Discovering Soft Skills: Empowerment, Learning, and Growth

In the current landscape of professional and everyday life, the significance of soft skills continues to rise. Proficiencies like emotional intelligence, empathy, teamwork, conflict resolution, and stress management hold high importance both within and beyond classroom settings. Through a blend of theoretical insights and hands-on engagements, our participants delved deeper into enhancing their communication abilities.
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The new edition of the course “Soft Skills and Emotional Intelligence for teachers and education staff​” took place in Bologna from 03/12/2023 to 09/12/2023. The participants came from all across Europe, with Ana Cristina Figueiredo Simões (PC), Eunice Maria Barata Lopes, Olga Maria Mendes Dinis Quaresma, Pedro Tiago Franquinha dos Santos Pires Costa, Jaime Santos Soares, Maria José Dias da Silva de Sousa Cortesão  from Agrupamento de Escolas da Lousã in Portugal, Dimitroula Makri and Maria Tzotzou from Trito Lykeio Xanthis in Greece, and Ilme Bartels, Antje Bedbur from BBZ Rendsburg-Eckernförde in Germany.

We started the week introducing Emotional Intelligence, encompassing the ability to comprehend not only one's own emotions but also the emotions of others, fostering self-awareness and an understanding of our surroundings. Empathy was another key focus, engaging participants in exercises to enhance empathetic skills, self-control, self-motivation, and connection-building.

Effective classroom leadership was emphasized as an integral aspect of teaching, guiding, and motivating students towards specific objectives. Participants delved into various leadership styles, reflecting on the characteristics of admired leaders and the efficacy of different approaches across diverse situations.

Teamwork was highlighted as a crucial domain requiring effective communication. Participants delved into diverse communication styles—aggressive, passive, passive-aggressive, and assertive—recognizing assertiveness as pivotal without compromising politeness.
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Enhancing communication proficiency involved practical exercises in public speaking, encompassing tips on self-presentation, body language control, and nonverbal communication. Encouraged to present short speeches, participants honed their acquired skills and gained confidence.

As a final topic the course touched on discussions on Conflict and Stress Management, acknowledging the challenges inherent in working with others. Participants shared experiences, acknowledging conflict as a way for growth and not solely as a negative outcome.

This learning experience created a place for mutual learning among participants with diverse backgrounds, contributing significantly to the collective growth. Additionally, the organized cultural activities fostered networking, demonstrating that learning extends beyond the confines of a classroom. Soft skills are increasingly vital, bridging professional and daily life contexts.
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Discover more about this course here.