Mirror of educational relationships

“Relationship is the “medium” of learning. Relationships are made of interactions, based on verbal and non-verbal communication. There is no doubt that communication is namely the basis for creating and maintaining relationships. In general, it is not possible to make any stable contact with learner and its environment without the ability to interact.” – Andrea Mewaldt

This method will help you to understand how you are creating educational relationships.

Why did I choose this tool?

This tool will allow the trainers to analyse the educational relationships in which they were learning. It will allow to reflect what kind of relationship the trainer wants to build with his participants. The trainer will create guidelines which will help him in the future to build relationships with his participants.

How does this apply to being a trainer?

To create an efficient learning atmosphere trainer has to create a relationship with participants based on trust, respect and mutual interest.

Main content:

Look in to the mirror and find out how you build your educational relationship

1. Try to remember a very positive educational relationship where you were in the role of a learner and the other person was in the role of an educator.
2. Think about how you felt in this relationship?
3. What did the educator do, to make you feel like this ?
4. Reflect on a couple more educational relationships you had. It can be both positive and not positive educational relationships.
5. Make a list what is a quality educational relationship, based on analysis of your relationships as a learner with an educator?
6. Read the text on pages 30-36 of “Hand book for people working with youth groups, non-formal education practice in Lithuania” which reveals the principles of building a relationship.

Available online: https://neformaliai.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/handbook-for-people-working-with-youth-groups-en-web-version.pdf

1. Reflect how you build relationships with your learners? What are your strengths? What techniques do you use?
2. Set 3 goals that you have to improve as an educator when you are building relationships with participants.
3. It is possible to implement this activity with a colleague or in a small group.

Author of the article: Nerjus Miginis

In the last decade has contributed to youth work development in Lithuania by co-designing the youth worker certification system, running pilot youth worker trainings, making analysis of youth work implementation in Lithuania (2015). Nerijus has done work in the field of participation, community development and promotion of democracy for the Active Citizens program by the British Council in Lithuania, the CoE Committee of Regions in Ukraine, the Vestfold-Telemark county and NAV in Norway. For the last decade Nerijus is conducting training courses for educators on non-formal education, value education through sport in cooperation with the Lithuanian National Olympic committee (LTOK) and other Institutions. Nerijus is co-founder and expert at the Institute for Policy Research and Analysis in Lithuania. He as a master’s degree in Education Sciences from the University of Vilnius.

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Editor: Donatas Petkauskas

is professional supervisor, coach and experiential learning trainer, having more than 15 years of experience in consulting various organizations and individuals, creating and conducting training course on national and international levels. Donatas has extensive experience in non-formal education, training of youth workers and trainers. He is working in the field of non-formal education since 2003, since 2004 he is a member of trainers pool of Lithuanian National Agency (currently an alumni).

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