Foreign Studies Prompt Lithuanian Student to Remain Employed Locally After VMU Education Abroad
Austeja Cikanaviciūtė, a fourth-year student at Vytautas Magnus University's Education Academy, is set on making a mark in the field of education in her home country, Lithuania.
Her passion for education was instilled in her by her primary school teacher and has led her on a journey that has seen her gain valuable experience in both Lithuania and Sweden.
After completing her training, Cikanaviciūtė received an invitation to work at a school in Lithuania. However, her first taste of managing a large school came during her time in Sweden, where she oversaw 3000 children from 12 different countries.
Cikanaviciūtė spent her childhood in the cozy and safe town of Karlskrona, Sweden, and it was here that she had her first internship at a school. She was amazed by the freedom in the educational process, where children were encouraged to explore and discover things on their own.
During her internship, Cikanaviciūtė was entrusted with teaching an entire class for a week. She found it initially intimidating to conduct the classes in English, but after two months, she became confident in her language skills.
In Sweden, children with special needs are not separated but integrated into the activities of the whole class. Only children with physical disabilities require exceptional support and an assistant. Cikanaviciūtė found it interesting to observe this approach, which prioritises the child's needs over the teacher or the school.
After classes ended at 3 p.m., the kids were picked up by buses or secured vehicles. The bustling canteen at lunchtime was another surprising aspect of the large school.
Cikanaviciūtė also had to pass a security checkpoint every morning at the school. Despite the challenges, she enjoyed being surrounded by children and talking to them.
During her second internship, Cikanaviciūtė worked at an international BA school in Karlskrona. She was amazed by the lack of publicity for children with special needs, such as those on the autism spectrum, compared to Lithuania. Instead, these children were assigned a specialist who worked with them at scheduled times.
Following her internship, Cikanaviciūtė received a job offer at the European School in Brussels. However, she decided to continue pursuing her dream career in Lithuania, despite mentors in both Sweden and Brussels suggesting otherwise.
Cikanaviciūtė is aware of the potential for burnout in the field of education but sees herself only in this field. Her ultimate dream is to establish her own school in Lithuania, where she can implement the lessons she has learned from her experiences in both Lithuania and Sweden.
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