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Description
With this project we want to provide children from vulnerable groups and less developed areas good quality education. The project is targeted at primary school teachers. They are the ones who have immediate contact with pupils, who communicate with their parents and who have to meet the requirements of the education system. It has been established during training of teachers that considerable differences could be observed between teachers employed in elite city schools and those in less developed areas in terms of confidence, attitudes and resilience while the requirements and expectations remain the same. This project aims at providing emotional, psychological and methodological support to the people who work every day with pupils. The project aims at giving them the sense that their work is highly valued, that there are ways to cope in difficult situations and that they can be provided with support at hard times. The project also aims at changing their attitudes with regard to the tools for solving challenging situations and empowering them to look for help from colleagues. We plan to achieve the above through a 4-day training of school psychologists, pedagogical counsellors and experts (10 people) to form groups for support and assistance of teachers. 3 training sessions will be organised for teachers in the cities of Vidin, Pleven and Montana (3 groups х 15 people). We believe that if we take care of our teachers, teachers will take better care of pupils and will prepare them better to cope in life and implement their potential.
Summary of project results
The project targeted primary teachers. They are the ones who have the direct contact with pupils, communicate with parents, and have to meet the requirements of the education system. During past teacher trainings, it was found that the difference in self-confidence, attitudes and resilience between teachers teaching in elite urban schools and those teaching in underserved areas of the country was significant, however the demands and expectations on them were the same. This project was designed to support emotionally, mentally and methodologically those who work with students on a daily basis. To give them a sense that what they do is valued, that they have the tools to cope with difficult situations, and that they can be supported in difficult times. The project activities aimed at changing their attitudes towards how to deal with problematic situations and empowering them to seek help from colleagues and offer them such. The project had several main activities including a preliminary needs survey, where the number of respondents exceeded more than 4 times the target number; 4 trainings - 1 for principals, psychologists, and pedagogical advisors. Three trainings were conducted for teachers - from the regions of Pleven, Vidin and Montana. The trainings were three days long and included topics such as "Working with parents", "Working with difficult situations", "Prevention of professional burnout". As a result of the trainings, a Handbook was developed to support teachers'' work.
During the project, new contacts were established between the association and many schools, as well as contacts between the schools themselves and the teachers, which was the aim of the project.
The developed Handbook remains free of charge for all interested parties.