Harmony and learning!
Topic/ theme: Promoting harmony through class management and mediation techniques
to reduce early school leaving, classroom management, conflict management, mediation.
This course is structured on 9 days of work. At your request, the courses can be structured for a different schedule (5 or 7 training days).
Sending partners: educational organizations involved in formal, non-formal and informal learning: schools, adult training centers, resource centers and other relevant organization active in the adult education field established in Erasmus+ program countries.
Participants: 20-25 adults involved in education
Course fee: : According to the Erasmus+ guide, 80 euros / training day, including course preparation, training, training materials, administration costs, organizational costs, 24 hours emergency support.
Trainers: multinational team of trainers – Portuguese, Romanian and Maltese, SALTO affiliated, with specialization courses in more than 15 European countries.
Languages used: English, Portuguese, Spanish, French. The training materials will be provided in English. On request, Spanish and French.
Profile of the participants:
The participants are teachers (working in kindergartens, primary schools, secondary schools etc.) or adult trainers active in the sending organization interested in growing a creative and intercultural environment in their institutions, with or without previous experience, willing to develop themselves professionally not only through the course, but by involving themselves in preparatory and follow up activities. They must be interested in other cultures and in developing the institution’s European dimension.
Objectives:
- to develop the participants communication and empathical skills
- to promote the use mediation and negotiation tools
- to share best practices and transfer practical knowledge on classroom management between different cultural zones (at least 3 countries)
- to rise the participants awareness of their own style in the classroom and to enhance their natural abilities in giving positive feedback
- to develop the participants competences of ensuring harmonious group building and transforming the class as a group into a team by usage of non-formal group dynamics
- to enable participants to find at least 3 methods and techniques for their own context
- to increase participants’ confidence in their international cooperation skills and communication strategies on an institutional level
- to promote European cooperation in the field of education within the framework of the Erasmus+ program by partnership building
Learning outcomes:
By taking part in this training course, the participants will:
- Develop competences regarding applying non-formal education activities and techniques in different formal settings
- Develop their communication and empathical skills
- Understand the characteristics of mediation;
- Share experiences and intercultural practices in a cooperative and collaborative learning process with focus on classroom management;
- Learn how to promote the use mediation and negotiation tools;
- Develop the competences of ensuring harmonious group building and of transforming the class as a group into a team by usage of non-formal group dynamics
- Develop better understanding of their own competence as teachers and will develop creative intercultural strategies for dealing with communication challenges in their own schools and classrooms
- Rise their awareness of their own style in the classroom and learn how to enhance their natural abilities in giving positive feedback
- Have a better understanding of the students’ different realities and will learn how to better communicate with them
- Learn how to identify limiting & negative beliefs and how to transform them into positive and supporting ones
- Improve interpersonal relationships
- Acquire a better understanding of the various forms of classroom management and a higher knowledge about impact, risk and long-term effect of miss-communication
- Develop e-learning competences
- Learn how to analyse the learning environment and will learn how to create strategies in order to improve it
- Identify specific methods and techniques for their own context
- Acquire the needed knowledge and competences to ensure a good management of groups they work with
- Learn how to use mediation and negotiation tools in classroom and outside school
- Develop – tools and techniques that can be used in order to increase student’s motivation and combat drop-out phenomenon;
Methodology
Most of the educational approaches are inspired from constructivist pedagogy, but we also offer practical training, exercises, role-playing, cooperative work, various activities and discussions. The content is based on „learning by doing” combined with “reflection upon action”. Positive atmosphere, exchange and fun is a part of the process during the training. The project has a holistic approach and uses various tools during the different activities.
Modules of the training course:
| Days | Module | Details of activities and methodology |
| Days 1,2 | Culture and interculturality | Intercultural games. Working in an international project – how to communicate and connect. Team building: working with colleagues and students– practical exercises followed by a debate Stereotypes and prejudices in the classroom Cultural Isla – project tour exploring exterior manifestations of positive and collaborative relations in education |
| Days 3,4 | Communication | Communication (assertive, aggressive, passive) Stakeholders in classroom management. Games, methods and tools for improving communication.. “The ability to communicate” – Learning to listen The skill of leading a conversation Techniques for asking questions Non-verbal communication in the work environment Students: expectations, profile, communicating – debate |
| Day 5 | Conflict management | Approaches to conflict.Basics: Understanding the problem. Stages of escalation of conflicts Conflict handling styles. Conflict in the classroom – forum theatre method. Midterm evaluation |
| Days 6, 7 | Mediation | Introduction to mediation. What is mediation? What is it like to be a mediator? Mediation and negotiation: differences in the approaches The three columns of mediation. The phases of mediation. Types of decisions in mediation. Mediation experiences: world café method Small group work – Practical exercise – Role play: mediation |
| Day 8 | Group dynamics for transforming a group into a team; good practice examples | Intra and inter group dynamics. Tools for working with groups, group building activities. Working with stakeholders: Dissemination of previous European projects made by all partners. Study visit to a local institution which is implementing European projects. |
| Day 9 | Evaluation, dissemination and certification | Dissemination and valorization activities planning. Using European certification tools: Europass Mobility certificate, upgrading the Europass Language Passport and Europass Skills Passport Project evaluation. Certification ceremony. |