Welcome Judges

Revolutionizing Education: Creating Engaging, Student-Centered Learning Environments

Nomination Description

I have a theory about education. I think education goes beyond the textbooks. Any learning environment deprived of movement, creativity, innovation, and collaboration is an environment that does not prepare learners for the future.

I have taught for 15 years and across every year group. In my first year of teaching, I began to feel frustrated with the system. What we were doing wasn’t working. I was fed up with seeing children being indifferent and disengaged. If a child didn’t participate, then it was the child’s fault, not the system’s fault. The whole mentality behind it was wrong. I soon realized that when children are bored, they disengage or even start behaving in unacceptable ways. This is something that cannot be changed with punishments or promises of rewards, but with something that starts with us: making our lessons engaging and interactive.

So I started participating in seminars, webinars, and courses. So far, I have attended over 40 of them. I also researched beyond education—into parenting, psychology, and neuroscience. I realized that what we were doing for education—lists of words, rote learning, memorization of grammar rules, sticking solely to the textbook—wasn’t working, and it wasn’t research-backed.

So, I started my own school of English, with a philosophy that puts every student at the center of each lesson. I aim to create an inclusive, supportive, and creative environment where everyone can thrive and succeed. My school has been recognized with two Silver Awards by the ELT Excellence Awards: Creativity in Language Teaching and Excellence in Teaching Foreign Languages. In 2022, my school was also honored with another Silver Award, Excellence in School Facilities, for offering advanced facilities and environments that promote effective language learning. I also began taking part in national and international workshops, trying to share the philosophy and energy of our school’s approach, making this accessible to as many educators as possible. I was a speaker at ELTA Serbia and TESOL Spain, where I presented: Using Games as a Powerful Tool in Teaching Vocabulary to Young Learners, demonstrating how gamification can enhance vocabulary acquisition and student engagement.

I also had the honor of presenting at an IATEFL webinar, where over 140 educators from around the world attended. Furthermore, I delivered a workshop at TESOL Italy on Beyond Hands-Up: Revolutionizing Classroom Engagement for 100% Participation, focusing on innovative techniques to ensure every student is actively involved in the learning process.

My work has been featured in ELT News with articles such as Revolutionizing Classroom Instructions: Building an Inclusive Learning Environment and Ditch the Traditional Hands-Up Approach and Maximize Student Engagement to 100%, where I share strategies for fostering inclusive, engaging classroom experiences. In 2023, I began contributing articles to www.projectparenting.gr , aiming to help parents make informed decisions about their children.

I have created a phonics book specifically designed for young children, which we use in our school to teach reading and writing. While I don’t sell the book in the market, it has become an essential resource in our curriculum, helping students build their literacy skills in an engaging way. I have recently created the YT Christmas Box, a collection of Christmas-themed activities specifically designed for my Junior A learners. This resource includes interactive games that allow students to revise key concepts in an enjoyable way during the holiday season. While it is not available in the market, it has become an exciting tool in our school to reinforce their learning.

Whether through creating resources, leading workshops or contributing articles, I strive to inspire educators to create an engaging and inclusive environment where every student’s voice is heard. An environment that empowers students to reach their full potential and succeed.