I am in a hotel in Crete writing to process an inspiring three-day inspiring workshop funded by the Erasmus + program.
When I arrived in Rethymnon in Crete from Israel, I knew I would be participating in a GatherED international workshop about language education in multi-lingual and multi-cultural classroom environments. I immediately discovered that the learning was engrossing, and the powerful emotional connections with fellow participants extended well beyond any expectation.
I flew to Rethymno with four Oranim College of Education colleagues. I knew Janina Kahn Horwitz, the head of my department, very well, but the others were only acquaintances. Representing the college together in an international context instantly bonded us as a group. From our meeting at Ben Gurion airport, it was clear that we would enjoy being together. On the way to the hotel, the breathtaking beach scenes and exquisite mountain scenery from the taxi windows made me regret not being in beautiful Crete for a holiday.
On Friday morning, we travelled to the University of Crete and were directed towards the Centre of Research. A lovely morning tea awaited us, but I felt shy, mingling with people I didn’t know. I knew it was essential to engage in initial chit-chat, which is never easy for me. Clutching a glass of orange juice, I found myself immersed in a fascinating conversation with Kristin about her multi-generational research on parent-teen relationships. Without noticing it, I felt at ease, eager for the workshop to begin.
In a small room, we were immediately ushered into six groups – mixing educators from different age groups, countries and roles in the project. I learnt that the project included professionals from Greece, Iceland, Norway, Spain, and Israel. There were project leaders, teacher educators from universities and colleges who work with diverse student populations and additional teachers and teacher educators from each country. I understood that the program was for educators of diverse students, including migrants and historical minority groups.
The introductory session, planned perfectly by Associate Professor Kristín Jónsdóttir of the University of Iceland, aimed to break the ice within the groups and encourage honest conversation. Participants presented their work and connection to the workshop’s theme. Within minutes, we began interacting, sharing our experiences in response to triggers from the facilitators, thinking about what connected us and realising that we all face similar challenges in very different educational contexts. Pedagogical wisdom went into planning the activity. Apart from name tags printed in the group’s colour, we decorated the tag with small items in the group colour – buttons, feathers and ribbons. This creative activity reinforced the group colour, added a sense of belonging, and contributed to the light, friendly atmosphere.
The second session by Professor Mila Schwartz from Oranim College of Education was about teacher agency. Mila’s fascinating personal story, accompanied by striking images, set the stage for open dialogue, which provided a deeper look into the lives of our peers. The session was active and engaging, eliciting a wealth of stories of personal diversity.
The third session, led by Professor Hanna Ragnarsdóttir from the University of Iceland and Professor Mila Schwartz, focused on linguistically and culturally responsive teaching. The three Greek teachers in our group shared complex situations they had encountered in their classes and the creative teaching methods that enabled them to create warm, inclusive, respectful classrooms for their students and their parents.
Stories I heard on that first day brought tears to my eyes and have remained with me since. D, a young, creative and caring educator, related how she organised a simple game in her classroom, which unexpectedly sparked a traumatic response from some of her very young migrant students. The teacher explained the game “sea and sand” (ים-יבשה) to the class and drew a line on the floor. The children were supposed to jump swiftly from one side to the other at the call of “sand” or “sea”. Several children, Syrian refugees, were emotionally distressed and cried. Not understanding their response, the teacher patiently began questioning the children, striving to learn what she had done wrong. Gradually, she understood that the sea was a cruel and threatening entity for the children who had endured a horrific journey to Crete and had lost loved ones to the unforgivable waters. She was heartbroken to learn more about those children’s plight and to contemplate living on an island surrounded by sea, living in fear every day.
Another story revealed that as a Greek primary school teacher, she was initially unaware that children in her class were fasting during the holy month of Ramadan. She was there, alone in the classroom, trying to support students enduring a situation she knew nothing about. She noticed many tired and irritable children struggling to concentrate. Again, the event led her to learn more about her students enabling her to create a positive and safe environment for them.
