Conference Report: SCELT and The Bridge Forum, Bratislava (6–7 February)
On 6–7 February, I had the opportunity to attend the SCELT and The Bridge Forum conference in Bratislava. The event brought together teachers, trainers and ELT professionals from across the region and focused on the central theme of resilience. The conference was very well organized and offered a varied programme of plenary talks, practical sessions and valuable opportunities for professional networking.
One of the keynote speakers was Christina Gkonou, whose plenary “Teacher Resilience Reimagined through Reflection and Community” explored the importance of reflective practice and supportive professional networks in helping teachers maintain wellbeing and sustain their motivation in the profession.
Another engaging plenary session was delivered by Piotr Steinbrich, who presented “Classroom Communication Made Real.” His talk highlighted ways of making classroom interaction more authentic and meaningful, offering practical ideas for creating communicative learning environments that reflect real-life language use.
The growing influence of technology in education was addressed by Russell Stannard in his plenary “Where is AI Having the Most Impact?” The session provided a clear and practical overview of how artificial intelligence is currently shaping teaching and learning, and how educators can respond to these developments.
A particularly insightful session was delivered by Claudia Molnar, who discussed the reasons why resilience has become such an important topic in education. She also explored what educators and institutions can do to reduce the pressures that make resilience necessary in the first place. Her session included a short breathwork workshop, giving participants a practical strategy to support their own wellbeing.
During the conference I also delivered a talk entitled “Embracing Diversity.” The session was very well received and generated several thoughtful questions from participants. This interest continued during the lunch break, where I had the opportunity to discuss the topic further with colleagues who were keen to explore the issue in more depth.
The conference also offered many opportunities for networking and professional exchange. Informal conversations with colleagues from different educational contexts allowed for the sharing of ideas, experiences and teaching practices.
Overall, attending the SCELT and The Bridge Forum was a valuable professional experience. The conference provided inspiring perspectives on resilience, practical classroom ideas and insights into current developments in educational technology. It was also a great opportunity to connect with fellow educators and share ideas relevant to the wider ELT community.
