In early November, the School of Education hosted a group of academics and educators from Ukraine – representatives of pedagogical universities, teacher training institutes, and organizations supporting the development of education. Participants included researchers from Taras Shevchenko National University of Chernihiv, Borys Grinchenko University of Kyiv, and the Lviv Institute of Teacher Training. The Ukrainian delegation, organized in cooperation with the Study Tours to Poland program, was a continuation of the cooperation initiated in May this year and another step in building a partnership between Polish and Ukrainian academic environments.

Over the course of five days, participants learned about the teacher training model implemented at the School of Education, observed classes, talked to tutors and students, and watched the daily teaching work. The program included workshops on tutoring and reflective teacher development, classes on building educational programs, as well as visits to partner schools – including the Ukrainian School – and a museum lesson at the Royal Castle.

In their reflections after the visit, the guests emphasized the atmosphere of partnership, the energy of the School of Education team, and the inspiring approach to working with teachers. The words “inspiration,” “openness,” and “cooperation” were repeated in the opinions they left us. As they emphasized, they were most impressed by the trust evident in the relationships between teachers and students, as well as the relaxed, reflection-friendly learning atmosphere.

The School of Education and PAFF for Ukraine

The November visit is part of the School of Education’s broader activities for teachers and educators from Ukraine.  Already in the first weeks after the outbreak of the war, the School team prepared a guide for teachers comparing the Polish and Ukrainian core curricula. The publication was used by tens of thousands of teachers, principals, and educators. In the following months, a series of webinars and workshops were held to support teachers working with refugee children, as well as professional development events and a language course for female mathematicians from Ukraine. All these activities were possible thanks to the support of Polish-American Freedom Foundation.

For the School of Education, cooperation with Ukrainian institutions is not only an opportunity to share experiences, but also a joint search for answers to questions about the future of teaching in times of change and crisis. As the November meetings showed, despite the difficult conditions and challenges facing Ukrainian education today, teachers and academics do not lack passion and courage to build a better education system based on the best models of teacher training.