Dates: 19th to 25th January 2020
Full programme: click here to see the full programme
What we did: The main topic of the second get together of the international teacher and student groups was “expectations”. We had discussion sessions about the expectations of schools from the students and/or parents and vice versa. These discussion sessions turned out to be a big mind map about how and to what extent these expectations can be met by all involved parties. As this meeting marked the beginning of the second year of the project, the teachers evaluated the first year and its results as well as plans for the second year. The intervention period of the project plan had finished and the compensation phase had just begun at the time of this meeting. So the intervention stage was evaluated and the compensation stage was further discussed. Students were involved and contributed to all those discussions. They also were assigned to create and present an artwork with the help of our hosts.
What we learnt:
Art is magic! Imagine 30 students in a class, doing many different kinds of artwork, from different ages, backgrounds, cultures; and imagine all of them as motivated as can be to finish what they are doing to show the result of their hard work. Isn’t it what school is supposed to achieve? Well, art can make the unexpected happen…. This was the most important thing that we, as teachers learned from this meeting. In the not as interesting and enlightening part, talking about the expectations of different parties involved in education made us realize that, it is possible to meet most, alas not all, of these expectations if schools, teachers, parents and students work together and provided that they are supported by policy makers. And the ones that cannot be met can be compensated by some other things. We realized that the compensation phase of the project will be a bit harder than the intervention phase as this phase requires more hands on work with students and teachers but it will be managed by working as a team.
Meeting gallery
