TEACH, TRANSFORM, THRIVE… AND TRY NOT TO OVERHEAT!
MK
Ron Mukerji
The ELTAM MK 2026 conference took place on 16-17 October in Skopje, Macedonia and I had the pleasure of attending as a plenary speaker, representing IATEFL Poland alongside Viola Bielecka.
The conference opened with a performance by a local primary school choir. Lovely music, enthusiastic children, and a gentle reminder that some people can perform in front of an audience without first spending hours worrying about their slides.
Then came the serious ELT business.
Natasha Christofis from Hamilton House delivered a plenary on Giving Language Life: Teaching Speaking Through Meaning, Context and Creativity. Essentially, teaching speaking without actually teaching speaking. If only we could apply the same principle to teaching teachers how to use PowerPoint.
Viola Bielecka followed with a workshop on children with special needs, debunking several persistent myths. A valuable reminder that sometimes the biggest learning challenge is not the students but our own assumptions.
After the first coffee break, it was my turn to deliver my plenary, based on the principle that if there is interest, there is learning. The aim was to explore how we can capture students’ attention and keep them hooked. Judging by the reception, the audience remained conscious and engaged. Always encouraging when your entire presentation rests on the idea of keeping people interested!
Later, I was back again, this time demonstrating free technology tools that can save teachers preparation time. Because if there is one thing teachers need more of, it is time. And if there is one thing we tend to do with the time we save, it is probably preparing something else.
Rachel Harris’s plenary on Teaching and Learning in a Neurodiverse World was another highlight. Not my specialist area, so it was a genuine eye-opener. There is always something new to learn, even after decades in ELT. Evidently, professional development has no expiry date.
And then came the evening…
The conference social event took place at the local Donkey Pub, complete with a pub quiz. Great fun, excellent company, and an opportunity to discover just how much general knowledge one can forget under pressure.
There was, however, a slight environmental challenge. The temperature inside approached 30°C, while cigarette smoke added an extra layer of atmosphere. And by atmosphere, I mean the kind that makes you wonder whether you accidentally signed up for a sauna experience with a quiz attached.
For those unfamiliar with Skopje, smoking indoors in cafés and restaurants appears to be a perfectly normal part of the local experience. Some participants eventually decided that fresh air was a more attractive proposition than another quiz question. Understandable.
Day 2: Still teaching, still transforming, still thriving.
The second day brought more workshops and two particularly interesting plenaries. Peter Lucantoni explored ways of making reading more accessible, while Dr Mira Bekar discussed teaching functional literacy through meaningful writing.
The conference ended on a high note, with another group of primary school children singing What a Wonderful World. Before long, many of us were humming along. A lovely ending to two days devoted to teaching, learning and professional development.
A big thank-you!
My sincere thanks go to Miroslava Pavlova Anevska, President of ELTAM MK; Marija Dzonova, General Secretary; and Hristina Leova and Milena Petkovska for being such wonderful hosts and going out of their way to help me.
Thank you, too, to IATEFL Poland for trusting me to represent the association, and to everyone who made the conference such a rewarding experience.
Two days of ideas, inspiration, new connections, professional conversations, a pub quiz, and enough indoor heat to test the limits of human resilience.
The theme was TEACH, TRANSFORM, THRIVE.
I think we managed all three.
Though next time, perhaps we could add VENTILATE.
