Workshops

“Sexuality and gender”

Part 1. How to understand better

It is our desire that this workshop will help Christian teachers understand this question and to equip them to respond to questions in their classrooms and with colleagues, parents and school leaders.
The workshop will be dynamic with discussion and work on the real cases from the practice. Together we will seek answers to the questions such as: What is sexuality and sexual identity? How is it developing? How is it practiced? Is there an appropriate age to start practicing one’s sexuality? Types of sexuality and sexual identity? What does gender philosophy involve? What do we accept as the norm in sexuality and what is not? Is there a morality in sexuality and how do we draw that moral line?

Part 2. How to respond better

The second part will be more focused on helping us how to respond as a Christian.
You will learn more about the conflict between religious identity and sexual identity and how we can lovingly respond to students who struggle with such questions. This will prepare us to respond and take preventive measures when working with children. What has to be our strategy as christians and professionals? You will receive some materials to use to prevent and to discuss some of the problems with sexual identity and gender issues.

Presenter:

Nadya Stoykova has a PhD in social pedagogy and social work. She is part of the International Mental Health Group at Wheaton College in Chicago,and expert with over 18 years of experience in social work and support for children who are victims of violence and crimes in Bulgaria. She is part-time professor at the Police Academy in Bulgaria. For more than 20 years, she served alongside her husband, who is the head pastor of a church. In 2003, she was one of the founders of the first private Christian school in Bulgaria, and since 2015 she has been the director of the school.

Your will be done on earth: helping young people engage wisely with God’s creation

From forest fires and floods, to droughts and species in decline, we’ve all heard about the apparently serious impacts of climate change for both people and the planet. But in a busy world full of other daily challenges is this really another thing for which Christians need to find time? Join Steph Bryant to consider God’s plans for his planet; the unique position that Christians are in when it comes to living out these plans; and the creative and hopeful ways that we can share this with the young people in our care.

Presenter:

Stephanie Bryant is the Youth and Schools Programme Co-director at The Faraday Institute for Science and Religion. For the last nine years she has been working with children and young people in UK schools, creating opportunities for students to explore their big questions about science and faith, and equipping them for life in a complex and exciting world. Prior to this she studied Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge, before working in wildlife conservation in Bulgaria and Canada. She’s passionate about helping Christians to engage distinctively with environmental issues, and find ways to love God’s people and planet all the more.

Mindfulness, a meditative practice – what kind of wellbeing and at what cost?

The search for happiness and well-being sometimes embraces different forms of meditation, one of them being mindfulness, with the promise that it is science-based, non-religious and free of drawbacks. Is it so?

Presenter:

Teresa de Jesus has been a public school teacher for over 40 years. She coordinated the AcrosstheBible project in Portugal, which was awarded national etwinning labels in a couple of European countries.

„Seven lies your kids will believe – unless you do something about it“

This is a Youtube video (you will find it) featuring a US primary teacher, Elizabeth Urbanowicz, who discovered that her second-graders had already been severely influenced by secularized values and thinking. E.g. „Truth is not true for everybody“ – „Faith is the opposite of knowing“ – „Love is affirming everything I feel“. The video is a heartwarming eye-opener and worth considering seriously. It goes to the very roots of our conflict as „Sheep among wolves“ (Mt 10, 16-17). We will watch some sequences (the whole is an hour) and collect insights, experience and ideas how to approach this tension in schools. By the way, this is for all ages!

Presenter:

Matt Kägi was a special ed teacdher in the Swiss public school for over 40 years, a networker with Christian teachers for 20 years, member of the EurECA Board since 2005 and its chair for 12 years,  author of many „Sheep Posts“, father of four sons and grandfather of nine grandchildrean.

How to approach difficult conversations and topics 

We have long known that teaching subject matter is not all there is in a school setting, and that teachers’ personalities are essential but not without certain assumptions on how to relate to your students. This workshop is to prove that if you have a strong interest in students’ thriving and apply restorative practices in your class, the atmosphere in the classroom improves and the relationships that foster learning are strengthened. Your students learn to appreciate collaboration, to discuss controversial issues peacefully and to handle (inevitable) conflicts in a positive manner.

