Job shadowing programme for teachers

On the 12^th of March, a group of teachers from the Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. Tadeusza Kościuszki (Poland) came to visit us in Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto. They were six teachers attending a training course as job shadowing. On the first night they settled into their comfortable rooms to rest up for the long days ahead.

The program started on March 13^th. On the first day, we gave them a brief introduction about Sicily and about our organization. After that we gave them a city tour and showed them around in Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto. In the evening, we took the teachers to learn about Italian street food culture. We tried different foods like arancini, focaccia, caponata and cannoli, which are typical Sicilian dishes.

On March 14, the second day of the program, we visited the school called Istituto Professionale Di Stato Per L’Industria E L’Artigianato “E. Ferrari”, where we were received very friendly. Students and teachers showed us how lemons, pineapples and other delicious fruits are grown. We saw also how plants are bred and what materials and chemicals are used for this. After that we were shown their daily life and classrooms of their school.

The classrooms also include a large laboratory where various experiments are carried out and plants are bred. In the laboratory, a teacher showed how pineapple breeding works and what is most important about it – cleanliness. After that, our athletic teachers wanted to try playing a ball game with the students. Turned out that the students at this school are very athletic, they are very good at various ball games. At the end of the tour, the students gave us a big bag of freshly picked lemons and one of the students sang us a beautiful song. The teachers and students of this school gave us a lot of new knowledge and a lot of positive energy.

On March 15th, the third day of the program, we visited a school called Istituto Tecnico Commerciale, Geometri e Turistico “Enrico Fermi”. We were also very warmly welcomed in that school. While visiting the school, we noticed that cooperation with Erasmus is very important to this school, this was hinted at by the posters everywhere. The teacher conducting the tour also said that the school strongly opposes school bullying. She also said that their school’s motto is “I care“ and that the well-being of every student is important to them. The school also has a psychologist whom the student can turn to if there is any concern. Teachers also visited different classrooms, interacted with students and answered their questions. At the end of this tour, the teachers also wanted to play a ball game with the students. The students at this school are also very athletic and did well in the ball game.

On March 16, the fourth day of the program, we visited a school called ITT-LSSA Copernico. There we were kindly received by the English teacher who took us on a school tour. Teachers visited different classes and interacted with students. The students were very open minded and curious. After the tour, we were led to the director’s office, where we were offered sweet snacks and coffee. The teachers shared their thoughts and discussed various cooperation opportunities.

On the last day of the project, we took the teachers on a tour to Parco Museo Jalari and Castroreale. The teachers were amazed by the beauty and views of these places. The teachers bought also some Sicilian sweets and souvenirs from Castroreale. They were very satisfied with the whole program and at the end of the tour, the teachers sang a happy song on the bus, which was in Polish.

The energy of Sicily seems to have a positive effect on everyone.