Building Emotional intelligence and self-Awareness through Mindful practices Erasmus Project

Project Title

Building Emotional intelligence and self-Awareness through Mindful practices

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : School Exchange Partnerships

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Health and wellbeing; Inclusion – equity; Pedagogy and didactics

Project Summary

Currently, all partner schools are aware of the benefits of developing children’s emotional intelligence (EI) and sense of inner balance. Fostering emotional balance not only improves academic performance, but also shapes the young into becoming better citizens, capable of using coping strategies to prevent harmful consequences. In the context of the CoVid-19 pandemia, the emotional balance of citizens is needed, to preserve calmness in the face of panic-inducing events.
The educational climates in partner schools are diverse, and so are our challenges. Despite our differences, we all share the same goals: to address education holistically, with our pupils’ well-being in the centre: to build our pupils’ self-esteem, reduce anxiety levels in social interactions, and equip them and their teachers with strategies to manage emotional dysregulation and bullying situations/social inequities.

Objectives:
1. Develop emotional intelligence skills for 180 (30 pupils/partner) pupils from partner institutions through a variety of curricular and extracurricular activities
2. Enhance the ability of 24 teachers (4 teachers/partner) from partner schools in implementing a teaching approach based on social and emotional learning and support
3. Reduce the frequency of pupil conflicts by 10% in all partner schools by shifting the focus from pupil’s problematic behaviors towards the feelings that drove them
4. Develop common teaching strategies to assist students in learning about and managing their emotions, comprised in 1 e-guide on implementing emotional intelligence curricular activities

Participants: There are two main groups that will take part in the main project activities: staff members and pupils. For each partner school, there will be at least 4 staff members in the project implementation team (4 staff members x 6 partner schools = 24 staff members), and 30 pupils (aged 10-16) as direct participants and beneficiaries of project activities (30 pupils x 6 partner schools = 180 pupils).

Activities & methodology:
The projects’main activity is the implementation of the ‘in-school mindful teaching strategy’ in each school, comprised of both curricular and extracurricular activities centred on pupils. By being at the centre of each project activity, pupils shall gain awareness about own and others’ emotions, as well as the abilities to deal with the negative effect of emotional dysregulation. Also, most activities are based on teamwork. By encouraging students to engage in game play and per-to-peer teaching sessions, they will be provided with the opportunity to practice working cooperatively and prepare for a succesful adult life. To work effectively as a team, pupils must be respectful of their teammates and work with these individuals to reach a conclusion or solve a problem, thus enhancing their empathy levels.
Also, the constant exchange of pedagogical practices during the project, through the ‘In-school mindful teaching strategy’ and by participating in project management meetings, teachers are going to learn from each other, develop strategies that not only will help pupils, but also increase the relevance and professional level of their own careers, by managing to address education holistically, as we tackle the different aspects of our pupils’lives (spiritual and physical): self-control, helping others balance their emotions, social interaction games, mindfulness techniques, yoga practice.
Parents of the targeted 30 pupils will also be informed on the project activities and emotional intelligence practices to support their children’s personal development at home; this will be done during one parent-training event every 2 months.

Results:
6 on-going in-school mindful teaching strategies(1 per each partner school), including curricular and extracurricular activities on emotional intelligence
180 pupils with emotional intelligence enhanced, able to use coping strategies to manage stressful situations and/or bullying issues
24 teachers trained in fostering pupils’ emotional intelligence through curricular and extracurricular activities
1 eTwinning ‘mindfulness challange’
1 e-guide on in-school emotional intelligence practices

Impact and Long-term benefits:
The staff involved will gain a deeper understanding of pupils’ reactions and will be equipped with useful teaching practices to address their emotional imbalances, while focusing on curriculum as well. By working in teams and travelling, by taking part in the project workshops and other activities, pupils and staff will benefit from an increase of empathy level, an improvement of emotional intelligence skills, of relational skills, a decrease in the number of conflicts and bullying situations among pupils, an activation of negotiation skills, improvement of academic results. Our schools will gain experience and solid practice in better addressing pupils’ interests, individual needs and fostering their mental health, along with their academic performance.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 195960 Eur

Project Coordinator

SCOALA GIMNAZIALA “TITU MAIORESCU” IASI & Country: RO

Project Partners

• IES Antonio de Nebrija
• ISTITUTO COMPRENSIVO RAMIRO FABIANI
• 2nd Primary School of Trikala
• Ozel Gaziantep Bahcesehir Koleji Ortaokulu
• Rujienas vidusskola