Before joining the program, we realised we needed to raise the standards and quality of educational services we offer, especially in terms of strengthening soft skills, computer literacy and language competencies of both the teachers and students. Through the implementation of the project, we wanted to improve these areas, believing that it would ultimately contribute to better preparation of our graduates to the requirements of the competitive job market, which would in turn make our school more attractive for young people. We considered it crucial to increase the competencies of our teachers in the field of developing students' soft skills and core competencies of the 21st century as required by the core curriculum. Equally important was the need to modernize the teachers' workshop, to help them switch from traditional teaching methods to teaching using up-to-date applications and ICT tools. We also intended to strengthen the international dimension of our institution, especially through the introduction of elements of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) for selected subjects. We found these areas to be in need of improvement and hoped to acquire knowledge and skills that would help introduce necessary changes.
XLII Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. Marii Konopnickiej w Warszawie is a school that blends tradition with modernity and conducts activities that foster students’ comprehensive development. We offer various academic fields enriched with innovative courses for over 600 students. Unfortunately, recently we have encountered problems caused by the rapidly changing expectations placed upon the modern teacher. Despite high qualifications and professional experience, we find it increasingly more difficult to reach our students and build strong teacher-student relationships. Through participation in the program we intended to reduce this gap to overcome communication barriers and thus to improve our work efficiency. Erasmus+ provided a chance for us to educate ourselves in the necessary areas and to acquire new skills we could use in the future when working with gifted students who however often lack motivation as well as social and interpersonal skills, which became especially apparent after the pandemic and distance learning. Participation in courses abroad, sharing skills with teachers from European schools and the possibility of establishing cooperation with them were our main reasons for joining the program.