PROJECT REPORT SUMMARY
"European experience of teachers as a chance for every pupil to succeed".
Erasmus + project implemented by our school in 2017-2019 .
The main objective of the activities was to improve the quality of teaching and teachers' work on the basis of the experience of European educational systems, search for innovative methods and forms of work, taking into account special educational needs of pupils and creating a European dimension of school. Foreign trips were preceded by an intensive English course for mobility participants. Teachers have reached the language level from A1 to B1 - depending on the level of language proficiency at the start of the course.
The participants of the mobility were 19 teachers, including the school headmaster and 2 deputy directors and a neuro speach therapist. 11 teachers from this group work as a support teacher. We chose 7 five-day courses, in total there were 29 mobilities as some teachers took part in two trainings. Before each trip, cultural sessions and logistics preparation took place. In addition to the substantive value, trips were an opportunity to learn about European educational systems and exchange of good practices, especially in the aspect of inclusive education and work with a student with special educational needs. Training participants in Finland analyzed the results of PISA tests, learned the three-level system of student support and the special concern for the well-being of children and teachers.
Influence on the school - creating in our school relaxation zones - places in school corridors equipped with comfortable couches, benches or mattresses that are very much used by students. These are also places where teachers can conduct individual or relaxation classes in problem situations. The English teacher exchanges correspondence between 5a and 7a students with students from the school in Joensuu. Training in the United Kingdom concerned solutions used in inclusive education, cooperation of a leading teacher with a support teacher and methods of working with a student from the Autism spectrum. The effect of these trainings was working out a cooperation card for leading and supporting teachers in English language classes, self-assessment cards for pupils in grades 1-3, enriching the Autism Days by implementing the eTwinning project and developing a "Revalidation program for a class 7 student with a special needs judgment".
The participants of the training in Norway got acquainted with a wide range of activities based on the convention of logic games. While working in the group, they analyzed ways to motivate students and worked on gathering effective ways to stimulate students to creative action. The teachers transferred the rules of a reverse lesson to the school's training, reinforcing students' motivation to actively participate in the education process. Students themselves prepared games and quizzes in educational applications - Qiuzizz, Kahoot, which they shared with students of other classes.
Training in Italy allowed participants to enrich and organize their knowledge about dyslexia, dyspraxis, dysgraphy, dyscalculia, ADHD and ADD as well as learn examples of didactic aids and ways to adapt educational requirements to the needs and abilities of students. Influence-organization of the Day of Dyslexia, conducting an open lesson "Colourful Ortographic Islands". The course in Ireland was divided into a linguistic and methodological part. Teachers improved communication skills in English and learned the principles of the CLIL method, ways to search for and adapt authentic materials for didactic purposes. Activities at the school - history and language classes, biology, geography and chemistry lessons using the CLIL method, language exercises as part of mid-lesson breaks in classes 2, working on CLIL activities schedule, which will be implemented in the following school year in clases 3. Participants of all mobilities basing on the acquired knowledge and skills successively add new lesson plans to the school's folder.
Participation in foreign trainings was an opportunity to establish formal and informal contacts with teachers from other countries and to develop inter- and intrapersonal competences. Participant's reports, monitoring and analysis if surveys allow to state that project assumptions have been reached and new forms of activity developed by teachers will continue to be implemented in everyday school work.