment not as a technique but as a mindset rooted in self-inquiry, listening and communication. It was followed by, Mrs. Nishi Mishra, Principal of Scindia Kanya Vidyalaya, Gwalior, who spoke on the theme of -The Courage to Care, The Commitment to Change. She made a compelling case for compassionate leadership, arguing that care and accountability are not opposites but partners in school transformation. 

This was followed by Mrs. Anju Soni, Principal of Shiv Nadar School, Noida, whose energy was very infectious. She spoke on the theme of – The First Bell: Setting the Year in Motion. She provided practical, actionable steps for establishing culture, routines, and expectations from day one, shifting the focus from administrative start-up to intentional climate setting. Post lunch, Mrs. Seetha Murthy, Director Education at Silver Oaks International Schools, led Reignite, Renew, Reimagine as the theme of her session. With energy, clarity and personal examples, she offered frameworks for sustainable change like Learning to say No to No, understanding the universe of the other person and the transformative power of 10. 

Mrs. Amrita Burman, Director of Sunbeam School, Varanasi, closed Day 1 with One Team, One Vision, synthesizing the day’s ideas into a call for collective ownership. Her session left the faculty with a strong sense of unity and shared responsibility. She led the team from Individual reflection to collective resolve. It was a fitting and energetic close to day 1.

Day 2 began on 5th June and placed the school’s own educators at the forefront. Ms. Amrita Chandra Raju, Vice Principal, opened with the theme ‘From Control to Connection: The Discipline Shift Every Classroom Needs’, advocating for restorative practices and relationship-driven classroom management over compliance-based models. Mr. Abel Thomas, History Faculty CIE, followed with The Hidden Curriculum: What We Teach Without Realizing, which provoked deep reflection on how teacher behaviour, language, and responses teach values more powerfully than lesson plans. It emphasized on the concept that children learn a great deal just by observing an adult rather than the actual classroom lessons.

The next session was held by, Mr. Naresh V, ICSE Physics Faculty, challenged assumptions in Engagement is not Entertainment: Making Learning Irresistible, distinguishing between momentary attention and sustained cognitive engagement, and offering subject-specific strategies to achieve the latter. Mr. Ankur Khare, Head of the Innovation Center, addressed AI in Education: Ally, Adversary or Awakening?, demystifying AI tools and emphasising that should AI be used to reduce workload, it is an Ally, should we become dependent on it such that we lose our creative abilities, it is an Adversary and should we use it to upskill and facilitate our learning, its an awakening. 

Post lunch, Ms. Mrunmayee Deoghare, IBPYP Coordinator, demonstrated The First 5 Minutes: How Great Lessons Begin, equipping teachers with entry routines and hooks to capture attention and set purpose immediately. She beautifully engaged the audience with activities and provocations which can used to set the tone of the rest of the class and get the children interested immediately. The retreat concluded with Dr. Skand Bali, Principal, presenting What Great Teachers Do Differently, And Can We All Do it?, distilling research and observation into habits of mind and practice that are accessible to all educators. He emphasized on small but pertinent qualities that can applied into our daily routines, if we were to be mindful and self observant.

Across both days, the retreat moved seamlessly from vision to execution. Day 1 provided strategic direction and inspiration from respected leaders in Indian education. Day 2 translated those ideas into the school’s context through peer expertise, ensuring relevance and ownership. Feedback from faculty indicated high relevance, with teachers valuing the practical takeaways on discipline, hidden messaging, purposeful engagement, AI use, and lesson design. The event also strengthened collegial bonds, with informal discussions during breaks reinforcing the theme of _One Team, One Vision_. The retreat concluded having met its objectives of reigniting professional energy, renewing instructional focus, and reimagining classroom practice. The faculty left the retreat as energized educators, prepared to build empowered classrooms from the moment the first bell rings for 2026–27.