A few thoughts on professional development
Every profession requires constant learning because there is no working improvement if a professional does not upgrade knowledge, skills and competencies.
When we discuss the importance of professional development in the teaching profession, we can confirm that it is an essential tool in every teacher’s toolbox!
Teaching practice is considered delicate and challenging.
Students’ welfare, from their educational results to their healthy growth, is a precious matter that school systems deal with.
Headteachers, teachers, educational rehabilitators, special education teachers, speech therapists, school pedagogues and psychologists, and all others in school systems who can influence students’ development all have great importance in students’ social and educational growth.
To keep up with the new and current pedagogical methods and techniques and deliver high-quality practice to new generations of students, whose learning processes already significantly differ from those of previous generations, teachers and all other pedagogically relevant staff need to be aware of the importance of professional development and how much their working effectiveness depends on the knowledge and skills they regularly develop.
We all know that teachers are obliged to educate themselves continuously, but it is also their right to choose the content they need to learn and the most appropriate way to acquire new knowledge and skills.
Teachers need to plan, choose, and decide what to develop more and how, according to their needs, but we can agree that one word stands out as the common basis: experience.
The following passages will prove that conclusion.
Erasmus+ programmes
More to the point, Erasmus+ programmes naturally come as great options for professional development.
Just briefly, what the Erasmus+ programme is.
It is a programme that supports education by giving educational institutions the opportunity to apply for valuable funding to cover important teacher/student training expenses.
Its focus is on crucial educational needs such as media and digital literacy and the implementation of cultural heritage in teaching practice and curriculum as the basis for continuous awareness of the rich civilization we live in. However, in this programme cycle (2021-2027), the strongest focus is on social inclusion, green and digital transitions, and promoting young people’s participation in democratic life.
Erasmus+ programme structure includes:
Key Action 1 (KA1) – Mobility of Individuals (learners and staff) that takes place in another country
Key Action2 (KA2) – Cooperation among organisations and institutions
Here, there is a list of plenty of opportunities that are offered in these two Key Actions.
https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/programme-guide/part-a/priorities-of-the-erasmus-programme/structure
Which one is the best option depends on the school’s development plan.
Let’s take a brief look at the Erasmus+ programme structure:
Here, we are going to deal with the first two options, as we get the majority of questions on them.
KA1 is focused, in short, on individual mobility, for example, a teacher whose professional development needs will be well enough covered by participating in a teacher training structured course organized by course providers, doing a job-shadowing activity in a hosting school, or, what is also useful, participating in a teacher assignment activity in a hosting school.
KA2 implies developing the internationalisation of organizations’ activities by directly cooperating with project partners from different countries. This is an excellent way to actively include not only teachers but also students since they undertake mobilities as well.
KA1 or KA2 Erasmus+ programmes?
When teachers want to enter the Erasmus+ world, there is always a question of where to start from.
We at Lina Edu Erasmus+ Courses always suggest starting planning the Erasmus+ project from the school development plan. The vision of the school in that major plan tells teachers and school staff where their educational institution is heading to.
Then, teachers and school staff gather to form a project team, as success in the Erasmus+ project (mobilities and activities) requires good teamwork.
The team should consist of members who are eager to learn, improve their language skills, to share knowledge, collaborate, travel and visit other countries’ schools and learn from that experience to wide their Erasmus+ network of colleagues who want to be that needed change in education by including as many students as they can in implementing the project outcomes in teaching and learning practice, to integrate fresh teaching methods in their classes, to be creative at designing the Erasmus+ project activities, therefore their own classes, too, to somewhat contribute to the school development plan realization and consequently to the project successful performance.
Since Erasmus+ offers mobility and cooperation opportunities in higher education, vocational education and training, school education (including early childhood education and care), adult education, youth, and sport, there are many possibilities for adjusting the main topics the school project team wants to address to the school development plan’s major fields of interest.
Here, the project team decides on which Erasmus+ programme to participate in.
Educators at Lina Edu Erasmus+ Courses have been actively participating in two programmes, KA1 and KA2. Based on their rich experience, they conclude that each brings a great number of benefits to three equally important parties or doers: the school, teachers/school staff, and students.
The project team’s choice of the right project partners for KA1 or KA2 Erasmus+ projects is enormously important.
In the KA1 programme, Erasmus+ project partners are usually teacher training course providers if you choose individual teacher training at the course of your interest or educational institutions that offer job-shadowing activities or teacher assignments.
In the KA2 programme, Erasmus+ project partners are schools/institutions that plan the project together, collaborate in mutual project activities, do planned activities, and participate in exchanging teachers’/students’ mobilities to fulfill the project plan.
As a valuable note here, consider the highly important role of partners in performing Erasmus+ projects. If the project partners are reliable, professionally serious enough, well-experienced, and willing to help, assist, collaborate, and grow together with you, then your project impact and outcomes are certain to be successful!
Lina Edu as a project partner
Lina Edu can greatly help with teacher training for two reasons:
- There is a notable range of teacher training courses as part of the KA1 Erasmus+ programme, and all of them fit Erasmus+ high-quality professional development standards and strongly suggest educational priorities
- Educators are competent and respectable professionals who willingly share their knowledge from their professional field and Erasmus+ experience
Our policy is that if participants are engaged and active enough, and they will surely be motivated in our courses, their professional development is fully guaranteed.
Just to add, all colleagues who take part in our courses are guided, mentored, and assisted by Lina Edu educators during the course and in disseminating the course outcomes.
The Lina Edu team is always ready to help with suggestions and its own Erasmus+ experience to build Erasmus+ project plans that are as good as possible.
We also promote schools’ partnerships by offering a course where participants can learn and practise designing a KA2 project plan.
That way, the participants can network and lay the foundations for their new project. They are introduced to the actual project application and work on a project in a cultural heritage context. It is designed for school education (general school education) or vocational education and training.
What’s more, to point out as a significant value of Lina Edu teacher training content, educators’ teams always pay attention to professional development needs, so the following course of action is a new course on how to take care of personal and professional well-being.
https://linaedu.eu/erasmus-course-zen-sational-teaching/
We can’t forget an important saying: “Happy teachers-happy students.” So, led by that saying and the need to help our participants to improve their teaching skills through mindfulness techniques and methods and learn how to strengthen their teacher’s well-being, this specially designed course proves that Lina Edu is a qualified and skilled project partner.
Certainly, there will be more discussion of planning Erasmus+ projects and dealing with issues that arise while planning or performing Erasmus+ project activities here.
Now, it’s your turn to think more about your professional development preferences, goals, and your future improvement.
Plan, collaborate, and be excited about the whole process—from the start of your Erasmus+ project planning to its finalization!
Remember, Lina Edu is responsible and ready to be a project partner.
We are all looking forward to collaborating with you!
