Recommendations

Școala Generală Oltea Doamna, Oradea

School psychologist

“From my point of view, ‘Make a Step’ had an immediate effect. I have noticed that on one hand, the children who attended the program became much more open and got closer to each other.
Homeroom teachers started paying much more attention and became much more involved in the lives of the children who have identified certain problems in their lives.
I find this to be a suitable program which I would like to do again, to bring it back to our school, and moreover, to recommend it to any other school, because it helps a great number of children in a very short time to identify their problems.
And, in a short time, a great number of children benefited from this help; this is something that I liked a lot about it.”

Liceul tehnologic special nr 1, Oradea

Teacher

“From my point of view, ‘Make a Step’ conducted in our school, had a real success both with the teachers and the students; first of all, for developing or improving the social relations between the teachers and the students, and for the increase of the students’ self-confidence.
Another impact of ‘Make a Step’: if we refer strictly to the relations between the students, is that we could observe an improvement in empathy, in the sense that many of the students started listening to the problems of those around them; because maybe sometimes we come to school, we perform our activities, but we don’t care about the person next to us, but still certain activities are intended to touch the souls of the students who may think they are superior to the others.”

Liceul tehnologic special nr 1, Oradea

TEACHER

I wholeheartedly recommend this program to other schools as well, or to all schools even, because it helps a lot against inhibition in the classroom.
I think that many times grades are not awarded in an objective manner, due to the fact that some students tend to be more nervous, and they don’t have the confidence to open up in front of the teachers, in front of the class, especially when it comes to oral evaluation, so it is very important to have such activities which help the students and teachers to develop empathy in their student to student and student to teacher relations, and this is why I think this program is worth performing in all schools.

Thank you!”

Onisifor Ghibu National College, Oradea

SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST

“It was a program which my colleagues and I liked a lot, because we were simply part of this development process of not only the students but of the teachers as well. I saw teachers who were on the same side, who tried to get out of their comfort zone and who understood that sometimes a child is not only the bunch of knowledge they gain in school, a simple reproduction of a certain study subject, or maybe even something creative, but they’re more than that, a child is a life story, and this story must be known to us, the people working with them.
They understood that being different is not necessarily a bad thing, but it is simply something to be aware of, and the next step is to do something to improve either their performance or their way of thinking, is about doing something extra.
As a result of the project, and I noticed this among my colleagues as well, the connection with the students got stronger, and the students became more open to the idea of seeking counseling;
there were some students who were coming before the program as well, but the good part was that somehow those who didn’t have the courage before, or just simply didn’t consider that it was the moment to seek counseling, also started to come. So I would like to recommend this workshop for the professionalism of the people , but at the same time due to the topics which were covered by the workshop.
I think it was a very important point made regarding the problem of bullying as well, a problem which is quite pressuring these days. So I think it is about doing something good, and yes, this program is something that was well planned and elaborated.”

Vasile Voiculescu Technological High School, Oradea

School psychologist

“It was something new and original, something different from what we are used to find in schools, and it was a way through which we could make children perceive school as a safe place, a place where their emotions and turmoils could be heard and felt by the others, and a place where they could resonate with their teachers as well as with their classmates.
Their relationship with each other became warmer, closer, and I think one of the reasons for this, was the workshop ‘Make a Step’, which opened bridges of communication and emotional connection between the students.”

Vasile Voiculescu Technological High School, Oradea

Teacher

“To me personally, ‘Make a Step’ represented a breath of fresh air in the daily routine in which we, the teachers, are caught up, no matter how much we would like to adapt to society and the life around us.
I was very happy when this team came to my students with ‘Make a Step’, and my students were happy as well and I was also very pleased to finally see informal activities in a school in Romania, performed properly by the book, given the fact that I really wanted to carry out such activities with my class within the homeroom classes, which normally are organized in youth programs at a European level or through the European Union.
For some children it was enlightening to attend these activities, and I am convinced that many of them initially might’ve had certain reservations about attending these activities wholeheartedly and sincerely, but after the program, I noticed that they started to look at each other differently, and towards me and the other teachers who had attended the workshop, as one of their own.
Children from other classes heard about the workshop from those who had attended it, and they also wanted to attend. And I think these type of programs, this program and similar ones, are more than welcome because they fulfill needs which young people have and which unfortunately schools cannot always satisfy. For those who are still thinking whether they should attend this program or not, I would like to tell that it is worth trying out, I wholeheartedly recommend this program, and I am looking forward to other similar programs, I wish to attend, and I wish that the younger students, the upcoming generations, would also have this opportunity to try and see how they can learn something about themselves and the others, and also about how they can communicate better.”