The SPIRIT project is not just about teaching children; it is about empowering teachers to grow alongside their students. The journey of cultivating transversal skills is deeply rewarding, offering opportunities for personal fulfillment and professional excellence.
This handbook has offered a comprehensive exploration of why and how to foster transversal skills in elementary school children, grounding its approach in both scientific evidence and practical strategies. Through the SPIRIT framework, we have highlighted not only the importance of nurturing key transversal skills — from emotional awareness, regulation and communication to resilience, from critical thinking to empathy — but also how these competencies are interconnected and evolve within the broader context of children’s cognitive, emotional, and physical development.
We have also emphasized that transversal skills do not develop in isolation. They emerge and strengthen through meaningful experiences, playful exploration, and the relationships children build with their peers, their teachers, and the world around them. By understanding the developmental stages of children and applying insights from neuroscience, teachers can design activities that are both engaging and developmentally appropriate, fostering curiosity, collaboration, and personal growth.
At the heart of this approach is the teacher — not just as a facilitator of activities, but as a model of lifelong learning. The self-awareness of the teacher plays a central role: by understanding their own emotions, biases, and strengths, teachers can create learning environments where empathy, respect, and curiosity thrive.
More broadly, nurturing transversal skills in today’s children means preparing them not only to succeed in school but to face the challenges of a rapidly changing world with confidence, adaptability, and resilience. These competencies are foundational to their future well-being, helping them build the emotional balance, critical thinking, and collaborative mindset they will need as adults to thrive in both their personal and professional lives.
We invite you, as a teacher, to embrace this journey of self-discovery and growth. By actively engaging with the SPIRIT framework, you not only enhance your ability to teach but also enrich your own life. Remember, the classroom is not just a space for children to learn — it is a shared environment where everyone, including the teacher, grows.
As you progress in your journey, consider the value of connecting with other educators committed to fostering transversal skills. Sharing experiences, celebrating successes, and supporting one another can amplify the transformative power of the SPIRIT framework and build a community of practice where innovative ideas and reflective practices flourish.
In the SPIRIT model, the teacher is not just a facilitator of knowledge but the living embodiment of the values and competencies we wish to instill in our students. By embracing this dual role of “knowing” and “being,” you become the heart of the framework — a guide, a model, and a lifelong learner.
Let this journey be a source of inspiration, both for your students and for yourself. Together, we can create classrooms that are not only places of learning but spaces of growth, connection, and transformation — preparing children to thrive in life and in a world that is evolving faster than ever before.