20-26 february.... Stick with school, project funded by Erasmus+
I'm sorry but I don't have self-made photos, as my phone was still travelling from Poland to Estonia (btw now I have got it back.... what a joy :D). This time I'm using photos that some other participants have made.... I hope they are not angry to me for that 😨
Well, at the beginning it really seemed to be a big international party, as we didn't touch the topic at all during the first day. Team building games, "energizers", tour in the centre and intercultural night where Bulgaria, Greece and Italy introduced us their cultures (food, history, dances etc). Deffinitely it was nice, but I was there to get some new knowledgement about problems that impede children to get education and learn about methods how to work with them to solve the problem..... something like that
During next days it got better. Some brainstorming in our international groups, a lot of writing and drawing on white paper, with permanent marker in my hand..... yeah and lots of small presentations. Deffinitely I got some new information at least about school systems in different countries, but I expected a bit more working on methods for preventing the problem.
Field trips
We also visited two local schools, both special. One of them was a bit British thematic school with a bit bigger emphasis on english and non formal education than most of other schools. At least it seemed to me that pupils were quite satisfied with school (but I was there only for 2 hours maybe,so what can I say?). Another school was for children with behavior problems or mental disabilities. It's nice that there is something like that for free (possibility to study, eat and sleep there).... but some things made me worry...
1) High concentration of children with behaviour problems are spending all days and nights together.... Who will be the good example for them? Most probably they take as an example just some of their more active colleague.
2) No possibility join sports groups/ music schools and that kind of things. So I quess that it will feel like prison, without hope to adapt in normal life? Any kind of self-development would give a lot of motivation also for common, formal school studies.
3) Mentally disabled children and children with behaviour problems are quite different and they have different needs as well.... so maybe it's not the best idea to put them in the same school. Right, lessons are separatedly for groups, but still...
Anyway it made me contemplate
Party every night
No surprises here. If there are young and active people together, it leads to party. To introduce our countries we had also intercultural nights starting with small presentation (or a long history lesson in Bulgarian case) and degustation of food and strong beverages.
The variety of musical preferences was huge of course. As long as it was learning some national dances, everything was ok and most of us joined the circle with a pleasure, but when there was a possibility to choose music for dancing, it turned to be a bit chaotic :D. What to play? Techno? Mainstream pop? Reggeton? Salsa? Rock? Folk? So quite often it was the mainstream pop and I was crying inside :D (I can't even complain, because a big part of my favourite music is not for just dancing..... it's salsa, tango, kizomba, pizzica or not so danceable ballades.... so it's my fault). Anyway seven days of party is not for me.... Party should be something special to really enjoy it, when it's every day it doesn't seem so special anymore. So the last night when it should have been the big goodbye party most of us were too tired for that..... there were just couples or small groups sitting on couch conversating, sometimes dancing a bit. No mood at all :/
About bars, clubs, places to go in the evening - In Craiova I found mostly discoteques/pubs with loud "dancing" remix music, which is not for me. I'd prefer some places with more calm and less noisy music.... so that it will be possible to talk to each-other.....or at least the original music, without any remixing. Insome countries it's much easier to find "my places" 😯
If I think back, I'm not satisfied enough (you know, if you skip trainings one week, you want to get back a lot), also not disappointed. I was afraid that it will be even more Erasmus party.... fortunately I got some new ideas and things to study about. I didn't get any solutions, nor experience in youth work, but I heard about some methods that youth workers use to stimulate thinking.
Also I met some people that I'll probably remember and also visit or host one day ;D, but it's not a news for any of you I guess
I'm sorry but I don't have self-made photos, as my phone was still travelling from Poland to Estonia (btw now I have got it back.... what a joy :D). This time I'm using photos that some other participants have made.... I hope they are not angry to me for that 😨
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| Happens when you get to place without mountains |
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| At least something |
Well, at the beginning it really seemed to be a big international party, as we didn't touch the topic at all during the first day. Team building games, "energizers", tour in the centre and intercultural night where Bulgaria, Greece and Italy introduced us their cultures (food, history, dances etc). Deffinitely it was nice, but I was there to get some new knowledgement about problems that impede children to get education and learn about methods how to work with them to solve the problem..... something like that
During next days it got better. Some brainstorming in our international groups, a lot of writing and drawing on white paper, with permanent marker in my hand..... yeah and lots of small presentations. Deffinitely I got some new information at least about school systems in different countries, but I expected a bit more working on methods for preventing the problem.
 |
| Working on something |
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| Reflection of the day, this time in park of Romanescu, after Hristo had finished sthe squatting marathon. |
Field trips
We also visited two local schools, both special. One of them was a bit British thematic school with a bit bigger emphasis on english and non formal education than most of other schools. At least it seemed to me that pupils were quite satisfied with school (but I was there only for 2 hours maybe,so what can I say?). Another school was for children with behavior problems or mental disabilities. It's nice that there is something like that for free (possibility to study, eat and sleep there).... but some things made me worry...
1) High concentration of children with behaviour problems are spending all days and nights together.... Who will be the good example for them? Most probably they take as an example just some of their more active colleague.
2) No possibility join sports groups/ music schools and that kind of things. So I quess that it will feel like prison, without hope to adapt in normal life? Any kind of self-development would give a lot of motivation also for common, formal school studies.
3) Mentally disabled children and children with behaviour problems are quite different and they have different needs as well.... so maybe it's not the best idea to put them in the same school. Right, lessons are separatedly for groups, but still...
Anyway it made me contemplate
Party every night
No surprises here. If there are young and active people together, it leads to party. To introduce our countries we had also intercultural nights starting with small presentation (or a long history lesson in Bulgarian case) and degustation of food and strong beverages.
 |
| Romania presents..... |
The variety of musical preferences was huge of course. As long as it was learning some national dances, everything was ok and most of us joined the circle with a pleasure, but when there was a possibility to choose music for dancing, it turned to be a bit chaotic :D. What to play? Techno? Mainstream pop? Reggeton? Salsa? Rock? Folk? So quite often it was the mainstream pop and I was crying inside :D (I can't even complain, because a big part of my favourite music is not for just dancing..... it's salsa, tango, kizomba, pizzica or not so danceable ballades.... so it's my fault). Anyway seven days of party is not for me.... Party should be something special to really enjoy it, when it's every day it doesn't seem so special anymore. So the last night when it should have been the big goodbye party most of us were too tired for that..... there were just couples or small groups sitting on couch conversating, sometimes dancing a bit. No mood at all :/
About bars, clubs, places to go in the evening - In Craiova I found mostly discoteques/pubs with loud "dancing" remix music, which is not for me. I'd prefer some places with more calm and less noisy music.... so that it will be possible to talk to each-other.....or at least the original music, without any remixing. Insome countries it's much easier to find "my places" 😯
 |
| I really don't know where Mitsos wanted to throw me... and why?? But I see that I'm not too heavy yet |
If I think back, I'm not satisfied enough (you know, if you skip trainings one week, you want to get back a lot), also not disappointed. I was afraid that it will be even more Erasmus party.... fortunately I got some new ideas and things to study about. I didn't get any solutions, nor experience in youth work, but I heard about some methods that youth workers use to stimulate thinking.
Also I met some people that I'll probably remember and also visit or host one day ;D, but it's not a news for any of you I guess
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| Sun is shining and spring should be coming. And then I went back to Estonia, where it just started to snow ;D |
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