1^st SHORT TERM JOINT STAFF TRAINING AND LEARNING EVENT

IN ZESPOL SZKOL SPECJALNYCH NR 6

 BYTOM POLAND

The 1^st short term joint staff training and learning event in Bytom, has been conducted and concluded with great success. 22 professionals, coordinators and participants, from each of the countries of the partnership, met in Poland to share good practices and therefore improve the quality of their institutions or methods on their return.

The host school with their coordinator Patrycja Pytlik and all her colleagues, Agata, Maja, Agnieszka, Anna, Martyna, Domininka, Lisa and so many more, had prepared for us an exquisite programme. All the performances by the pupils, activities and workshops that took place in the school were well organized, truly interested and interactive.

The welcoming of the Erasmus+ partnership was warm, sincere and honest and we whole heartedly thank all of them for the unique experience and the amazing presents.

We were introduced to the Polish special educational system, the schools curriculum and visited the classes of the school meeting teachers and pupils.

The performances of the pupils were truly inspired both in the welcoming and farewell of the partners.

“The world of emotions” which was a theatrical play with no words, was full of emotions. The music, the body movement and the facial expressions of the students could easily reach our hearts and the meanings that passed through were clear and precise.

The performance of younger pupils was amazing. The different musical pieces combined with their body movement and expression was brilliant and captured all our senses.

The zumba lesson performed by Adam, one very talented pupil, was truly full of energy and enthusiasm. Furthermore, we all followed later on!

The games truly had a European dimension and managed to bond us all under the spider’s thread.

Workshops like felt, glass, clay, comic painting, photography and dancing, were conducted and the participants had the chance to get to know new techniques and innovative ways of expression, to apply in their schools.

Mr Filip Twarkowski introduced us to Glass techniques and the outcome was amazing.

Ms Anna Kałuszka taught us how to use clay by creating our personal portraits.

Ms Beata Barwińska taught us how to make felt and we created some wonderful art pieces.

Mr Krzysztof Kałuszka introduced us to Comics painting and the outcome was brilliant.

Mr Antoni Sturzbecher introduced us to Portrait Photography. The workshop was truly interested and innumerous photos were taken and later on discussed.

Ms Barbara Gwóźdź conducted the Dance Workshop where we were all introduced to a unique way of expressing our feelings through our bodies or by using different parts of our body.

Furthermore, all the participants joint classes, working along with the teachers and the pupils. Once more, each teacher had prepared activities concerning arts and emotions. The expression of feelings for SEN students and the promotion of communication among them but also with all the foreign visitors were successfully implemented, proving that there are no language barriers when Art and Emotions speak.  It was an amazing experience.

Last but not least, a Conference and workshop with the psychologist and therapist Dr Aleksandra Nowak was conducted, bringing in our project the theoretical ground of Emotions. It included, introduction to the theory of emotions, physiological and neurological aspects of emotions, emotional development, emotional expression, theory of emotional intelligence. The lecture was really interesting and many games and emotion charts were proposed in order to be used in our classes.

The visit to the Polish photo exhibition at Municipal Library in Bytom and the speech given from members of the Bytom community and the organizations, with which the school cooperates, proved the inextricable connection of the school with the community and the importance of such cooperation.

The coordinators meeting also took place while it was really important to discuss the so far progress of our project and plan our future activities.

It is really important when visiting a school, to learn about their educational system, their curriculum and methodology but as much important is to learn about the cultural heritage of the host country in order to connect and place all the new knowledge in the right background.

So, our journey through Arts and Emotions, gave us a chance to learn about the history of Poland and especially Silesia, its monuments, sights, museums and their cultural development. We explored Bytom and Katowice, visited Tychy with their famous Tyskie Brewery, the undoubtedly beautiful Krakow situated on the Vistula River, with the the Wawel Castle and the extraordinary Rynek Underground Museum, Oswiecim where Auschwitz concentration camp exists bringing various emotions in our hearts, Zabrze with Guido Coalmine which truly was a unique experience.

Dear partners from Poland, we thank you very much for the amazing journey, the unique experiences and the best exchange of good practices. It was a bonding mobility that really united our partnership and ensured a good start of our project “Artemotion Xpress in Europe”.