Practices

Job-Shadowing at a French primary school
Comenius In-Service Training
Institutions involved:
Thematic Field: ECEC
Ecole Primaire Dacier-Angers (France), Direzione Didattica Pallavicino, Palermo (Italy)
Key words: Staff competences, Content, Quality
Description:
Scelfo Donatella, a teacher working at a pre-primary school in Italy did a jobshadowing
activity at Ecole Primaire Dacier in Angers (France). Both involved schools
were already working together in a Comenius partnership, which allowed for a very
good preparation of the training activity and a strong impact on teacher, host and
home institution.
The Italian teacher had the possibility to compare and share various methodologies
of teaching small children; she worked together with the French teachers from the
host institution in various "didactic atelier" with children of pre-primary schools.
Some of the activities were also carried out in mixed groups of children (pre-primary
and primary) in order to facilitate the "continuity" of didactic exercises and allow
children to be better integrated in the school environment. The experience was
considered by the beneficiary to be excellent and with an important impact on her
professional life but also on the home institution.
After the Job-Shadowing, the teacher was able to meet the needs of her school by
developing small units of action to face problems related to management of
differentiated teaching methodologies within the same class, management of
timetables and activities respecting programmes as well as collaboration and
communication with students’ families.
Furthermore, among the results figured an assessment procedure and preparation of
more readable, easy and effective documents to evaluate pre-primary schools
and continuity and collaboration among different classes (in perspective of “vertical
didactical continuity” within the school). After the Job-Shadowing the beneficiary
prepared a presentation with detailed description of the host school, consequent
activities concerning the organisation of school and the working with parents which
was published on the school website and on the website of the schools' network in
which the institute is participating.
Duration:
One week in 2010
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