Teaching English in Poland - lessons learned during the Erasmus job shadowing mobility at XIII Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. Bohaterów Westerplatte

The Erasmus+ job shadowing mobility carried out at XIII Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. Bohaterów Westerplatte in Kraków between 27-31 October 2025, within the Erasmus project 2025-1-RO01-KA121-SCH-000321135, funded by the European Union, offered a valuable opportunity to explore the integration of digital tools and innovative pedagogical approaches within the context of upper-secondary education. 

From the perspective of an experienced teacher of English, this professional development programme provided concrete insights into how digitalisation can enhance both the teaching and assessment processes, promote inclusion, and foster intercultural collaboration.

In recent years, the European educational landscape has undergone rapid digital transformation, accelerated by the need for flexible, inclusive, and student-centred learning environments. Within this context, my Erasmus+ job shadowing mobility in Kraków aimed at observing, exchanging, and reflecting upon innovative educational practices focusing on digitalisation and pedagogical innovation. The Erasmus mobility provided an immersive experience in a technologically advanced school environment, allowing for comparative reflection between Romanian and Polish educational practices and for the identification of transferable methodologies.

During the mobility, I attended several English and Italian lessons where the teachers effectively integrated digital tools such as interactive whiteboards, online learning platforms, and collaborative applications. The use of Miro, Digipad, and Canva for Education exemplified how digital platforms can foster creativity, interaction, and student autonomy. The lessons were structured around blended approaches, combining traditional teaching with online resources that encouraged student engagement and differentiated learning.

The observed methodology emphasized active learning and formative assessment. For example, the students worked collaboratively on digital boards, co-creating vocabulary maps and grammar exercises, while the teachers monitored progress in real time. This approach highlighted the potential of technology to make learning visible and to support continuous feedback, in contrast to the more summative, exam-oriented practices often prevalent in traditional classrooms.

One of the key lessons learned concerned the digitalisation of assessment. The Polish teachers demonstrated various tools for formative and summative evaluation, including quiz platforms, collaborative portfolios, and self-assessment instruments. Assessment is not limited to measuring knowledge, but also aims at developing critical thinking, creativity, and digital literacy.

Particularly inspiring was the use of AI-based tools such as ChatGPT to support lesson planning, generate writing prompts, and facilitate peer feedback. The students are encouraged to use AI responsibly to explore ideas and refine their output, while the teachers guides them in verifying sources and maintaining academic integrity. This balanced approach to AI integration provided a model for developing digital ethics and critical digital competence, essential in 21st-century education.

The workshops on data protection (GDPR) and online safety reinforced the idea that digitalisation must be accompanied by ethical awareness and safeguarding practices. The teachers at the host school placed great emphasis on digital citizenship, responsible online behaviour, and prevention of cyberbullying. These sessions provided concrete examples of how schools can integrate data protection principles into everyday practice - through explicit classroom discussions, parental engagement, and clear digital use policies.

From a methodological standpoint, this aspect underlined the importance of embedding digital safety education into English lessons. Activities such as debating online privacy or analysing digital footprints can simultaneously develop linguistic, intercultural, and civic competences.

A significant component of the mobility involved collaborative creation, notably the joint production of a digital book discussing the advantages and risks of educational technology. This project-based learning activity illustrated how technology can support cross-border cooperation, creativity, and reflection on pedagogical values. The process required negotiation, communication in English, and intercultural understanding - skills central to both language education and European citizenship.

Moreover, the host teachers’ use of digital tools to promote inclusion and personalization was particularly enlightening. Students with different learning needs benefited from multimodal resources -videos, visual mind maps, and speech-to-text applications - that supported accessibility and engagement. This inclusive digital pedagogy can be effectively adapted to Romanian classrooms to address diverse learners’ needs.

From a methodological perspective, the Erasmus mobility inspired a rethinking of how digitalisation can transform not only what we teach, but how we teach and assess. The following key takeaways emerged:

• Shift from teacher-centred to learner-centred pedagogy, supported by interactive and adaptive digital environments.

• Use of AI tools as cognitive partners in lesson design and feedback, rather than as replacements for human interaction.

• Integration of formative digital assessment to provide ongoing, personalized feedback and encourage student self-reflection.

• Embedding data protection and digital ethics within the curriculum to cultivate responsible, critical users of technology.

• Collaboration through digital platforms as a means of fostering intercultural competence and teamwork.

These methodological insights have direct applicability in the Romanian educational context, particularly in promoting hybrid learning, digital assessment, and innovation within English language teaching.

In conclusion, the Erasmus+ mobility in Kraków was a transformative professional experience that deepened my digital, pedagogical, and intercultural competences. Observing and engaging with innovative practices at XIII Liceum Ogólnokształcące im. Bohaterów Westerplatte demonstrated how digitalisation can humanize, rather than mechanize, the educational process making learning more interactive, inclusive, and reflective. This experience reinforced my belief that effective digital education is not about technology itself, but about pedagogical vision, ethical awareness, and collaborative spirit.

As a Romanian teacher of English, I returned inspired to integrate these approaches into my own teaching practice, to promote digital literacy among students, and to contribute to the ongoing European dialogue on educational innovation.