Skills Builder Global

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ZŠ Karla Jeřábka, Roudnice nad Labem

Context

Základní škola Roudnice nad Labem, Karla Jeřábka 941, Litoměřice district, is a fully organized school, providing education from 1st to 9th grade. The school is among the large schools in terms of student numbers. There are usually 2-3 parallel classes in the 1st and 2nd grades. The school's capacity is 650 students. The school employs 43 teachers. The teaching staff consists of the headmistress, deputy headmistresses for the 1st and 2nd grades, deputy headmistress for project activities, teachers and educators, teaching assistants, an educational counselor, a risk behavior prevention methodologist, and a school psychologist.

Overall impact

We joined the Skills Builder Accelerator project in September 2024. We are gradually introducing the method among teachers, for now on a voluntary basis. The Skills Builder methodology has contributed to standardizing the way pedagogical staff talk about competence development in teaching. At the same time, it helps to change the perspective on learning – instead of merely imparting knowledge, we focus on the targeted development of specific soft skills. At school, we strive to consider and plan teaching with regard to training and strengthening these skills.

Keep it simple

We introduced the method during the preparatory week to selected teachers of the first and second grades. We focused on class teachers. Gradually, we familiarized the rest of the pedagogical staff through online training. We did not force teachers into the method; we offered them help and support. We shared simple activities. In the first period, we focused on one skill: listening. The main goal was to build on methods that teachers already commonly use in their teaching. We strived for skill development not to be perceived as something extra, but to become a natural part of everyday school activities – we want to learn to recognize, reflect on, and purposefully plan their development within regular teaching.

Start early, keep going

We started in the preparatory week with online training for the pedagogical staff, then we identified key pedagogical staff. We organized a workshop for teachers where we chose one skill and prepared activities for individual steps. We focused on class teachers. We introduced the method to students and legal guardians. We visually supported the method at school. There are posters with skills in every classroom. We gradually mapped the classes and continuously conducted evaluations. We also systematically incorporated individual skills into all major events, such as school-wide project days. Currently, 14 teachers are involved in the 1st grade, 22 teachers in the 2nd grade, and 566 students.

Measure it

One of the Skills Leaders prepared assessment sheets for students, which, after a long debate, we left with the class teachers, and by agreement, we recorded the steps. In this method, we were not very successful, especially in the second grade. We therefore proceeded to record individual activities in shared tables, where we have a quick overview of which skill and which step was done in individual classes and how many times, for example, one step was repeated. This allows us quick orientation in the class, but also an overview of the use of skills by individual teachers. We will also monitor progress through tripartite meetings, into which we have also introduced Skills Builder assessment. We still have reserves in tracking progress and are still thinking about the best option for tracking progress.

Focus tightly

Initially, we thought it would be advantageous to focus on one skill for a longer period, but practice showed that due to the diversity of teaching, teachers preferred the option to choose which skill they would develop in a given subject and lesson. We currently teach skills uniformly during school-wide project days such as Language Day, Schuman Day, Creativity Day, adaptation course, and the Opárno project.

Keep practising

We regularly incorporate skills into lessons, project days, class hours, and from this year, into tripartite meetings. It takes place throughout the school.

Bring it to life

Students of the school parliament prepare events with a community overlap. These include, for example, Haunted School, Christmas Visit and preparation of gifts for the Senior Citizens' Home, Suit Day, Disney Day, School Forum. In these activities, students use a wide range of soft skills. They use teamwork, presentation skills, listening, problem-solving, and more. In regular lessons, we connect (theory with practice on specific examples in which students have used/can use the given ability, e.g., OV -SB problem-solving ability - topic: involvement in public life, geology in 9th grade - problem-solving – proposals on how to prevent floods, landslides on real examples. In natural science practices - problem-solving through tests and evidence.

What's next

Continue to develop soft skills according to the Skills Builder methodology across grades and subjects. Summarize data from monitoring tables and thus create a starting position for individual classes for the next school year. Within subject commissions in the 2nd grade, the methodological association of the 1st grade, and in separate meetings focused on deepening skills according to the Skills Builder methodology, the level of teacher involvement in using the Skills Builder methodology, sharing experiences, and methodological support will be evaluated. Utilize support from the Schola Empirica organization.

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