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Teaching Teachers to Teach Citizens | Civic Europe
Education and research

Teaching Teachers to Teach Citizens

Fostering a culture of democratic dialogue in Czech schools

Creators

Who is behind this?

Irena Eibenová

Asociace učitelů občanské výchovy a společenských věd - Civics and Social Sciences Teachers´ Association

http://www.obcankari.cz

Czech Republic

Who is joining forces?

Gymnázium Hladnov Ostrava

http://hladnov.info/index.php/cz/

Czech Republic


Gymnázium Evolution Sázavská

https://www.gevo.cz/sazavska/

Czech Republic


Gymnázium Hranice

https://gymnaziumhranice.cz/

Czech Republic


Four other grammar schools from different areas in the Czech republic are willing to participate in our project. These are all institutions facing racism or the need for multicultural education.

Idea

Idea pitch

Tolerance, respect for others, defence of democratic values are notions that we gain at home. If we don´t, we can still learn them at school. But it´s much more difficult. It´s why we need the best teachers to do it.
We teach teachers to teach as experts. In this project, we will train them to teach the best communicative skills: how to encourage civil and respectful conversation, not hostility, how to respect opinions and perspectives that differ from our own.

Where will your project idea take place?

Ostrava, Příbor, Hranice, Praha, Třeboň, Czech Republic

What is the specific societal challenge faced by this region?

Democracy is not only a political system, it´s the way of thinking and of communicating.
The fact that you initially disagree doesn’t mean that you have to react to it with hostility and aggression: we consider the skills of healthy communication to be crucial for our society.
This is what we will teach teachers in our workshops and they will teach their pupils in classes.
Schools and teachers that we cooperate with are all situated in regions facing racism and xenophobia.

Who are you doing it for?

Kids, pupils are our target groups. But we don´t focus on them but on their teachers.

How do you plan to get there?

Our seminars or workshops are structured like this:
1) Understanding - getting expertise. Experts will explain how an opinion is made and is changed.
2) Method - when we understand the principle, we choose the appropriate method to use.
3) Training - we acquire the new method by practicing and using it.
4) Transfer of knowledge.

What are the expected results?

If a teacher has four classes in civics and there are 30 pupils in each, the expected result is 120 better young citizens per year.
Understanding communication and using effective communication skills for a more tolerant and democratic culture is the expected result.
So far, eight schools (primary, grammar) are interested in the project, but in our seminars, we are able to spread the idea to 100 teachers from different schools from the whole country.

How does your idea strengthen active citizenship at a local and community level?

Our project will give a voice to the community by giving the tool. For active citizenship, effective dialogue is necessary. Respecting other people’s opinions, encourage dialogue, not hostility are skills that should be learned at schools.
Promoting democratic culture in the school environment is a long process that starts with teachers.
Strengthening active citizenship within the school system is the key factor to strengthen active citizenship in our daily lives.

Why is this idea important to you?

In 2014 we were desperate teachers who wanted to teach not the history of UNO or EU but the values that are behind. Peace, dignity, equality on a healthy planet are not just words, they are values that should be spread and preserved in the best possible way.
During our existence, we succeded to create or make high-quality teaching materials and organize lots of seminars, conferences to become better teachers. This is our way to contribute to a better democratic society.

€ 35000,-

Total budget

€ 35000,-

Funding requested from Civic Europe

Major expenses

Organization of 5 two days seminars: 3500 EUR (classroom rental, experts, organization, transport, teaching material support, accommodation of participants, food)
Public relations: 1000 EUR
Office expenses: 3000 EUR
Personnel cost: 3000EUR

What do you need from the Civic Europe community?

1) Do you understand our project?
2) Except for language skills, what shall we do to make our project more understandable?
3) Do you think the school environment is the place where respectful communication should be learned?
4) Are you experienced in the domain of respectful communication?

Team

Irena Eibenová

lenka.ocaskova

Veronika Hurtová

tereza.vodickova

Nikol

Idea created on April 7, 2021
Last edit on April 21, 2021

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