Teachers from Turkey, Greece and Italy visited Lewisham College as part of Erasmus+ Programme designed to help raise awareness and tackle Climate Change. Teachers attended Lewisham College for the project, ‘Change Yourself, Not Nature’, to hear from learners raising awareness on Climate Change. During their visit, they also got an insight into the level of teaching and standards in England.
As part of working on the project, teachers received IT training on the visual classroom and presentation application SWAY to enhance their understanding of technology and its benefits to support teaching with efficacy. Teachers also gained an insight into teaching and learning strategies used at Lewisham College by observing Maths and English classes.
The three-day visit ended with learners at Lewisham College presenting the teachers with the launch of the Energy Sustainable Society (ESS). They discussed current issues faced in tackling climate change, such as water scarcity, pollution, and deforestation. The project encouraged learners and teaching teams to think of lifestyle changes to help protect the environment, which they later presented to teachers.
Rossana Sorrentino, an English teacher from Italy, said: “What struck me whilst visiting Lewisham College was the efficiency and level of organisation. Staff members work together to contribute to students’ success and there is help for teachers in ensuring they can plan lessons and are supported during teaching sessions. The Erasmus project is a unique opportunity to compare and learn from each other, as we did during our training sessions. The time spent in classrooms and the fruitful exchange we had with UK colleagues enriched us and I hope there can be future opportunities.”
Fragga Kar, Michalis Asikidis and Christina Thymiopoulou , English teachers from Greece described their visit to the College as an unprecedented experience. During the learners’ climate change presentation, the English teachers complimented the learner's ability in using a lively way to address international audiences and understanding cultural nuances.
The teachers were also surprised by the large numbers of learners in Lewisham College as most schools in Greece usually have 250 students. They described the experience as a source of inspiration to their education system and were impressed to see the College applying the principles of inclusion into daily practice and working with diverse groups of learners and unique individuals with kindness, patience and great care.
The teachers said: “The Erasmus+ Programme is a multi-tool for teachers and learners in European countries where learners can experience diversity, travel to foreign countries and meet like-minded individuals. Teachers also benefit from the programme as we can see different educational systems, be inspired by the other ways of teaching, organise and manage the teaching materials and build partnerships with colleagues across Europe and the UK to support our learners in their educational journey.”
Gerard Garvey, Executive Principal at Lewisham College, said: “It has been a pleasure to welcome teachers from Turkey, Greece and Italy to our College and to share experiences on teaching across different countries. I hope the teachers enjoyed their stay and had an enriching experience at Lewisham College.
“The Erasmus+ projects provide valuable opportunities for our staff and learners to experience various cultures, learn different methodologies, improve their confidence and broaden their skillset. We look forward to more collaborations with European schools and colleges to welcome them into our college community and continue providing an excellent learning experience for our learners.”
The Erasmus+ Programme aims to support cultural and educational diversity in universities and education institutions across the European Union, allowing individuals to study or attend training abroad as part of their development. It supports education, training, youth, and sports opportunities for students based in Europe.
If you are interested in studying a Business course at Lewisham College, please visit lewisham.ac.uk/business to find out more information.
