CBZS Teachers

Having graduated from Charles University, Petra gained her precious life experiences in international companies, working in commerce, management and PR, thanks to which she had opportunities to visit various countries all over the world and become acquainted with their cultures. Petra speaks several languages fluently. She familiarised herself with the British curriculum and international educational system at Riverside School, Prague 6. In 2001 she joined BISP, the predecessor of PBS, as an EAL (English as an Additional Language) teacher. Soon, she was required to develop the “Czech Programme” project within the international school and started its regular operation. The programme has met with great success and now is attended by more than 150 pupils and students at PBS. With the growing demand for bilingual education, in 2004 Petra was again required to prepare a new type of a primary school, along with any necessary documents and authorisations, including registration at the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. She successfully managed to open the Alea Elementaria Primary School, the predecessor of the current Czech British Primary School, which has been meeting with growing interest from the Czech public. Petra likes travelling. Her favourite activities also include sport, in particular artistic gymnastics in which she numbers many achievements both on national and international levels. She is a qualified trainer and international referee.

Dagmar comes from South Bohemia. She is a qualified nursery school and pre-school teacher. She gained her experiences while working at Czech nursery schools. Dagmar has already been working at PBS for six years, and for the last four of which as a teacher in the Nursery Class. She enjoys working with small children very much. Smiles on children’s faces and their joy in their achievements give her great satisfaction. In 2004, she took part in a short internship at the “Crudda Park Early Years Centre” in Newcastle where she gained precious experience and a lot of interesting ideas about how to work with children at a nursery school. In her free time, she likes listening to music, reading and practicing yoga.

Megan original comes from the UK but has lived and worked in Prague since 2003. Prior to coming to CZBS, Megan worked for a private language school coordinating and teaching English in Czech state pre-school and basic schools. In 2010, she graduated with an MA in teaching English to young learners from the University of York, as well as qualifying as a primary school teacher at the University of Exeter. She has written a number of published teacher’s manuals for the EFL market and she likes to spend her free time with her young daughter.

Michelle was born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. She moved to Prague in August 2008 after graduating in Music from the University of Ottawa, to study Czech in Dobruška for a month. She loved the Czech Republic so much that she decided to stay. After teaching English for a year she joined PBS in September of 2009 to teach music. Michelle has many interests including music, travelling, baking and football.

Aneta comes from Prague. She joined CBZS in March 2010 as a teaching assistant in the Preparatory Class (Year 1). Before that she had worked for PBS in an administrative position. However, she dreamt about working with children. An important experience for her was her stay in Toronto, Canada, where she worked as an au pair for 2 years. Currently, she has been enhancing her qualifications through studying primary school education at the J.E. Purkyně University. Aneta likes sports of all kinds, especially dancing. Her hobbies also include studying foreign languages. In her free time, she likes reading, cooking and going for walks with her dog in the countryside.

Jolanta has experienced studying at a bilingual school. After completing her studies there, she successfully graduated from the J.E. Purkyně University in primary school education. Ms Heczková also lived abroad for some time, for example in Great Britain where she worked as an au pair for school-age children, which allowed her to become acquainted with the British curriculum. Another interesting experience for her was her stay in Portugal under the Erasmus Programme. Jolanta speaks fluent Czech, English and Portuguese. In her free time she enjoys sports and travelling.

Tereza completed her studies at the secondary technical school in Liberec, focusing on education. Immediately after having finished her studies, she left for Great Britain where she worked as an au pair for the first three years and in a managerial position for the company ASK for the following eight years. During her stay in Great Britain she verified her knowledge of the language by passing the FCE. Today, she practices her English with her husband, who comes from Scotland. Since March 2010, Tereza has worked at CBZS as a teaching assistant in Class 1 (Year 2). She likes spending her free time with her six-month-old dog in a dog exercise area or by broadening her cultural horizons.

Yvona has worked at CZBS since September 2009. She gained her qualification from the Masaryk University, Brno, where she studied primary school education at the Faculty of Education. Her stay in Great Britain, where she spent 2 years, was a precious experience for her. Work with children enriches her and she keeps finding inspiration in it for her personal life. She likes spending her free time in the countryside; she likes animals, especially dogs and horses. She relaxes by dancing, painting, listening to music and practicing yoga.

Eliška Motlíková comes from Mnichovice near Prague. She joined CBZS in 2008 as a teaching assistant in Class 2 (Year 3). Before that, she studied English and German at the Faculty of Education of the J. E. Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem. She gained her experience in working with children during her teacher training placement as well as working as an English language teacher at a primary school and a nursery school. In September 2010, she completed the Specialisation in Education – English Language study programme at the Faculty of Education of the West Bohemia University in Pilsen. In her free time, Eliška enjoys travelling and sports.

