The joy of learning: insights into effective preschool methods

​The field of childhood and preschool education is constantly evolving, making it essential for preschool teachers to stay updated on the latest trends and practices. This training course will serve as a launchpad for exploring the core principles, key features, and benefits of the most effective preschool approaches.

The new edition of the course “The best for preschool teachers​” took place in Tenerife from 03/11/204 till 09/11/2024. The participants came from all across Europe, with Chloe and Audrey from CairdeBeag (Clare Local Development Company) in Ireland, Martine and Norzin from Lillestrømkommune/Korshagen barnehage in Norway.

​The course began with interactive activities designed to break the ice, share expectations and contributions, and discuss best practices in preschool pedagogy. Teachers also had the opportunity to present their schools, offering a broader perspective on preschool education across Europe.
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Next, the group get acquainted with the new trends and most effective approach in early childhood and preschool education, we discovered the principles and theories of non formal education and, to better understand the method, some activities and games were implemented. In fact, starting from the activities, we explored the Kolb’s experiential learning cycle and we learned how it allows to pass from reflection to conceptualization and application, giving the student an active role in the learning process. Of course we practiced as many games and activities as possible: the teachers had to show their drawing, and singing skills to the rest of the group ;)
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We explored the power of creativity too with a lot of challenges that “forced” the class to think out of the box!

The next segment took us into the world of Outdoor Education. We visited outdoor spaces, discovering the benefits of embedding nature and biodiversity in preschool activities doing outdoor education activities.
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Finally, we had the pleasure to visit Centro Educativo Matilde Tellez, an expert guided us throughout the wonderful rooms of the Centre. Teachers had a chance to learn more about the history, the materials, the projects and the experiences in this pre-school in Tenerife.
By the last day, team spirit was so high that it was difficult to say goodbye. However, we found a very nice way to express our gratitude to the other participants and in the end our group was very eager to go back and start applying all the many ideas that emerged during the course. Another great week of inspiration was over, but only to be continued back in their countries.

Discover more about this course here