Soft skills are increasingly vital in both professional and everyday life. Skills like emotional awareness, compassion, collaboration, conflict resolution and stress management are essential in and out of the classroom. Through a blend of theoretical and practical activities, our participants gained insights into enhancing their communication skills. The latest edition of the combined courses “Interpersonal Skills and Emotional Intelligence for Educators and School Staff” and “Skillful Communication and Public Speaking for Educators and School Personnel” was held in Tenerife from 13/10/2024 to 19/10/2024. Participants represented a diverse range of European countries, including Liina and Heli from City of Jyväskylä/Library services in Finland, Adela and Andreja from Gradsko društvo Crvenog križa Koprivnica in Croatia, Fabien from Schulzentrum Blumenthal in Germany, Idun, Soma, Jørn and Maria from Sagdalen skole in Norway, Lucija and Ana from Djecji vrtic CVIT MEDITERANA Split in Croatia, Aivars from Rezeknes academy of technologies in Latvia, Anne-Cécile from EREA Jean Bart in France, Barbara from III LO im. S. Batorego in Poland. The course began with a focus on Emotional awareness, defined as the ability to recognize both our own emotions and those of others, enhancing our awareness of ourselves and our surroundings. Empathy was another important skill discussed in this session. Through various exercises, participants learned how to practice empathy, self-control, self-motivation, and the art of building connections.An effective teacher also acts as a leader in the classroom, inspiring and guiding students toward achieving their goals. Leadership manifests in various styles, but not all are suitable for every situation. To explore this, participants were invited to identify the key qualities of the leaders they respect and to reflect on the different approaches to leadership. Effective communication is one of the most important skills for teamwork. Participants explored different communication styles, including aggressive, passive, passive-aggressive, and assertive. They recognized that communication is vital for collaboration. Although being assertive can be difficult, the discussions highlighted that assertiveness isn't about rudeness; it’s about clearly and effectively conveying one's needs and desires. To improve their communication skills, participants engaged in a public speaking exercise. They learned valuable tips for effective self-presentation, body language management, and nonverbal communication. To boost their confidence, each participant prepared a brief one-minute speech to present to the class, giving them the opportunity to practice the skills they had developed.
Discover more about this course here.
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Welcome to the ELA Blog. Here you will find articles and photos of our courses and have a look at the topics addressed during the week in Bologna, Palermo and Tenerife. You will also have the chance to take a peek at our projects and check out what we have been up to.
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