"The teaching profession belongs among those that can bring significant life-long joy and satisfaction."Hana has worked at CBZS for five years as a primary school teacher. She graduated from the Faculty of Education at UJEP. She has experiences with the Czech as well as British curriculum. She lived in the UK for two years where she studied and worked as a primary school teacher's assistant. Before her stay in the UK, she had worked as a teacher at several language primary schools. She has passed a number of Czech and foreign courses such as “Creative Teaching”, “The Express Way of Learning”, “Learning by Doing”, “Critical Thinking”, and “New Methods and Forms of Work with Younger School-Age Children”. During her studies and even now she occupies herself with the issues of assessment and self-assessment of pupils at school, and modern teaching methods. Her diploma thesis and research on this topic were included in research projects held in the EU member states. Some of her works were also published in the college textbook for teaching students entitled the Workbook of General Didactics. Her favourite hobbies are travelling, cycling, the arts and photography.

Matthew started to work for the Czech British Primary School and concurrently for the International Language Centre as an English teacher (EAL) in 2007/2008. Currently, he fully dedicates himself to work as the class teacher of Class 4 (Year 5), while teaching selected subjects in English in Class 2 (Year 3) and Class 3 (Year 4). Matthew comes from Shenandoah Valley in Virginia, but grew up in Nigeria. Having completed his bachelor's degree studies, Matthew lived in France and the Netherlands before moving to the Czech Republic. He also gained rich experiences in the environment of international schools and companies. Matthew likes reading, playing acoustic music and takes trips to the countryside in his free time.

Olga was born into a family where several languages were spoken – English, Greek, Macedonian and Aromanian. No wonder she decided to study foreign languages. Olga completed her studies of English, German and literature at the SS Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje. She subsequently had her qualification verified by the Charles University, Prague, too. In June 2009, Olga successfully completed her master’s degree in linguistics, specialising in CLIL (language teaching with respect to content and integration). Olga worked as an English teacher and class teacher at the NOVA American-style primary school in Skopje for four years. She worked as an English and German teacher for the Caledonian School and a substitute teacher for ISP in the Czech Republic for one year. Since September 2009, she has worked as the class teacher of Class 5 (Year 6) at CBZS. Olga likes cold weather, skiing, shopping, fashion and design. She likes having a sit-down over a cup of good coffee with friends. Her motto is: Enjoy every single day of your life.

Lucie completed her studies of Teaching for Primary Education and Special Education at the University of Hradec Králové. During her studies, she spent two years in Great Britain where she worked with children. After having returned, she worked for a language school as an English teacher for pre-school age children. After having graduated from the university, she returned to the UK where she worked in a managerial position for two years, gaining precious experience. Later on, she spent half a year in California where she studied with the Youth with a Mission international volunteer organisation. After her return to the Czech Republic, she worked as a teacher at an English nursery school before she started working as a teacher in Class 4 (Year 5) and Class 5 (Year 6) at CBZS in 2010. Lucie likes travelling and active relaxation best. She has developed a close attachment especially to squash, spinning and cycling.

Heather is originally from Chicago, Illinois and in 2010 graduated from Carthage College with a degree in Communications. After enjoying various work as a camp counselor, high ropes instructor, and supply teacher Heather decided to pursue her interest in working overseas and attained her TEFL certificate in March 2011. Since her arrival in Prague in August she has had many great experiences discovering this beautiful city. She loves music, reading, and being outside.

PROFILE TO FOLLOW

Dan graduated from the Faculty of Sciences of Charles University in 1987 and in 1996 gained his PhD in biology after four years of his scientific internship at the Carleton University in Ottawa. After having returned from Canada, he decided not to continue his work at the Faculty of Sciences and started teaching English at secondary and language schools in Prague. Gradually, he specialised in teaching courses for advanced students and specialised language courses, while also working as a head at several language schools. Since 2008, Dan has been the head of the PBS International Language Centre. Dan speaks fluent English, Spanish and Russian. His most favourite hobby is travelling – he has visited more than 70 countries on four continents.

Katerina started to work for CBZS in September 2009 as a teacher of pre-school age children in the Preparatory Class (Year 1). She completed her studies at a nursing school and worked on several paediatric wards. Currently, she is completing her studies at the Faculty of Education of UJEP. Katerina gained experience teaching children when she taught at a home school and during her teaching practice at a primary school in Birmingham.

Barbara was born in Český Těšín, a small town on the Czech/Polish border. In 2004 she received her bachelor’s degree in pre-school education at Charles University in Prague. After having completed her studies, she left for Australia to study English and stayed there for 5 years. She holds a diploma in Children Services from Sydney College and has rich experience with the Australian system of childcare. Barbara joined PBS in January 2010 as a teacher in the Nursery Class. Since September 2011, she has been working for CBZS as an assistant in the Preparatory Class (Year 1). In her free time, Barbara likes playing the violin, swimming and taking photographs.

Pavla received her degree in Humanities at the Faculty of Arts of the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen, and in Drama in Education at the Academy of Performing Arts, Prague. She taught at a primary art school and ran courses in drama and dancing. She participates in preparing and implementing drama-in-education projects and is a lecturer of the Jules and Jim civic association, engaged in activities focused on personal development through experience, communication and team cooperation in children groups. Pavla has worked for CBZS since April 2008. Pavla likes extreme sports, dancing, fairy tales and cantaloupes. Her favourite quotation is Man without Imagination is Man without Wings.

