Why Soft Skills Are the Key to Quality Early Childhood Education

Erasmus+ Project: Soft Skills for High Quality Education
Published: June 2024

🌱 What makes a teacher not just effective—but transformational?

In early childhood education, it’s not only about what teachers know. It’s about how they connect—with children, with families, and with each other.

The ability to listen, build trust, resolve conflict, and lead with empathy—these are the essential yet often overlooked ingredients of strong educational leadership. They are known as soft skills, and they’re at the heart of what makes early education not only functional, but deeply human.

“Soft skills are not extra. They’re essential.” – Project partner, Slovenia

Why Are We Focusing on Soft Skills?

This Erasmus+ project is built around the belief that soft leadership is foundational to high-quality early childhood education. In particular, we focus on supporting leaders of Teacher Support Learning Groups (TSLGs)—groups of educators who reflect together to improve practice.

But many TSLG leaders feel unprepared for this role. They may know how to organize a meeting, but struggle to:

• Encourage equal participation
• Navigate interpersonal tension
• Listen actively and reflectively
• Create a climate of safety and trust

The project Soft Skills for High Quality Education brings together partners from Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, and Estonia. Together, we will:

What We’re Doing

Projekt Soft Skills for High Quality Education prepája partnerov zo Slovenska, Slovinska, Chorvátska a Estónska. Spoločne plánujeme:

• Conduct national-level research on the needs of TSLG leaders
• Develop a shared training framework on soft skills
• Build a practical, multilingual Toolbox full of techniques, videos, and reflective tools
• Establish an international learning community of TSLG leaders
• Share all outputs through the ISSA Knowledge Hub

Right now, we are in the research and planning phase. Partners are completing focus groups and national surveys to understand the current situation in kindergartens.

What We’ve Learned So Far

Early findings confirm what many suspected:

• TSLG leaders often feel isolated in their role
• They lack structured opportunities to develop facilitation skills
• Emotional and communication challenges are common
• There is strong interest in developing soft skills—but few accessible tools

This feedback is shaping the design of our training and materials.

Looking ahead

Over the next year, we will:

• Finalize the Soft Skills Training Framework
• Prepare and deliver a Training of Trainers (ToT) for national partners
• Begin piloting the training in kindergartens in 2025
• Launch the first modules of the Toolbox
• Facilitate the first international professional learning community (iPLC) meetings

Our goal is to create lasting change by empowering leaders with the skills they need—not only to manage teams, but to inspire growth and inclusion.

Stay Connected

We invite you to follow along.

Connecting Across Borders: First International Professional Learning Community Meets in Tartu

Erasmus+ Project: Soft Skills for High Quality Education
Published: December 2024

🌍 Learning without borders

In early December, project partners from Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, and Croatia came together in Tartu, Estonia for the second transnational project meeting—and a landmark moment for our initiative: the first meeting of the international Professional Learning Community (iPLC).

Bringing together TSLG leaders, national trainers, and project facilitators from across the partnership, the iPLC aims to create a space for continuous peer learning, reflection, and growth around soft leadership in early childhood education.

The meeting in Tartu marked the beginning of a new layer of connection—one that reaches beyond national systems and school walls.

🤝 A space to reflect, exchange, and grow

The iPLC is designed to model the very values we promote in the project: empathy, curiosity, inclusion, and collaborative learning.

During this first gathering, participants:

• Shared experiences from their national trainings and pilot preparations
• Reflected on challenges in leading Teacher Support Learning Groups (TSLGs)
• Practiced cross-cultural facilitation and feedback techniques
• Explored the role of emotional safety in professional learning spaces

“It was incredibly inspiring to realise how similar our journeys are—even when our systems and languages differ.”
– iPLC participant, Estonia

Key takeaways

This first iPLC meeting underscored the power of horizontal learning. Participants valued:

• Seeing concrete facilitation strategies in action
• Discussing real-life dilemmas from different cultural perspectives
• Gaining confidence in leading reflective conversations
• Building new relationships that support ongoing professional growth

The iPLC is not a one-off event—it is a living space that will continue to evolve. Meetings will continue both in-person and online, creating space for exchange, feedback, and shared learning throughout 2025.

Looking ahead

With the iPLC now launched, we move into the next phase of the project:

• Pilot trainings will continue in partner countries
• Feedback from TSLG leaders will be gathered to inform the final version of the Toolbox
• The next iPLC meeting will focus on deepening practice and showcasing examples from the field
• We will begin developing video case studies capturing how soft leadership transforms group dynamics

Stay connected

• We’ll be sharing more reflections, photos, and highlights from the iPLC meetings on our website and social media. Follow our journey!

