Main working field(s) of the Job-shadowing activity

The school is a comprehensive institute that gathers students from middle school (11-14) to high school (15-19). It is set in a campus where all different buildings are located and this gives students and staff the possibility to meet and get to know one another and develop new ideas and practices also focused on setting up a vertical curriculum. The high school offers four possible courses:  – “Liceo Scientifico”, with a focus on science, math, physics;  – “Istituto Tecnico”: technical school with a focus on mechanics and mechatronics;  – 2 vocational courses: one based on mechanics and one on the economy, law and marketing. The school offers therefore a wide range of experiences for a visiting teacher since it covers an age group that ranges from 11 to 19-year-old students. The job shadowing experience would be focused on the 3 vocational courses, on mechatronics, mechanics, economy, law and marketing. The potential visiting teacher can choose between two of our main fields of expertise in VET: 1. Commerce, law and marketing; 2. Mechanics and mechatronics. We will adjust the experience to the specific profile of our visiting colleague after a confrontation with him/her based on his/her expectations and learning desires and needs.

Good practice or activities to share

Our teaching/learning method is very much focused on laboratory activities, organized and implemented to better meet the learning needs of our students. To give an example in our economy, law and marketing curriculum, teachers have set up an actual business, a shop that sells products made by the students of all grades and courses at Christmas and Easter time. This is a real experience that enables students to grasp what setting up and managing a business means. As for the mechanics and mechatronics curriculum, the school is equipped with advanced laboratories and machinery that students get familiar with, always guided by their teacher and by technicians. Strong connections with local businesses have been set up over the years since one of the school’s goals is also to be able to meet the work demand from the well-established manufacturing sector present in the area. The visiting teacher would experience first-hand our good practices in the classroom, in the laboratory and also at some of our local businesses.

Expectations for future collaborations

The school is undergoing a process of internationalization and opening up to the different changes that the Erasmus + programme can offer. It is in several consortiums for KA1 activities and it is currently completing some KA2 projects and also in the process of applying for new ones. Some of our teachers are already active in Etwinning projects, so we hope that this first-hand experience can lead to developing some ideas for future possible Erasmus KA1 and KA2 Erasmus experiences for both involved parts.

Expectations regarding the profile of staff to host

We would like to host a colleague working in one of our fields of interest in order to share some good practices. We are interested in new teaching and learning methodologies and it would be interesting to share some good practices. We are also interested in implementing CLIL activities in our vocational and technical school so we would appreciate a colleague with some experience in the CLIL method.

Overall program for the job-shadowing opportunity

The visiting teacher would be assisted and followed by one or two fellow teachers with a good knowledge of English, able to involve him/her actively in the school activities. In the beginning, a welcome activity would be organized to let the teacher have a first hand experience of the overall context where the school is set: the campus, the town, the main businesses present in the area. A simple project could be developed together with a group of students in order to show the teacher some of our good practices. This activity, together with the attendance of a wide range of classes could be developed on a daily basis. A crucial activity could also involve visits of those businesses that have a steady collaboration with the school, where our students regularly do work-study experiences. The school is located in a strategic area in central Italy so from there it is possible for the teacher to move around easily and visit some of the main cities in Italy.