How far can peacebuilding communication take my class(room)?

Communication is key, they say. Appreciate your students and they will appreciate you. But is this always true? In this workshop we will explore with practical examples how our communication style with pupils and parents can be fine-tuned and shape a collaborative classroom atmosphere. We want to focus on how we meet them and what to watch out for to make the classes/groups we work with a better place for everybody and to create win-win situations.

Presenter:

Cornelia Reimer (MA) is involved in coaching programmes and Christian peacebuilding education within the international Peace & Reconciliation Network of the WEA. She is married to Prof. Johannes Reimer, with whom she raised three children, and has worked as a freelance editor/translator and as a language teacher at a Christian high school in Germany.

Artificial Intelligence – Teaching a generation during the ‘rise of the machines’
(A prepared and guided debate)

As mankind is getting ever busier creating robots in their own image, Elon Musk warned the world at the National Governors Association  in 2017 that “AI is a fundamental risk to the existence of human civilisation … and I don’t think people fully appreciate that.”

Many voices state that we are at the start of another kind of digital revolution, about to change the world for better or for worse and we are witnessing the beginning of such.  Young people increasingly worry about the future of the world and it’s quite possible that there are students in our classes that are actively engaging with AI, including forms of digisexuality or using AI chatbots to do their assignments.

Teachers are said to be among the top 10 jobs to be replaced, in the not-too-distant future, so this is a topic that matters to both educators and those we educate.  Are we prepared for the challenges ahead?

This subject ties into important questions such as:

What is intelligence?  What is consciousness?  What does ‘created in the image of God’ mean?  Could the image of the beast in Revelation 13:14-17  be some form of AI?

This workshop will give a short introduction, but is mainly a facilitated discussion, a place where educators can exchange different views, practice, worries and hopes.  This is a workshop in which the attendees are asked to come prepared, both with prior research, contributions and questions.

I have put together a playlist on You-Tube with a variety of interesting videos. May I ask you to take a look if you want to participate in this workshop.

Presenter:

Markus Wagner, BSc Mathematics, PGCE,  has worked as a teacher and tutor in three different countries in both secular and Christian private education.  Whilst not an expert on this subject, he does have some relevant experience apart from his own interest:

• Advanced Certificate of Higher Education in Maths, Statistics & Computing.
• He taught ICT for two years in the UK.

He is in the leadership team of ICP, the national Christian association of teachers in Austria and is also trained in Christian counselling by Ellel Ministries   and serves in this area together with his wife.  He is the chairman of L.E.B.E.N., a charity  that is involved in various areas of ministry, including ‘reverse mission’, seeking to bring missionaries from Africa to Europe.  He and his wife have three sons and live in Austria.

Teaching pupils skills in analysis and debate

In today’s world even among Christians there are a lot of subjects that are controversial on many different levels which can lead to difficulty when it comes to sharing our opinions in a loving and respectful way. Sometimes we are so sure we are “right” that there is no room for “hearing” the other side or differing opinions. Our students are constantly watching and learning how to discuss and debate while looking at our models. In my workshop I would like for us to share our experiences and look together for a helpful Biblical approach to discussing differences of opinion in the classroom.

Presenter:

Agnieszka Crozier is Camp leader and pioneer with Proem, a Christian camp south-west of Warsaw, with thousands of visitors and numerous activities each year, which also hosted three EurECA conferences so far. She is also founder and director of Tomaszow Christian Education Centre, a Christian school which started in 2009 and has grown to over 400 students of all school ages.

Turning a full stop into comma

After the pandemic we believed we would be able to have “normal” schooling… But the phone call with just one word “WAR” changed our lives into BEFORE and AFTER. 442 days of fear and courage, despair and hope. True life stories of God’s power and grace. If you face Goliath – come and get encouraged. 

Presenter:

Tetiana Tevtul is director of Hope Private Gymnasium in Ukraine, English teacher, EurECA board member, member of Messianic Jewish Congregation.