We wanted to improve in areas our teachers stated needed more development. We aimed to learn how to promote equality and encourage inclusion. We also hoped that young and inexperienced teachers and the more experienced ones could learn more about students with special needs and exchange experiences with their European colleagues. That kind of education is essential for teachers to overcome challenges in the classroom and be confident partners with parents who lean on their expertise. After the training, all the teachers focused on teamwork and cross-curricular teaching. The wealth of cross-curricular educational topics provides the possibility of connecting with the educational outcomes of a particular subject. Respecting the specifics of each student, we implemented a series of new activities in the lessons aimed at noticing and accepting the diversity and inclusion of students with disabilities.
Thirty percent of new teachers in our school have less than five years of teaching experience. According to the survey, the area they felt they needed more confidence in, as well as some experienced teachers, was working with special needs students. During their education, they did not get enough information about students' educational and social needs to overcome challenges in the classroom. The number of children with special needs is rapidly increasing in our school. For the first time, students with autism spectrum disorder have been detected at school, and none of the teachers has special education teaching training. There is no special education teacher or a defectologist at school. We took measures to adapt in the best way we could, and several teachers attended courses to learn about particular education learning strategies and practical and functional integration and inclusion methods. We also needed practices that would consist of more teamwork and cross-curricular teaching. We have decided to modernize our curriculum for the school year, which is about to end, with the necessary cross-curricular topics from sustainable development. Participation in the project empowered individuals to activate their potential.