On November 21 The first one took place in the Union of Lithuanian Writers KD International School of Vilnius organized good practice dissemination event. The purpose of this event is to educate the Vilnius primary education community free of charge, to share practical methods used by teachers, to establish connections between pedagogues and at the same time to contribute to the improvement of the quality of education in Lithuania. This initiative has become a kind of platform for teachers seeking to enrich their daily practice and create an inclusive educational environment.
The beginnings of an idea
The idea of the event was born in early spring, when KD was a school teacher Greta Mitkiene and process manager Simona Mačiulienė started discussions about the dissemination of good practices among educators. "Everyone talks about change, but we wanted to start it here and now," says Greta. The idea of bringing together teachers not only to share methods, but also to learn from each other and collaborate, became the axis of the initiative.
"The quality of education is the responsibility of all of us," emphasized Simona. The organizers of the event hope that it will not only be a one-time event, but also an annual tradition that will inspire teachers not to be afraid to change the culture of teaching in their classrooms.
Messages that encourage you to think differently
The event began with presentations in which educators shared real life examples rather than theory.
Greta Mitkiene in his presentation "Life Lessons in the Classroom: How Children's Rights and Responsibilities Build Emotional Intelligence" showed how simple everyday learning moments can help children understand the importance of responsibility and teach them to cooperate. She gave examples of how children, solving conflicts themselves, grow up to be empathetic and responsible citizens.
Agneska Verkovskiene in his report "The road to uncomfortable a child's heart" captured everyone's attention with stories about children who often give teachers a headache. "These kids just want to be heard," she said, emphasizing the importance of empathy and consistency from teachers.
Teacher Dovilė Vanagaitė, during the presentation "Lessons outside of school", encouraged educators to go beyond the boundaries of the traditional classroom and allow children to learn about the world through experience. Her report is full of examples of how even simple trips to the park, museum or city streets can become priceless learning moments.
The fourth report, titled "Education of Democratic Understanding", which he read Indre Bagušinskaite, invited educators to start developing the principles of democracy from the early days of school. "By allowing children to participate in decision-making, we educate conscious citizens," said Indrė, encouraging educators to give children more responsibility for their environment and actions. Such education, according to her, not only strengthens children's self-confidence, but also teaches cooperation and empathy, which are necessary in modern society.
Hands-on activity: lessons in empathy through the senses
The culmination of the event was a practical session led by a KD school psychologist Jūratė Miežytė-Tijūšienė and a speech therapist Brigita Tarbunaitė. The subject of the activity is "My differences, my characteristics". During this activity, the participants learned to understand how people with certain sensory disorders feel.
Educators had the opportunity to try different situations: wearing headphones, they tried to read lips, while blindfolded - to recognize objects only by touch, and when changing shoes - to feel what it means to be in someone else's place. Also, participants drew according to instructions while listening to loud music, which showed how differently we perceive the same information.
The last task was particularly emotional - the blindfolded participants had to rely on other persons who guided them around the spaces. "It made me rethink how important it is to be more attentive to each child," shared one participant. The child support specialists not only touched the hearts of the participants, but also provided practical tools for developing empathy on a daily basis.
Success and future plans
At the end of the event, the participants thanked the organizers for the opportunity to participate and expressed hope that this initiative will become a continuous project. The teachers emphasized that such events not only provide new knowledge, but also inspire them to return to the classrooms with new energy and ideas.
The organizers thanked Moon Studio Vilnius, who contributed by allowing us to use their cozy premises located in the Lithuanian Writers' Union. "This is just the beginning. Each such event is a step towards higher quality, more creative and empathetic education," the organizers of the event concluded.
Such initiatives are vital to creating a modern education system that not only teaches, but also develops conscious, creative and empathetic citizens.