Lenka graduated from the Teacher Training High School in Hradec Králové. As a part of her studies she went through an internship at the Volda University in Norway where she also taught as a student teacher at a local primary school. After having graduated, she taught English in a primary school in Prague 6. She likes sports, going to the theatre and drawing. In the summer she goes as a leader to children's summer camps and is enthusiastic about travelling.

Robbie graduated from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in 2008 with a BEd Music (Hons). He worked as a secondary music teacher in Glasgow for a year, and then as a primary music specialist in Stirling. In 2009-10 he also worked part-time for a charity-funded special needs school in Glasgow. Robbie moved to Prague and started teaching in Vlastina in August 2010. He loves dogs, collecting unusual musical instruments and all things Scottish.

Lenka completed the Upper-Secondary Teacher Training School in Ústí nad Labem. She taught primary and senior school PE, mathematics, history and geography. In January 2008 she left for London to work as a mother’s help and au pair. In September 2008 she started to work for CZBS as a teaching assistant. In the summer she goes as a group leader to children's summer camps. She likes sports very much – jogging, skiing, and scuba-diving. She also likes reading. Lenka values sincerity and tolerance. Her motto is Everybody has the right to be given a second chance.

Markéta graduated from the Faculty of Education of Charles University, Prague in primary school education, specialising in English language. She has a background as a class teacher at the Petriny Sever Primary School; she also taught in the Czech for Foreigners course at the UNITEDSTUDIES agency. She completed two internships abroad – in Spain and Finland – under the Comenius and Erasmus programme, where she also taught primary school pupils. She speaks English, Spanish and German. Her favourite hobbies include music, especially singing and playing the piano. She studied singing at the Prague Conservatory and performed as a soloist with many musical ensembles. Markéta also likes sports and travelling; she practices Latin-American dancing as well as standard dancing and engages in creative artistic activities.

Lucie graduated from the Faculty of Education of the Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem. During her stay in the USA she studied English, worked with children and also travelled a lot. She taught in Chomutov for four years and then continued studying at the College of Economics and Management in Prague which she completed by receiving her bachelor’s title in human resources management. In August 2010, she joined CBZS as a teaching assistant. She enjoys sports such as water skiing, cycling, skiing and others.

Jennie is originally from Dallas, Texas. At American universities she gradually received her bachelor’s degree in English language and later also her master's degree in education. Before happily joining CBZS, Jennie taught special education in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and then also English at a private Czech primary school. She settled in Prague in 2008. In her free time she likes reading, dancing and travelling.

Edward comes from Cape Town in South Africa. He graduated in 2005 with a B. Ed at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, majoring in physical education. After gaining his degree he moved to London in 2006 where he taught at two private schools as a Games and PE teacher. Edward is passionate about all sports especially cricket. He has played for Kew Cricket Club in London and was the 1st XI captain in 2008 and 2009. In his spare time, he enjoys running and playing golf. Edward is also a keen plane spotter.

Moise was born in Normandy. At the age of nineteen he went to England to work as a baker. In 2008 he received a master’s degree in sociology (University of Rouen) after spending two semesters studying in Tallinn, Estonia. For the last eight years he has worked with children in several schools in France and in Prague. He has taught French for two private language schools and has obtained a degree in FFL and Linguistics. Currently, he is preparing for his MA in FFL. He loves travelling, music, sport (especially rugby) and reading.

Marian is originally from Slovakia and graduated from Comenius University in Bratislava. After completing his Master’s degree in Physical education and geography in 2002 he accepted a position in Denia, in Spain. In 2005 he moved to London where he gained British qualified teacher status and continued his teaching career at a range of schools including schools with Special Education Needs departments. Marian joined PBS in August 2009. He enjoys all sports, especially handball. He also enjoys travelling and geography in general.

Helena se narodila v Praze. Po dokončení svého magisterského studia zaměřeného na výuku dětí se speciálními vzdělávacími potřebami na Univerzitě Karlově v Praze pracovala Helena na dvou základních školách pro děti se speciálními potřebami. K PBS se připojila v říjnu 2005 jako speciální pedagog, který má na starosti speciální vzdělávací potřeby žáků a učitel tzv. Českého programu poté, co se vrátila z Bostonu, MA, kde pracovala po dobu 18 měsíců jako manažer v programu pro vývoj mentálně postižených dětí. Helena má dva dospělé syny a ráda cestuje a hraje squash.

Helena was born in Prague. After having received her master’s degree in teaching children requiring learning support at Charles University, Prague, Helena worked at two primary schools for children needing learning support. She joined PBS in October 2005 as a remedial teacher responsible for learning support for pupils and as a teacher of the Czech Programme after she returned from Boston, MA, where she had worked for 18 months as a manager in a programme for the development of mentally handicapped children. Helena has two grown-up sons and likes travelling and playing squash.

PROFILE TO FOLLOW