Understanding our attitudes – the first step toward more confident and more culturally responsive teachers
At the end of October and beginning of November, the Trust for Social Achievement (TSA) held two introductory trainings for teachers called “Embracing Diversity.” These sessions marked the symbolic launch of two new partnership projects: Alive Education and I Also Speak Bulgarian. Teachers from Kyustendil, Velingrad, Plovdiv, Yambol, and Asenovgrad took part.
Two projects, one shared purpose
The Alive Education project, led by the TEMPO Foundation, includes three schools in Velingrad, Kyustendil, and Plovdiv, where all students come from minority backgrounds. The initiative aims to improve teaching quality by creating a more supportive, encouraging, and student-centered school environment — benefiting students, teachers, and parents alike.
The second training ”Embracing Diversity” brought together primary teachers from two schools in Asenovgrad and Yambol participating in the I Also Speak Bulgarian program run by the Teach For Bulgaria Foundation. This project focuses on equipping teachers with the skills to teach Bulgarian as a second language to children whose first language is not Bulgarian or who enter first grade with limited Bulgarian proficiency.
Before diving into teaching methods, language-learning strategies, or proficiency levels, participants engaged in a deeper process: rethinking how they view students’ languages, identities, and cultures – not as barriers but as valuable educational assets. A particular emphasis was placed on the importance of children’s mother tongue for their cognitive and emotional development – a crucial aspect often overlooked in the education system.
The first steps have already been taken
Participants left the training with a sense of shared understanding, new insights, and a renewed perspective on their role in a diverse classroom.
“Embracing Diversity” is not just the beginning of two projects – it lays the groundwork for long-term change that TSA and its partners will continue nurturing in the years ahead. A change in which diversity enriches rather than divides, and in which every child has the chance to be seen, heard, and supported.
When change starts within us
“Embracing Diversity” training is an experiential training that encourages participants to explore their own attitudes toward diversity and see how those attitudes shape their practice.
The trainers use interactive methods, discussions, and real situations from school life to help teachers recognize their automatic reactions and replace them with more sensitive, empathetic, and intentional approaches.
Topics such as educational integration, intercultural education, inclusion, the role of language and identity, and others were explored through personal stories, real school situations, and reflection on personal attitudes.
The trainers observed strong engagement, a willingness to share, and sincere conversations on topics that often remain difficult or unnoticed in the busy rhythm of school life.