Connecting Across Borders: First International Professional Learning Community Meets in Tartu

Erasmus+ Project: Soft Skills for High Quality Education
Published: December 2024

🌍 Learning without borders

In early December, project partners from Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, and Croatia came together in Tartu, Estonia for the second transnational project meeting—and a landmark moment for our initiative: the first meeting of the international Professional Learning Community (iPLC).

Bringing together TSLG leaders, national trainers, and project facilitators from across the partnership, the iPLC aims to create a space for continuous peer learning, reflection, and growth around soft leadership in early childhood education.

The meeting in Tartu marked the beginning of a new layer of connection—one that reaches beyond national systems and school walls. 

🤝 A space to reflect, exchange, and grow

The iPLC is designed to model the very values we promote in the project: empathy, curiosity, inclusion, and collaborative learning.

During this first gathering, participants:

• Shared experiences from their national trainings and pilot preparations
• Reflected on challenges in leading Teacher Support Learning Groups (TSLGs)
• Practiced cross-cultural facilitation and feedback techniques
• Explored the role of emotional safety in professional learning spaces

“It was incredibly inspiring to realise how similar our journeys are—even when our systems and languages differ.”
– iPLC participant, Estonia

Key takeaways

This first iPLC meeting underscored the power of horizontal learning. Participants valued:

• Seeing concrete facilitation strategies in action
• Discussing real-life dilemmas from different cultural perspectives
• Gaining confidence in leading reflective conversations
• Building new relationships that support ongoing professional growth

The iPLC is not a one-off event—it is a living space that will continue to evolve. Meetings will continue both in-person and online, creating space for exchange, feedback, and shared learning throughout 2025.

Looking ahead

With the iPLC now launched, we move into the next phase of the project:

• Pilot trainings will continue in partner countries
• Feedback from TSLG leaders will be gathered to inform the final version of the Toolbox
• The next iPLC meeting will focus on deepening practice and showcasing examples from the field
• We will begin developing video case studies capturing how soft leadership transforms group dynamics

Stay connected

We’ll be sharing more reflections, photos, and highlights from the iPLC meetings on our website and social media. Follow our journey!

Developing Empathetic Leaders: Training of Trainers in Zagreb Successfully Completed

Erasmus+ Project: Soft Skills for High Quality Education
Published: September 2024

A training that didn’t just teach—it inspired

At the end of August 2024, representatives of partner organisations from Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, and Croatia gathered in Zagreb for the Training of Trainers (ToT) under the Soft Skills for High Quality Education project.

The goal was clear: to prepare national trainers to support the development of soft skills among Teacher Support Learning Group (TSLG) leaders in kindergartens. The result? A powerful experience, new competencies, and strengthened cross-country team spirit that continues to resonate long after the event.

What did the training focus on?

Led by the Janja Zupancic from EduAkcija, the training explored key areas of soft leadership and facilitation, including:

• Active and constructive listening
• Supportive, non-directive facilitation
• Building trust and creating psychologically safe spaces
• Managing conflict in group dynamics
• Using reflective questions and mentoring peers

The training was highly experiential and participatory. Participants didn’t just learn about facilitation—they experienced it first-hand, stepping into the roles of both group members and facilitators.

“I now better understand, why soft skills are so important in education. I left feeling more confident—and more humble.”
– ToT participant, Slovakia

International peer learning in action

Beyond individual skill-building, the training served as a space for forming a community of practice across countries. Sharing national experiences showed that the challenges faced by teacher support learning group leaders are strikingly similar, regardless of context.

Discussions touched on key practical issues, such as:

• How to motivate colleagues toward open reflection
• How to manage passivity or dominance within a group
• How to ensure that TSLG meetings become spaces for real professional growth

What’s next for the project?

Participants left Zagreb full of motivation, inspiration, and energy. Each national partner has now begun adapting the training to their own country context—taking into account local needs, cultural considerations, and how TSLGs function within different education systems.

In the coming months, we will:

• Launch national pilot trainings in partner kindergartens
• Finalise and test the Soft Skills Toolbox
• Host the first meeting of the international professional learning community (iPLC) during our upcoming project meeting in Estonia

Developing Empathetic Leaders: Training of Trainers in Zagreb Successfully Completed

Erasmus+ Project: Soft Skills for High Quality Education
Published: September 2024

A training that didn’t just teach—it inspired

At the end of August 2024, representatives of partner organisations from Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, and Croatia gathered in Zagreb for the Training of Trainers (ToT) under the Soft Skills for High Quality Education project.

