Department of Curriculum Studies Launches the First Cycle of the STEP Internship Programme

The Department of Curriculum Studies (DCS) at The Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS) has launched the first cycle of the annual internship programme for graduates of the Secondary Teacher Education Programme (STEP) this year.

The programme aims to provide teacher-interns with further professional development in curriculum development and teacher education. The opportunity to participate in the programme is open to all STEP teachers who have a minimum of three years of field experience. Farah Virani-Murji (Canada) and Laila Pirani (Pakistan/UAE) were the first interns in this new programme.

During the internship, interns work primarily on curriculum planning and development under the guidance of professionals working on curriculum development. They also gain experience in planning and facilitating teaching and learning sessions for new STEP students, as well as mentoring them on aspects of lesson planning and classroom management.

Reflecting on her experience as an intern, Farah Virani-Murji, said:

“The opportunity to return to the IIS has been a privilege. I was able to use my field experience and my academic background to contribute to the conception and writing of the teachers’ guides. I felt well supported by the IIS staff who exude excitement and passion for their work, which has helped motivate and inspire me during my internship. It has been extremely beneficial to temporarily shift my role from a classroom teacher to working at the IIS on the content we as STEP teachers deliver in the field.”

Laila Pirani offered the following on her experience of the internship:

“The internship has been an enriching experience for me on multiple levels. It has enabled me to identify and design strategies appropriate to teaching religious education. The constant support and mentoring from the senior colleagues at the IIS have given me an opportunity to deepen my knowledge of the curriculum and reflect on the aims of teaching it to adolescents in diverse contexts.”