Job shadowing and teaching activities in Switzerland

Teachers, school principals, and other school staff spend some time doing a job shadowing or teaching at schools in other language regions in Switzerland. This allows them to make valuable contacts with teachers from another language region, learn from each other, and improve their language skills.

Next steps

For institutions:

Submit funding application

You can submit your application in our login area. You must register when you log in for the first time. You can then view and manage your projects and submit new applications. You can save your application temporarily and process it later.

Submit funding application

For institutions:

Submit funding application

You can submit your application in our login area. You must register when you log in for the first time. You can then view and manage your projects and submit new applications. You can save your application temporarily and process it later.

Submit funding application

Overview

For whom

  • Teachers, school principals, and other school staff from schools based in Switzerland and from Swiss schools abroad

Duration of activities

  • 2 days to 4 weeks

Where

  • At a school in another language region of Switzerland 
  • At a Swiss school abroad

What we fund

  • Financial support for the organisation, travel, stay, and accommodation

What to do

  • Schools look for one or more partner schools, jointly plan the project and submit a funding application

Deadlines

  • Application ongoing

Next steps

For institutions:

Submit funding application

You can submit your application in our login area. You must register when you log in for the first time. You can then view and manage your projects and submit new applications. You can save your application temporarily and process it later.

Submit funding application

In detail

As a teacher or school principal at a school in Switzerland you have the opportunity of doing a job shadowing or of teaching at a partner school in another language region in Switzerland or at a Swiss school abroad. Other school staff such as special needs teachers, school psychologists and school social workers can also participate in job shadowings. You will gain insights into a different school culture, discover new teaching practices, and improve your language skills. 
As a school principal you get to know how a partner school is being managed during your job shadowing, you get to exchange ideas with other principals and establish a school partnership that paves the way for future exchange projects for pupils and teachers.

Exchange, learning, and networking

As part of a teaching assignment or a job shadowing at a school in another language region of Switzerland you can do the following:

  • Teachers attend lessons at the partner school and exchange ideas with local teachers about different pedagogical approaches and teaching methods. They can also teach a few lessons in their native language and introduce pupils and teachers to their own teaching methods and language.
  • School principals attend lessons at the partner school, gain insights into the everyday school culture and jointly develop concrete plans for future exchange projects with their colleagues at the partner school.

You will benefit from this exchange by getting to know new pedagogical approaches, methods, and good practices. You will also practice a foreign language and engage in cultural exchange. As a result you will deepen your understanding of Switzerland's cultural and linguistic diversity, establish contacts, and build relationships to promote long-term cooperation and exchange opportunities.

Preparatory meeting and wrap-up session

We also provide financial support for the preparation and subsequent evaluation of job shadowings and teaching assignments. Participants from the various schools meet at one of the schools or at another location in order to jointly reflect on the project. These preparatory and follow-up meetings ensure the quality of the exchange project and consolidate the experience.

Careful planning for optimal results

In order to ensure that you benefit as much as possible from the exchange, it is important to decide in advance which topics you want to focus on and and which aspects you want to highlight during your stay. You can also carry out an exchange project with a group of teachers. Look for one or several suitable partner schools and jointly plan the project and your stay and, possibly, a return visit by your colleagues from the partner school. Your project may include one or more exchange activities which take place on consecutive days or at different times of the year.

Building a long-term partnership

The contacts established and the insights gained pave the way for pupil exchanges (individually or in groups) between the partner schools. Therefore, use your first exchange project to get to know a partner school and to consolidate a long-term school partnership. 
 

Testimonials

Ein Zürcher Lehrer unterrichtet im Waadtland

Der Zürcher Gymnasiallehrer Martin Müller assistierte und unterrichtete während drei Wochen am Gymnase intercantonal de la Broye in Payerne (VD). Ein bereichernder und lehrreicher Aufenthalt für alle Parteien. 

Read more

Nidwaldner und Walliser Schulen im Austausch

Zwei Lehrpersonen haben den Schritt in eine Schulklasse in einer anderen Sprachregion der Schweiz gewagt und gemerkt, wie bereichernd die Gespräche mit Muttersprachlerinnen und Muttersprachler für das Erlernen einer Fremdsprache sind. 

Read more

Requirements

For participants:

  • Teachers, school principals, or other school staff at a public or private school at primary level or lower or upper secondary school (general-education) levels based in Switzerland are eligible.
  • Teacherss, school principals, and other school staff from Swiss schools abroad can also participate.

For applicant institutions:

  • Private or public schools at primary level or lower or upper secondary (general-education) level based in Switzerland or a Swiss schools abroad can submit an application.
  • An educational institution or a department of education based in Switzerland (e.g. schools, cantonal authorities, municipalities, universitiies of teacher education) can coordinate a project involving school staff from at least two schools in different language regions of Switzerland and submit an application.

