“Happy Schools: Positive Education for Well-Being and Life-Skills Development” I 24th April-1st May 2022
Proud to announce that the second group of four teachers (Ana Viana, Lucília Moreira, Virgínia Nobre, and Isabel Venceslau), on behalf of the Erasmus+ Programme “O processo de inovação pedagógica do AEBA – capacitação de docentes” (which foresees three courses and six mobilities involving twenty-four teachers), is already in Florence to attend the course “Happy Schools: Positive Education for Well-Being and Life-Skills Development” at the Europass Teacher Academy, which “aims to promote well-being and happiness in a holistic perspective in the classroom and beyond, providing young people with knowledge and life skills to flourish in their present and future life. This contemporary educational approach is based on Positive Psychology, which is the scientific study of human flourishing and optimal functioning and focuses on strengths and virtues that enable individuals, communities, and organizations to succeed.”
This one-week course will introduce our teachers both to Positive Psychology fundamentals, and to Positive Education theories and techniques.
On the first day our teachers were introduced to the course and the internal and external week activities (there was an icebreaker activity using drama for trust and ensemble building). The setting goals involved the identification of needs and goals for each participant (besides our teachers Ana Viana, Lucília Moreira, Virgínia Nobre, and Inês Venceslau from Portugal, there are others from Estonia, Spain, France, and Hungary) and relevant populations. The class talked about the Positive Education fundamentals (Foundation in Positive Psychology; History; Pioneers; Theories and methods; A pleasant life; Good life and Flow, Flourishing, Meaningful life, Strengths, and Virtues) and experienced a great time.
It is expected that “by the end of the course, participants will have learned how to design programmes that combine academics with the development of character strengthening and well-being, such as the experience of positive emotions, engagement with activities, the establishment of meaningful practices and relationships, etc.
We were told the presentations of the participants’ schools were great, but ours was pretty amazing!
The fourth day resulted in a sort of debate on the concept of ‘the positive teacher’, since it is a fact that mindfulness can improve the work environment in distinct ways, making it a promising ground for positive change. The participants were involved in an active learning process focusing on personal experience and self-reflection plus an evaluation of the course after five days of intensive lessons: rounding up of acquired competences, feedback, and discussion. Finally, all the teachers were awarded with the course Certificate of Attendance.
They visited “a charming estate in Chianti” and learnt “about the winemaking process and taste red and white wines paired with cured meats and bruschetta. At the oil mill, sample olive oils made from some of Tuscany’s 120 olive varieties. Lastly, the teachers visited “the hamlet of Castellina in Chianti with its castle and panoramic view of surrounding vineyards.”
After five days of exhaustive work, the Europass Teacher Academy offered to all teachers an all-inclusive and unforgettable trip with a professional guide
to some of the most beautiful Florence surrounding areas such as San Gimignano, Siena, Chianti and Pisa.
