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Teaching and problem solving methods in the multilingual, multilevel and combined class
Start date: Jul 1, 2014, End date: Jun 30, 2016 PROJECT  FINISHED 

Teaching and problem solving methods in the multilingual, multilevel and combined class European Schooling Helsinki is a school multilingual and multicultural school of approximately 300 pupils from more than 20 different nationalities from nursery to upper-secondary. The School has three language sections: English, Finnish and French. In the school17 different mother tongues and several foreign languages are being taught. The school offers a great variety of different subjects. The School follows European Schools' curriculum. Studies lead to the European Baccalaureate. In this context teachers meet daily many challenges in teaching multilingual, multilevel and combined classes. Teaching language varies from the language of the section to language 2 or mother tongue. Special needs pupils are welcomed to our school. In order to meet pupils' needs and to support and help them to perform their best despite of very little language skills or no language skills, or special needs, when they start in our school, teachers need new teaching methods, problem solving skills, creative thinking and tools to interact in a multicultural environment. European School system is new to many teachers, 80 % of our staff is no Finnish and they need to get in-service training in the language they teach and to job shadow those teachers in other European Schools who have a long experience in the system and can be for help in planning, in accessing the European Schools' curriculum, in finding new teaching methods and materials. Accredited European Schools don't have a long expereince but they face the same challenges as we do as young schools regarding curriculum and multilingual and multicultural classes. European Schooling Helsinki has drawn up an in-service training plan for 12 different teachers (nursery, primary, Sen teacher, Sen assistant, Geography, history and economics teachers who teach in L2 , L2 teacher and mathematics teacher) to meet these needs which are specific to a multicultural and multilingual school. Six of them will do a job shadowing activity in another European School in Brussels and Strasbourg and other six will participate in different courses in Latvia, France and England. Methodology to be used this in carrying out the project is problem solving, creating new methods, learn to use creativity in finding new ways of teaching in class. We expect our teachers to increase their own professional competence, to be able to find new methods in supporting pupils' learning with pupils without a language section, with special needs or new pupil in the system. This wished outcome will also affect on teachers' well being and motivation when they feel the quality of their work is good and they can perform well in their own profession in a multicultural environment. In a longer term European Schooling Helsinki wish to reach a role where multilingual and multicultural teaching and learning can be observed and to where teacher trainees and other teachers outside the system want to come and learn more about teaching in a multicultural and multilingual school.
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