Agapi Dendadi
Tyna Konstantopoulou
Dimitris Kouniakis
Renika-Irini Papakammenou
Interview information
Organization responsible for the interview: p-consulting.gr
Country: Greece
Occupation: English teachers
Small bio / CV:
- Agapi is an English teacher and a Special Educator. She works in the public sector and she collaborates with Universities and carriers in Greece and in England, creating and teaching training programs to teachers and professionals of other sectors.
- Tyna Constantopoulou is a lecturer on inclusive syllabus design at Level 7 with Staffordshire University and teacher trainer on learning difficulties and layered academic interventions. Tyna has contributed to conferences worldwide with keynote presentations on classroom diversity and equitable educational opportunities.
- Dimitris has been a TESOL/ TEFL educator, and an EFL school owner for over 20 years, he holds an MA in TESOL from Staffordshire University and has specialised in SEN (University of the Aegean & the University of Patras).
Dimitris has delivered professional teacher training workshops and speeches nationwide and abroad. He has also published several articles in national and international journals and blogs. - Dr. Irini – Renika Papakammenou who is a school owner, holds a BA, an MSc in TESOL and a PhD in Linguistics with a focus on testing and assessment. She has also published scientific papers and, she has delivered training courses.
Date of the Interview: 01.05.2024
Short Summary of the interview:
The most prominent statement that was mentioned about the public sector is the difficulty teachers face on account of having overcrowded classrooms with only one teacher. It was mentioned that classrooms should contain fewer children and two educators. In private education, matters are different since they get to choose the number of pupils within a classroom and also create the classes according to abilities. Two further challenges mentioned were:
- the parents’ lack of disclosing their children’s difficulties as they are afraid to be judged, and
- the inaccessibility of learning tools to teachers. They usually have to pay out of their own pocket if they want something to be achieved in their lesson.
When it came to successful approaches, everyone agreed on differentiated methods where teachers must adjust materials to at least 3 levels in every classroom, and also on multisensory education. If one thing doesn’t work, change it until it does. The basic rule of thumb is to really know your student and focus on what they can do.
Furthermore, all participants agreed on assessing not only learners, but also teachers. They have to know where their weaknesses lie so that they can change them to benefit their pupils.
Most important statement
“A teacher who has only attended a seminar lacks knowledge to appropriately teach students with LDs and create inclusive environments. Thus, resulting to badly educated students who are made to believe that they should adjust to the teacher’s teachings, when, in fact, the teacher is the one who has to do all the adjusting.”
