Concept by: Marta Mandolini
Description
The course is designed to offer an incomparable occasion to reflect about yourself as a Teacher. It addresses both to young teachers wanting to build a long and satisfied career and to experienced teachers willing to refresh their approach to teaching.
Teaching is somehow a mission, and being a teacher is a wonderful job that doesn’t often finish when you leave the school building every day, so it can be difficult to disconnect. Teachers involved in the program will acquire a certain level of self-awareness about their role, their approach to teaching and their being part of a bigger team, in order to prevent stress and promote a healthy work-life balance, satisfaction and effectiveness.
By the end of the course, teachers will learn how to set healthy boundaries to cope with overworking, how to regulate emotions, how to use assertiveness to respond properly to colleagues, students and families’ demands, and how to maximize their strengths in order to minimize hurriedness and time wasting. They will participate in group dynamic exercises and share their experiences in an international environment, experiencing effective communication techniques, mindfulness and creative management tools.
The program of the course will follow a general structure but will actually be influenced by the topics, needs and situations that will emerge in the group, that may be different throughout different course editions.
Learning Outcomes
The course will help the participants to:
- Become self-aware of your role as a teacher and what it means to be part of a bigger team;
- Promote work-life balance, satisfaction, and effectiveness in order to prevent stress in the workplace;
- Set healthy boundaries to cope with being overworked, such as fully disconnecting once the day in the classroom is over;
- Reflect and refresh your approach to teaching, while learning to maximize your strengths and build yourself as a teacher;
- Practice effective communication techniques and mindfulness, as well as experience creative management tools.
Tentative Schedule
The schedule describes likely activities but may differ significantly based on the requests of the participants, and the trainer delivering the specific session. Course modifications are subject to the trainer’s discretion. If you would like to discuss a specific topic, please indicate it at least 4 weeks in advance.
Day 1 – Course introduction & Setting goals
Course introduction
- Introduction to the course, the school, and the external week activities.
- Icebreaker activities using drama for trust and ensemble building.
Setting goals
- Identification of needs and goals for each participant and relevant populations.
- Being Teacher: are you the teacher you want to be? Swot analysis for teachers. Emotions regulation. Individual and group exercises
- Presentations of the participants’ schools.
Day 2 – Finding a work/life balance
Being Teacher: work life balance is possible! Happiness and flow. The healthy mind platter. Introduction to mindfulness. Time management strategies.
Day 3 – Expressing emotions and opinions
Teachers issues presentation and discussion. Assertivity in and out of the classroom: how can we communicate our emotions and opinions in a constructive way. Role playing
Day 4 – Preventing stress
Teachers issues presentation and discussion. Stress prevention: tips and tools for happier teacher
Day 5 – Coping with overwork & Course closure
Coping with overwork
Teaching environment: how to cope with overwork and improve effective communication with colleagues, students and their families. Sharing the experience once back home.
Course closure
- Course evaluation: round up of acquired competences, feedback, and discussion;
- Awarding of the course Certificate of Attendance;
Day 6 – Excursion
Excursion and other external cultural activities.
Audience
- Teachers (primary, secondary, vocational, adult, special needs);
- Teacher trainers;
- Headteachers;
- Principals;
- Managers of schools.
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Before the course, 