Training of Primary Education Teachers – 2005-2007
The Project’s actions pertaining to intervention within the framework of schools (producing educational materials, teacher training) were completed in July 2007. No training took place in the 2007-08 school year.
In the 2005-2007 period, the training of teachers was organized in the following structures (both in primary and in secondary schools):
- Training cycles, built around specific themes, for educators of both minority and public schools, and also for kindergarten teachers. Participation in these cycles was optional.
- On-site training meetings in specific school units, with the goal to examine – in consultation with their teachers – some proposed teaching methods suitable for the conditions in each of the aforementioned school units.
- Participation in mandatory teacher training that was organized by Counselors of Minority Education. See program of the training that took place on September 4-7, 2006
The training actions were supported by the Support Centers of the Project (the KESPEMs), by the provision of educational materials and by the on-site presence of mobile KESPEMs at schools of remote locations.
Training for Primary Education Teachers – 2002-2004
The training action of this period included the following:
- Training Seminars
The Project conducted systematic training for the teachers of the Greek-language curriculum of Minority primary schools with a view to provide professional support to them and to ensure the effective use of the books and educational material produced by the Project during its first phase (1997-2000). The said books, since 2000, have been the official teaching material for the Minority schools.
The training was:
(a) Mandatory, for all the teachers of the Greek-language curriculum of Minority schools, organized in cooperation with the Supervisors and Education Counselors (32 hours for the Xanthi prefecture and 32 hours for the Rhodope prefecture);
(b) Optional (27 hours for the Xanthi prefecture and 27 hours for the Rhodope prefecture) on the following basic topics:
- Teaching Greek as a second/foreign language within the framework of “communicative approach”, and
- The interdisciplinary approach to knowledge
- Training Visits to Minority Schools
With a view to support the educational work at school unit level, the Project conducted systematic visits to a large number of Minority schools in the Xanthi, Rhodope and Evros prefectures.- 2002-03: 140 hours were allotted to visits to 105 schools.
- 2003-04: 140 hours were allotted to visits to 100 schools.
A portion of the teachers who took part in the training program developed, with the help of the trainers, work plans for their classrooms. These work plans were presented in the exhibition of the works of the pupils in the public events that took place on May 14 and 15, 2004, and were published at the completion of that phase of the Project. (See: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Knowledge)
- Pedagogical Counseling
The Project organized in the KESPEMs of Xanthi and of Komotini on a weekly basis pedagogical counseling meetings for Minority school teachers, where they could pose questions about the use of the new books and materials, borrow educational materials and books, and discuss problems of their daily educational practice.
