Svetlana Agustoni
S. Agustoni - The profession is changing, and we teachers must evolve with it.
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A decisive step towards completing her training and acquiring the tools to better face the challenges of the profession. The CAS Interculturality and Multilingualism in Schools programme was a very important training opportunity for Svetlana Agustoni, a lecturer in Education Sciences at the Department of Education and Learning / University of Teacher Education (DFA/ASP). After completing her university studies in Fribourg and several years of practical experience in the Canton of Vaud, she has also been working as a language and integration teacher at the Minusio nursery and primary school since 2021.
What challenges characterise your profession and how can this course help you address them?
The role of language and integration teachers has changed since we were alloglot teachers. Today, we are called upon to work closely with families, school management and classes. Our task is not only to teach the Italian language, but also and above all to accompany pupils and their families as they discover our school and cultural reality. The presence of alloglot students is a valuable asset that I believe is important to promote, especially from an integration perspective: mutual exchange is fundamental and beneficial for everyone. In this context, the CAS Interculturalism and multilingualism in schools course is crucial to completing my training and preparing me to better face the challenges and changes of the profession.
What skills would you like to acquire or develop during the training?
Although I am a primary school teacher and am used to teaching Italian and welcoming new pupils and families into my classes, I felt that I lacked competence in teaching Italian as a second language (L2). So far, the course has provided me with very specific theoretical elements concerning the development of children's language and a methodology aimed at designing and teaching L2.
Through this training, I would like to fully explore my role and acquire the necessary tools to manage the journey of families arriving from abroad, in order to make the support provided to foreign-language students as comprehensive and competent as possible.
Is there a module, lesson or experience that particularly struck you?
The training course ‘Introduction to Cultural Mediation’ with Consolata Peyron, a certified trainer in Non-Violent Communication, was a great inspiration for me. In this in-depth course, we were able to study the importance of clear and empathetic communication, which is essential for avoiding negative escalations with other interlocutors. I find that this CAS has given me useful tools not only on a professional level, but also on a personal level.
Study, work, private life: how do you find the balance?
I have two children aged nine and six, and I admit that the first year of training was intense. Fitting my work commitments between DFA/ASP, nursery school, primary school and Friday classes was not easy, but it was definitely worth it. I think it's important to continue learning and keep up with the times; ours is a profession that is constantly changing and evolving, and we teachers need up-to-date tools to evolve with it.