The workshops on the second day were just as intriguing and engaging as the first. The morning opened with an active session about raising language awareness in mainstream classrooms with Associate Professor Aspa Chatzidaki from the University of Crete. Later we moved on to other kinds of knowledge vital for educators working with diverse student populations. Dr Janina Kahn-Horwitz from Oranim College of Education and Dr Vivi Τhomou from the University of Crete led a fascinating session on raising metalinguistic awareness. We discussed the languages our students speak and explored the similarities and differences between the languages. The session focused on what factors help and hinder target language acquisition by newcomers.
The final session facilitated by Professor Hanna Ragnarsdóttir and Kristín Jónsdóttir was about building partnerships between multilingual families and schools. Here again, we heard inspiring stories of inclusive teaching alongside stories of indifference and ignorance the teachers had witnessed in their schools. We brainstormed essential principles which can guide teachers in their struggle.
Between the sessions, I pondered my own childhood experiences of being different. I remembered going to Sunday School to learn Hebrew instead of doing other activities on Sunday mornings. I thought about my days at Hawthorn West Primary School, where I met Greek, Italian, Lebanese, Egyptian, and Asian classmates. The variety in the school community was natural; we were all different. Later, when I moved on to Melbourne Church of England Girls’ Grammar School, I was different. Being one of the few Jews in the school, which was very Christian, made me feel I was in the wrong place. I recalled the piece I wrote about that period in an article I published called “Writing in my personal and professional learning – a Narrative” .
I wrote:
When I was eleven years old, my parents transferred me from the local primary school to a private girls’ grammar school in Victoria, Australia. I don’t remember much about the move which occurred in the middle of grade six. Two of my strongest recollections are related to my lack of sophistication in writing. I will never forget the look of disgust I received from my teacher when she realised that I had no idea how to write with a fountain pen. I shed tears day after day, as I learned about blotting paper and high-class penmanship. Later on, I was publicly embarrassed when the teacher discovered that I couldn’t spell the word Christmas. For a time, in my primary school education, writing was associated in my mind with emotions of fear, shyness and humiliation” (Aharonian, 2009, p. 45).
The workshop also helped me revisit significant moments with my Russian immigrant pupils who had just immigrated to Israel. One drew a picture as others wrote about the weekend. Through his colourful sketch, I could respond to his enjoyable morning at the playground or his visit to the zoo. I remember asking parents to bring a book in Russian for the children to read during quiet reading time or when they couldn’t participate in an activity. I collected second-hand children’s books in Russian through Facebook for those who didn’t have one. I will never forget the joy on the faces of my two Russian students in the Hebrew literature lesson when I taught Aesop’s fables and provided a Russian translation of “The lion and the mouse”. Reading the familiar story in their mother tongue, they could participate in a small group activity with the other students.
On Saturday, we enjoyed each other’s company and the opportunity to continue our personal and professional conversations on a day trip. Together we explored Cretan history and culture through the centuries. Our tour guide, Ioanna Kalypso Glypti, is probably the best tour guide I have ever experienced. She has an incredible wealth of knowledge, is crystal clear, and is theatrical enough to make history comprehensive and enjoyable. I loved the way she made her explanations personally relevant to all the cultural, religious, and linguistic groups on tour. The day trip included the Arkadi Monastery, the Archeological Museum of Eleftherna, the Margarites potters’ village, and lunch at the house of Polios folk museum. We received an excellent introduction to Cretian history and culture while enjoying beautiful views and a warm social atmosphere.
I am proud to have had the opportunity to represent Israel in this academic endeavour. Several participants commented that they view Israel differently after having the chance to enter dialogue with Israeli educators dedicated to improving the reality for students from diverse groups. A few are looking forward to an opportunity to visit Israel. I found it deeply disturbing to hear that some of the participants, particularly the project leaders, had experienced opposition from academic colleagues to their cooperation with Israelis in the project. It warmed my heart to see that they had resisted the call to boycott Israeli academics and chose to focus on the mutual cause and the similarities between us as committed and caring educators.
I returned to Israel with many burning questions, especially about the delicate Jewish-Arab mixture of students in my classes. The workshop has made me more sensitive to my assumptions and actions, determined to do more to prepare my pre-service teachers for the diverse classrooms they will be teaching in, and inspired me to continue my learning.
https://search.informit.org/doi/abs/10.3316/ielapa.797969347661043
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