¡Viva España! II. – Teachers’ mobility in Spain

The previous post we were writing about students, but now the teachers from the same school come next! The school made it double by sending 11 enthusiastic teachers for one week to Spain, alongside with the students’ 3-week practice. Because the Erasmus + program allows a school to send not only students but also teachers, we were delighted to be provide a life time experience of the teaching staff’s as well.

Of course they did not go for internships but they attended workshops on different topics. Also, they visited some VET related institutions, and “jobshadowed” their students who was already there completing their traineeships. As a free time actvitiy they explored the city, the local markets and the surroundings as well.

A teacher (or staff) mobility is typically shorter than that of students, as it is based on a different method and knowledge transfer. In a week spent in Spain by teachers, we tried to implement as many informative and professional elements as possible to their programmes.

The focus of the workshops and visits to various institutions was to compare and analyze the Spanish and Hungarian vocational training systems. As the school mainly deals with disadvantaged and SEN students, inclusive education has been the subject of a very lively discussion. How can students with SEN be integrated and what can motivate them best to learn and keep up working? The sharing of Hungarian and Spanish experiences and good practices opened up new gates and ways of thinking for both parties.

Creating the ideal learning environment, rethinking curricula and integrating creativity into the classroom are all current topics discussed all over EU and also these topics have emerged during this teacher mobility. The headmaster and his colleagues were enriched with a wealth of new ideas and inspirational conversations, and they also had the opportunity to “sneak on” their own students at work. The teachers were delighted and proud to see their apprentices all fit and doing great in a foreign language environment.

However, the project does not end here: remember that sharing and disseminating experiences is just as important as the experience itself. By discussing what is new and integrating, evaluating it, the school strives to further develop its curricula and methods to prepare its students for the challenges in work and life in the future.