To be considered when planning a project with your partner school:

  • At least two partner schools are involved in the project.
  • The partner schools are from different language regions of Switzerland and/or a Swiss school abroad.
  • A project consists of one or more activities (job shadowings and teaching assignments). A single activity lasts from one day to a maximum of four consecutive weeks (26 days, including weekends).
  • A project can contain one or more activities, which must last at least 2 days in total.
  • The funding application has to be submitted at least one day before the first on-site meeting.
  • The project contributes to the development of the professional competences of the participating school staff and fosters the exchange of teaching and school management practices.

Funding amounts

  • Organisation fee for the institution: 240 CHF per participating school
  • For the trip: 100 CHF per person and stay at a partner school
  • For the stay: 35 CHF per person and exchange day
  • For the overnight stay: 100 CHF per person per night
  • For the specific needs of individuals with disabilities or those suffering from physical, mental, or chronic illnesses: Max. 12,000 CHF (actual costs based on the note of requirements)Insurance and any visa fees are at your expense.

Procedure

Essentially, all collaborators of an educational institution can initiate a project and plan it in alignment with the partner school(s). However, the funding application has to be officially submitted by the school. Only one of the participating school submits an application for the project.

Follow the following steps to plan and carry out your project:

  1. 1

    Find a partner school

    You need to find one or several partner school(s) in order to do a job shadowing or to teach at another school in Switzerland. 

  2. 2

    optional Form consortium

    If several Swiss institutions are pursuing the same goal, they can apply for funding for mobilities as a consortium. Find out whether a consortium project brings additional benefit to your project.

  3. 3

    optional Arrange a preparatory visit

    Would you like to meet potential project partners on site to get to know each other or jointly develop a project? Get financial support for a preparatory visit.

  4. 4

    Plan project

    • Plan the project and the stay jointly with your partner school(s). In the application you need to provide information with respect to the three project phases preparation, implementation, follow-up. 
    • Define objectives with respect to the various exchange activities for the schools involved. Show how these objectives can be evaluated upon completion of the project.
    • Describe the planned activities in the application and provide information on the following:
      • Details of all partner institutions
      • Brief project description with objectives and intended measures
      • Overview of planned mobility activities
      • Information on the preparation, on-site support and follow-up of the mobility activities
      • Measures for internal and external communication of the project results. 

    • It is important to us to enable people with disabilities or with physical, mental, or chronic illnesses to participate. Therefore, we provide additional funding for special needs. You can apply for additional funding in the login area during the project period. You can find more information under inclusion and equal opportunities.

    • We will be happy to provide you with individual counselling to answer any questions you may have concerning the planning, submission and implementation of your project. The counselling can take place by phone, online or on site.

  5. 5

    Submit funding application

    • Submit the funding application online. Open the application form as early as possible in order to become acquainted with the requirements. You can save the application form temporarily and continue filling it in later. If you are submitting an application for the first time, you will need to register once. 
    • The application has to be signed and submitted by the school principal. In the case of a consortium, an educational institution submits an application on behalf of several schools as coordinator.
  6. 6

    Contract and payout

    • We will check your application. You will receive a notification of the funding approximately 30 days after submission.
    • After a positive decision, we will send you a contract.
    • The project start is ongoing, you are free to choose your project duration. 
  7. 7

    Implement project

    • Concise preparation for the exchange and prior arrangements with the partner school(s) enable a fruitful exchange.

    • During the project period you can apply for additional funds for participants with physical or mental impairments by submitting a request for persons with special needs.

    • Changes to your project (e.g. duration, project partners) require prior notification.
  8. 8

    Submit final report

    • Upon completion of the exchange project, submit a short final report within 60 days. 
    • We will pay the granted funding amounts within two months of submission of the final report.
    • Payments are made exclusively to educational institutions based in Switzerland.
  9. 9

    Spread the word

    • Implement the planned communication measures. Be sure to mention the funding from Movetia. We provide the logo and text modules. 

    • Share the content widely via your institution's channels, e.g. newsletter, social media, blog, etc. In this way, you present your institution as innovative, open-minded and an attractive school/employer. 

    • Contact us to increase your reach, e.g. by placing a magazine article on our website. 

    Spread the word

  10. 10

    Establishment of school partnerships

    Establish a school partnership with a partner school to consolidate exchange activities at your schools in the long term. Use our agreement template for support:

    Institutional Partnership Agreement (in German) (PDF, 90 KB)

  11. 11

    Implementation of mobility project results

    Have you taken part in an exchange, developed concrete ideas for implementation and are you motivated and inspired to make a difference at your school? We offer financial support in order for you to implement your exchange experience at your school. Find out more in our implementation of mobilits project results funding programme.

Q & A

Yes, provided that the job shadowing is part of a project that includes at least one further exchange day or a return visit and that the project lasts at least 2 days in total.

Yes, you have two options: a preparatory visit or a network meeting.

An application for a preparatory visit can be submitted for meetings between contact persons from the partner schools to plan future exchange projects. One preparatory visit is funded per project. 

You can apply for "network meetings" in cases where a project has already been planned, but the participants from the various partner schools need to meet in advance for detailed preparation of the job shadowings, teaching assignments or other exchange activities.. 

No. Funding for travel, accommodation, and overnight stays can only be applied for by teachers and school principals who visit a partner school. 

Contact

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