Students’ report

From Monday, 9th May, to Friday, 13th May, 8 tutors from Liceo de André met up with small groups of students more or less of the same age, from Belgium, Spain and Hungary, within the Erasmus-KA2 project.

Erasmus is an essential part of the whole tutoring project, because thanks to it, we had the opportunity to discuss tutoring methods, share advice and ideas to improve our work, as well as learn about each other’s experiences and cultural differences and similarities.

On the first day of our stay in Belgium, we were warmly welcomed by some students who met us at the bus stop and accompanied us to school and stayed with us for the whole morning; they were very helpful, they answered all our questions and clarified our doubts. In the following days, they organized various activities that were carried out successfully; we saw their commitment, and they made us feel welcomed and involved. Both the Belgian students and teachers were always nice to us, following us during many moments and organizing fun activities and games. They were great hosts.

* day one – after landing in Bruxelles we went to a hotel and tidied our clothes and personal things. In the evening we went to the centre and had our dinner in a special restaurant named “The Wolf”.

* day two – in the morning we went to school and attended some lessons. We had lunch in a restaurant near the school. Then, in the afternoon, the Belgians organized a “treasure hunt” in a park: it was great fun.

* day three – in the morning the Belgians took us to “Atomium”, but we saw it only from the outside; then the Belgians took us to mini Europa and we played a funny game, still organized by the Belgian. After lunch, the Belgian guys guided us through the principal sights of Bruxelles. Then we had some free time accompanied by Belgian guys, for some shopping and to dinner.

* day four – we went to Bruges, a very beautiful and ancient town. In Bruges, beside the activity of finding the main places in Bruges organized by Belgians, we visited the chocolate and fries museums. To have dinner we returned to “The Wolf” restaurant in Bruxelles.

* day five – in the morning we went to school for the last time. Then we visited the Parliament museum and one of the two seats of the EuropeanParliament. In the evening the Belgians organized a party to say goodbye and it was so cool.

* On the last day we received our certificates, said warm goodbyes, shed some tears; then, we went to the airport to catch our plane home.

Altogether the Belgian organisation was really good: we did lots of funny activities where we could also improve our English talking with the other guys. They were so nice and available.

As far as the relationships that we made during this experience are concerned, we can say that we’ve been lucky: not all of us, Italian students, knew each other before, but since day one we got on well together and we lived experiences which brought us closer, so during those days some friendships were born and they are continuing to this day. We also made friends with foreign students, we talked a lot, sharing stories and discussing the different customs of our countries. We met very funny guys who, like us, wanted to know about different cultures and have new experiences. Some relationships continued after the end of the experience in Belgium and even today many of us still have relationships with some Spanish and Belgian students. This was a project that allowed us to get to know many people and to create bonds that we hope will last a long time.

During our stay in Brussels, we had a variety of experiences.

The Belgian students allowed us to get to know their city and customs.

We were able to interact with our peers thanks to being divided into different groups during the various experiences. This was a plus, allowing us to make new friends, improve our English and share ideas and opinions on our school systems.

Among the activities on offer, we particularly enjoyed the treasure hunt in Woluwe Park and the visit to Bruges, a town built on canals.

The visit to the European Parliament was also interesting, in order to see first hand a body that conditions our lives as European citizens. The visit to mini Europe allowed us to show the miniature beauties of our countries to the other students.In addition to these moments, we worked on our tutoring project, discussing how to improve it. We created digital presentations highlighting our views on different school systems.

During mobility in Belgium, our group had no particular problems. The trip was well studied and organized both for activities outside the school and during school hours.

During the outings we were always divided into groups with guys of other nationalities and this has fostered new knowledge and especially has become a new way to learn new things about school and life in other countries.

The Italian students

Teachers’ report

The final Transnational Project Meeting” foreseen by the project Erasmus+ “Tutoring to boost young pupils’ motivation” was held at “Collège Jean XXIII“ in Bruxelles, Belgium between 8th and 13th May 2022.

The Italian group was composed of two accompanying teachers and 8 students involved in the projects as tutors.

The aim of this mobility was to compare this experience with other European students and teachers who had been carrying out the same activities in their schools and to share final ideas. The week was full of meetings and activities, carefully planned and taken care of by the Belgian partner. Both teachers and students were warmly welcomed and supported throughout their stay.

The teachers’ meetings were devoted to an evalutation of the partnership and they also focused on the finalization of the toolkit; teachers made common decisions on how to collect, present and disseminate the materials produced and used during the implementation of the project in their schools.

Students had the chance to participate in a couple of lessons to experience a bit of school life in Belgium; their meetings concentrated on resuming what had been dealt with during previous mobilities, with a final exchange of experiences and ideas on the project. One morning was devoted to pointing out the features of an ideal school, mostly considering the well-being of the students, which can be taken into consideration when planning new activities. Interesting out-of-school activities were also organized, with games in a park, a visit to Bruges and a student-guided tour of Bruxelles, a visit to the European Parliament and to Mini-Europe. The visits included activities to be carried out in mixed groups, which give the students the chance to practice their English skills and make new friendships. These moments also gave the teachers a chance to get to know the Belgian culture and to establish or carry on good relationships.

The whole mobility programme has been a unique experience of growth and learning for all participants.

Both students and teachers are now even more motivated to continue the tutoring programme within our institution in the next school years, to make it part of the school offer to newcomers.