"Empowering Teachers” is the theme of this year's (2017) World Teachers' Day and its aim is to provide an opportunity to consider issues related to teachers and teaching. On October 5th, World Teachers’ Day has been celebrated în Ghindeni School, Romania, by teachers and students who participated in a series of workshops on how education and teachers make a difference in the classroom and beyond. As the seminar on Democracy held by D.E.M.A had a strong impact on the participant teachers, we integrated the subject of democratic school in these activities.
"What is democracy?"
Initiating children in the spirit of democracy and human rights is one of the foundations of education, from an early age.Through various materials, activities and games, children were drawn attention upon democracy, by taking into consideration both rights and obligations. During the activity, students watched a video about what democracy is, followed by discussions and role play of three given situations. The students listened a story “What would have happened if…” and then asked to continue the story through a drawing activity.There were artistic activities about rights and obligations upon nature, other people and family. At the end, students were gathered into a dance called “Hora”, as symbolizing friendship of children around the world. (Coordinators: Aura Firoiu, Irina Florescu)
"Teaching Democracy"
The concepts of democracy and human rights were presented to 4th and 6th grade students în order to make them aware of democratic achievements in the history of mankind. In the activity "I may be small but I have big rights" the students debated and expressed their opinion and made drawings to exemplify how they understand the right to education. Attending this activity they learned about disadvantaged children with limited acces to education, they learned they had rights but also duties. (Coordinators: Camelia Ghira, Gabriela Costache)
"Reading Democracy: Democratic school in democratic countries."
8 Teachers Who Changed History. In order to understand better this concepts, 1st grade students worked with 3rd and 6th grade students, they search words like democracy, education in the dictionary, they read news, interviews about school education and they tried to make their own definition. To find out more on how teachers can make a difference they attended a second activity. The 6th grade students made a research about this great teachers (Pytagoras, Newton, Walt Whitman, Maria Montessori, George Enescu) and shared with their colleagues how throughout history, teachers were making discoveries, taking actions, or participating in events that forever changed the world. (Coordinators: Daniela Firescu, Cristina Tuică)
"Effective teacher- students communication."
This workshop focused on the advantages of the use of social networks in the learning process. The 8th grade students debated the sociability and the interactions that arise in the different forms of communication today, shared their favorite apps, the pro and cons of e-learning and of of social networks (cyberbullying or cyber-zooming) and put their results în a wall poster. Divided in teams they created a group on WhatsApp to prepare a class work group. (Coordinators: Simona Negru and Dana Luca)
