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.