During the past 18 months, educators at St Monica School Birkirkara have been involved in an Erasmus+ funded project focused on cutting edge approaches to teaching and learning. The accredited ‘train the trainer’ courses were held in the Czech Republic and featured hands-on activities and thought-provoking discussions about different approaches on how to make learning more enticing and help students become active participants in their own learning process. The five-day courses focused on technology in the classroom, project-based learning, inclusive teaching practices, gamification, cross curricular integration and much more. Participants also had the unique opportunity to network, discuss and share their experiences with several other educators from across Europe.
Back in Malta, teachers had the opportunity to share their experience and skills gained with their colleagues. This was done during a Staff Development Day held for all the school’s staff members. Moreover, throughout the academic year trainers had various occasions to share good practices that they implemented post mobility.
In conclusion, this initiative underscores the importance of investing in teacher development and international collaboration. This is because in a world that is always changing and where students’ needs are getting more diverse, educators need to evolve in tandem with the signs of the times if they are to remain relevant and effective. Indeed, our experience in Prague reminded us how important it is for us as educators to venture out of our comfort zone and explore new teaching methods and resources that strike students’ different learning styles and above all their motivation to learn... beyond mere performance in test scores lies the ultimate aim that underpins our school ethos; that of holistic and quality education for all!
St Monica School Birkirkara would like to thank EUPA and Erasmus+ for funding and enabling staff mobility – this sterling opportunity is invaluable for the continuous professional development of our educators.