Students from Vilnius University complete a two-day internship at Leipzig University

At the beginning of November, a group of Master’s students from Vilnius University completed a short internship at the Faculty of Education at Leipzig University. They were accompanied by their lecturer, Associate Professor Kairė. Dr Kenzhegaliyeva was responsible for coordinating the stay as part of the Alliance.

During the two-day internship, the students – all current or future school principals – deepened their understanding of the Saxon education system and visited several schools in Leipzig: the Johanna Moosdorf Gymnasium, the Gymnasium Ihmelsstraße and the Helmholtzschule. There, they met with heads of educational institutions, observed various teaching activities and explored the architecture of newly constructed school buildings designed to foster independent and active learning. Another focus was on how concepts of independent learning are integrated into the classroom.

The students also met Jörg Heynold, former head of the Saxon School Board (LaSuB), responsible for hiring school leaders and teachers. The discussion covered the daily work and challenges faced by educational leaders in Saxony. In addition, Dr Anne Walde (city of Leipzig) introduced the concept of community schools.

Lina Mickevičienė: “A rich and thoroughly valuable experience that encourages a global view of educational practices, self-assessment of one’s management experience, and the search for opportunities to apply innovations within one’s organisation. The ideas I’ve brought back, from learning spaces to the culture of mentoring, will serve as an impetus for effectively improving the educational process.”

Sonata Litvinienė: “I strengthened my knowledge about self-directed learning, which we also apply. I became convinced that it works. I plan to discuss this learning principle in my gymnasium and apply some of its elements; I was also inspired by ideas related to learning spaces.”

Gileta Pocienė: “The internship in Leipzig reinforced my belief that it is essential to systematically develop professional (career) education in schools. Working in a school with many students who have special educational needs, I saw even more clearly how important it is to help every child discover their strengths. I was inspired by the application of self-directed learning observed in Leipzig’s schools, the trust placed in students and their ability to take responsibility for their own learning. This experience encouraged me to take concrete steps: I began a career specialist qualification development course so that I can purposefully strengthen career education in my school.”

The project was co-financed by the DAAD with funds from the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space.