Assistant principal Eva Demka stated that the biggest gain is seen in students' social development, with elementary school students becoming more empathetic and gaining greater understanding of differences. She added that students in adapted elementary school feel safer in larger contexts and become more independent, and social competence is growing in both groups. According to Göteborgs stad (official), teacher Ajla Ahmadyan described incredibly beautiful friendships growing between students who they didn't think would find each other from the start.
When the activity started, staff encountered several difficulties, including insults and teasing of students in adapted elementary school, but today it almost never happens, an official said. The key has been to give students knowledge and a chance to ask questions, with staff visiting classes to give information about what adapted elementary school is, leading to acceptance becoming something completely different after students asked all their questions. Sports teacher Adam Ben Sassi noted that the biggest challenge is adapting activities so they work for all students, which has been tough, but they have come a long way because teachers meet and co-plan every Friday to discuss how to make each activity meaningful for both group and individual.
The biggest gain is seen in students' social development. Elementary school students have become more empathetic and gained greater understanding of differences. Students in adapted elementary school feel safer in larger contexts and become more independent. In both groups, we see how social competence is growing.
He said sports and creative activities suit many students. The school works with several levels of adaptations, and according to Göteborgs stad (official), Ajla Ahmadyan described making different obstacle courses with varying difficulty levels for sports, where some students need to hold an adult's hand while another can manage the course themselves. A major advantage of the joint program is more adults creating increased safety and better opportunities to meet students' needs, an official said.
The working method makes opening and closing safer and creates stability when staff need to cover. Adam Ben Sassi added that by working together, they gain a greater understanding of each other's assignments and can learn from each other, constantly working with trusting relationships and low-affect approaches, emphasizing that relationships are everything in their operations. The initiative started about ten years ago when principal Eva Demka worked as a first teacher at the school and saw students who needed more friends and more opportunities to develop socially.
We visited classes and gave information to elementary school students about what adapted elementary school is. The students got to ask all their questions and after that, acceptance became something completely different. It helped tremendously.
She asked herself why they should have different operations when they are one and the same school, stating that a joint after-school program reflects the society we live in – we don't live in separate worlds.
Incredibly beautiful friendships have grown between students who they didn't think would find each other from the start.
It is fantastic to see.
Our biggest challenge is adapting activities so they work for all students. It has been tough, but we have come a long way because we teachers meet and co-plan every Friday. Then we talk about how we can make each activity meaningful for both group and individual. Among other things, we have noticed that sports and creative activities are something that suits many students.
If we have sports, we make different obstacle courses with varying difficulty levels. Some students need to hold an adult's hand, while another can manage the course themselves.
By working together, we gain a greater understanding of each other's assignments and can learn from each other. We constantly work with trusting relationships and low-affect approaches. Relationships are everything in our operations.
I saw students who needed more friends and more opportunities to develop socially. I asked myself: Why should we have different operations when we are one and the same school? A joint after-school program reflects the society we live in – we don't live in separate worlds.