The goal was clear: to prepare national trainers to support the development of soft skills among Teacher Support Learning Group (TSLG) leaders in kindergartens. The result? A powerful experience, new competencies, and strengthened cross-country team spirit that continues to resonate long after the event.

What did the training focus on?

Led by the Janja Zupancic from EduAkcija, the training explored key areas of soft leadership and facilitation, including:

• Active and constructive listening
• Supportive, non-directive facilitation
• Building trust and creating psychologically safe spaces
• Managing conflict in group dynamics
• Using reflective questions and mentoring peers

The training was highly experiential and participatory. Participants didn’t just learn about facilitation—they experienced it first-hand, stepping into the roles of both group members and facilitators.

“I now better understand, why soft skills are so important in education. I left feeling more confident—and more humble.”
– ToT participant, Slovakia

International peer learning in action

Beyond individual skill-building, the training served as a space for forming a community of practice across countries. Sharing national experiences showed that the challenges faced by teacher support learning group leaders are strikingly similar, regardless of context.

Discussions touched on key practical issues, such as:

• How to motivate colleagues toward open reflection
• How to manage passivity or dominance within a group
• How to ensure that TSLG meetings become spaces for real professional growth

What’s next for the project?

Participants left Zagreb full of motivation, inspiration, and energy. Each national partner has now begun adapting the training to their own country context—taking into account local needs, cultural considerations, and how TSLGs function within different education systems.

In the coming months, we will:

• Launch national pilot trainings in partner kindergartens
• Finalise and test the Soft Skills Toolbox
• Host the first meeting of the international professional learning community (iPLC) during our upcoming project meeting in Estonia

We are entering an exciting phase where the project’s core ideas will start taking root in real-world practice—empowering local TSLG leaders and building a culture of collaborative reflection in early education.

Why Soft Skills Are the Key to Quality Early Childhood Education

Erasmus+ Project: Soft Skills for High Quality Education
Published: June 2024

🌱 What makes a teacher not just effective—but transformational?

In early childhood education, it’s not only about what teachers know. It’s about how they connect—with children, with families, and with each other.

The ability to listen, build trust, resolve conflict, and lead with empathy—these are the essential yet often overlooked ingredients of strong educational leadership. They are known as soft skills, and they’re at the heart of what makes early education not only functional, but deeply human.

“Soft skills are not extra. They’re essential.”
– Project partner, Slovenia

Why Are We Focusing on Soft Skills?

This Erasmus+ project is built around the belief that soft leadership is foundational to high-quality early childhood education. In particular, we focus on supporting leaders of Teacher Support Learning Groups (TSLGs)—groups of educators who reflect together to improve practice.

But many TSLG leaders feel unprepared for this role. They may know how to organize a meeting, but struggle to:

• Encourage equal participation
• Navigate interpersonal tension
• Listen actively and reflectively
• Create a climate of safety and trust

Our project addresses this gap.

What We’re Doing

The project Soft Skills for High Quality Education brings together partners from Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, and Estonia. Together, we will:

• Conduct national-level research on the needs of TSLG leaders
• Develop a shared training framework on soft skills
• Build a practical, multilingual Toolbox full of techniques, videos, and reflective tools
• Establish an international learning community of TSLG leaders
• Share all outputs through the ISSA Knowledge Hub

Right now, we are in the research and planning phase. Partners are completing focus groups and national surveys to understand the current situation in kindergartens.

🔍 What We’ve Learned So Far

Early findings confirm what many suspected:

• TSLG leaders often feel isolated in their role
• They lack structured opportunities to develop facilitation skills
• Emotional and communication challenges are common
• There is strong interest in developing soft skills—but few accessible tools

This feedback is shaping the design of our training and materials.

What Comes Next

Over the next year, we will:

• Finalize the Soft Skills Training Framework
• Prepare and deliver a Training of Trainers (ToT) for national partners
• Begin piloting the training in kindergartens in 2025
• Launch the first modules of the Toolbox
• Facilitate the first international professional learning community (iPLC) meetings

Our goal is to create lasting change by empowering leaders with the skills they need—not only to manage teams, but to inspire growth and inclusion.

Stay Connected

As the project progresses, we will be sharing key findings, training experiences, and educator stories from across Europe. We invite you to follow along.