On November 16, in a conference organized in collaboration with the Department of Education of the Basque Government, around 140 education professionals met to reflect on the role of teachers, analyzing local and international experiences.
The conference was opened by Councillor Bego Pedrosa. The profound changes and trends that are taking place in society and their reflection in the performance of schools was the starting point of her speech. She stressed that the needs that arise to respond to these profound changes must be taken as opportunities for change. And, in the words of the Councillor, the key to this transformation lies in the attitude and leadership of the professionals who make up the educational community. She explained what the action planned by the Basque Government in this regard consists of.
Next, Hannele Niemi, Professor at the University of Helsinki and UNESCO Chair of Education Ecosystems for Equity and Learning Qualities, focused her intervention on answering two main questions: How can we help teachers to be drivers of change? What form should teachers' professional development take? Starting from an explanation of the concept of educational ecosystem, she explained the role of teachers, placing them at the different levels of the education system (macro, meso and micro). She considers that the key factors are how the different levels (Macro, Meso/Medium and Micro) of the education system work in cooperation within and between the different parts of the system. She believes that teachers are the link between the macro level (national objectives) and the micro level (students' lives) and that this approach also helps to understand what teachers' professional development should look like. In relation to this issue, he stressed the importance of mentoring processes and the development of projects with the educational community.
Finally, at the round table led by Idoia Fernández, a professor at the University of the Basque Country, the discussion focused on the numerous new tasks facing teachers, where to focus and on initial training, the importance of strengthening teamwork among teachers, on welcome plans and on approaching mentors for new teachers.
You can find out more and listen to the session in its entirety here .
