HOW TO TEACH AMIDST WAR? RESILIENCE, PEDAGOGICAL PRACTICES, AND THE ETHICAL COMMITMENT OF THE COLOMBIAN RURAL TEACHER

Abstract

In Colombia, the armed conflict has affected millions of rural families, and schools serve as temporary homes for hundreds of children who come and go between war and the hope of experiencing a different reality inside a classroom; Ituango (Antioquia) is no exception, as it is a region historically marked by the presence of illegal groups, with more than 400 children having dropped out of school due to violence. This war is also endured by teachers, who, in their work, daily experience routines that foster resilience and ethical commitment as transformative agents in extremely vulnerable environments. This article analyzes the experiences of an itinerant teacher who goes beyond didactics and academia, becoming pedagogical resistance for peacebuilding. Methodologically, it adopts a qualitative paradigm with a case study design, complemented by the systematization of experiences; triangulated data were collected and analyzed under Critical Pedagogy and Ethics of Care. The results highlight the teacher's actions, who transforms the traditional curriculum (MEN, 2022) into safe spaces for building peace, resilience, and citizenship; she adapts innovative strategies to process traumas amid the precariousness and violence experienced. All this occurs amidst the pressure of the armed conflict and the lack of institutional and professional resources. This study concludes that the importance of teaching in these vulnerable areas is invaluable, as teachers' professional training, ethics, and contextual adaptability are key to weaving social peace and restoring communities battered by violence.