Czech Republic Educators meet with FSU Panama City's Teaching English Learners class

Helen Johnson

As part of a weeklong international collaboration in March, teachers from Frýdek-Mistek, Czech Republic, and Margaret K. Lewis School in Panama City, Fla., met with FSU Panama City’s Teaching English Learners (TSL 4081) class to demonstrate teaching education for students with disabilities.

“The Czech Republic Educational Team engaged pre-service [English Language Learners] teachers in a transformative journey of cultural responsive pedagogy for all children,” Florida State instructor Cristina Rios said.

FSU student Philip Doucet said he enjoyed meeting with international teachers.

“As a student in FSU's College of Education, it was a cultural delight and a phenomenal opportunity to meet and speak with educators from the Czech Republic about aspects of their language and their education system,” he said.

Steve Leach, interim dean of FSU Panama City, welcomed the opportunity for students in the Elementary Education program to add to their understanding of teaching methods for children with disabilities. The Czech group presented him with a picture frame made by children in their program.

 

“It was so exciting to have visitors from the Czech Republic on our campus. With all of the current talk of globalization, I was happy to see our students and our visitors have a hands-on experience to see the concept in action,” Leach noted.

MK Lewis has partnered with the Czech Republic primary schools, Středni škola, Zăklandi škola and Mateřská škola through the international Council for Exceptional Children and Czech Republic's Trigon Association, which provide educational resources and advocacy for children with disabilities.

The mission of this cooperative effort was to bring together practitioners, researchers and educators who are engaged in working with students who have severe cognitive and/or physical disabilities.

MK Lewis coordinators were Principal Lori Hast and Instructors Andy Weckherlin and Jan Vavricka. The Czech interpreter, also from Panama City, was Andrea Weckherlin.