SCELT & The Bridge forum

Klaudia Bednárová graduated from the Faculty of Arts in Nitra with a major in English Language and Literature and Pedagogy. In 2009, she founded The Bridge English Language Centre, which went on to become a founding member of the Slovak Association of Language Schools in 2010 and achieved international accreditation as an EAQUALS language school in 2020. Klaudia is actively engaged in adult education and teacher development. She serves as a member of the presidency of AIVD, played a key role in establishing the Slovak Chamber of English Teachers, and is dedicated to advancing teacher education. In 2020, she founded KOGNEO, a civic association focused on adult education. Her contributions have been recognized with the TREND Businesswoman of the Year Award in 2022, and in 2023, The Bridge Language School was honoured with the “Best Educational Programme of the Year” award.

Emma is a friend we all wish we had. Chill, empathetic and deeply invested in others, with a brilliant sense of humour. She has a master’s degree in literature from Queen Mary’s College, University of London, and a CELTA diploma from the International House London. As one of the first to complete The Bridge’s EMCC accredited Coaching Practitioner course, she’s been mentoring and coaching students and colleagues, in addition to teaching, for the last 2 years. Furthermore, she has presented at several conferences in Slovakia, as well as at IATEFL Hungary and Slovenia. What she values the most about teaching is “getting to know many inspiring students and helping them get better at English”. She is talkative and enjoys meeting new people. At the same time, she is also very structured and goal-oriented. Her students like her for her sense of humour and friendly nature. Emma comes from the southwest of England. She enjoys reading and travelling, while cooking and trying new recipes are her passions.

Mindset Matters
Fixed Mindset = bad. Growth mindset = good. We probably all know this already and we all want to encourage our learners to have a growth mindset, but how? This workshop will look into what growth and fixed mindset means to us, explore ways we can help our students develop a growth mindset, as well as discuss the ways in which we can all fall into the trap of the illusion of a growth mindset.

Kamila studied both English and German, has been a teacher for almost 20 years and is also a certified yoga instructor and ayurveda lifestyle trainer. Her biggest interest is what she calls the poetry of life. She writes poems, takes pictures, wanders around the town, travels and is excited about opera, visits galleries, museums or concerts. She forgets the time reading books and drinking coffee on her balcony or in her favourite cafés and takes care of her herbs. She feels the best when life just spontaneously flows. She is the person with a map in her hands, rather than following the satnav. Thanks to her extrovert personality, she connects with people easily and enjoys inter-cultural exchange. With big joy she teaches courses of creative writing and since last year, she has been in charge of marketing and social media at The Bridge as well as Kogneo.

Creative Writing

Creative writing is a wonderful way how to connect with your intuition and grab everything out of that fascinating thing called the brain. There are many ways how to boost your creativity and the only precondition is: your ACTIVITY. With a little help in the beginning, you will just sit down and write. Without any limits. In the workshop, we will explain the basics, look at how we can use creative writing in our classes and the main part will include: your own WRITING. And why should you attend? Because it´s fun and it opens new horizons. Playing with words, turning them upside down, linking your ideas with them and observing what is arising from this game.  Looking forward to seeing you… write.

Ondrej has been an English teacher and translator since 2011. He graduated from the University of Prešov where he majored in English and American studies. Teaching English is Ondrej’s passion, proof of which can be found in his dedication to preparing and delivering his lessons. Another of Ondrej’s passions is photography. He spends much of his free time taking photos while  attending  conferences, festivals and concerts. Ondrej is a fan of self- development and long-life learning. He loves working with people and is fascinated by their stories. In 2025 he completed Mentoring and Coaching Practitioner Course at the Bridge.

Workshop:

Stop procrastinating

Do you ever feel a twinge of guilt when you catch yourself chatting in the staff room, taking the long way home, or getting lost in a hobby when you “should” be grading papers? What if I told you that wasn’t procrastination, but your brain begging for enjoyment? Together, we’ll flip the script on teacher productivity. Key pillars of cognitive health—like movement, social connection, and novelty— your “downtime” is actually critical fuel for a sharp, resilient mind. We’ll use practical coaching tools to help you audit your current habits and reframe them not as time wasted, but as vital brain training. Come learn how to say “No
thanks” to guilt!

Andrea is currently the Learning and Development Manager at The Bridge. She holds a Trinity TESOL Diploma and is an accredited EMCC coaching practitioner. With a wealth of experience in English language education and teacher support, she has been working as a teacher trainer and a mentor for over 15 years. She has also presented at several conferences in Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Portugal, and more. Her work focuses on empowering teachers to excel in their roles and create impactful learning experiences. Andrea firmly believes that teachers have the power to make a meaningful impact on their students’ lives and that they can have a positive influence on students that resonates beyond the classroom.

Do Teachers Really Need Mentors?
Mentoring isn’t just about supporting others — it’s one of the most powerful ways to grow as a teacher yourself. In this workshop, we’ll explore how school-based mentoring builds confidence, strengthens practice, and improves learning for both mentors and mentees. You’ll discover how mentoring programmes can support early-career teachers, enhance collaboration, and spark new energy across the whole school. Grounded in EMCC mentoring principles, our approach combines practical coaching tools with real examples from our own mentoring experience. Come ready to share, learn, and try out techniques you can take straight back to your classroom.

Anka is an open, friendly, and curious people person who finds meaning in connecting across cultures. Originally from Ukraine, she has called Slovakia her home for the past eight years.

With a background in Management and a passion for languages and communication, she joined Bridge in 2019 and has since grown both professionally and personally. In her HR role, Anka enjoys the variety — from recruitment and relocation to onboarding and event organization. She thrives on combining people-focused work with numbers and legal processes, especially those involving foreign employees. Colleagues describe her as approachable, supportive, and full of positive energy, driven by helping others succeed and feel at home.

How to Build Valuable Relationships Between Schools and Teachers
Teachers are the heart of every school — yet too often, their work is reduced to timetables, hours, and administrative expectations. In this session, an HR professional shares a human- centered look at how schools can create more supportive, respectful, and motivating environments for their teaching teams.
Through real stories, practical examples, and simple ideas already used in schools, this presentation explores what teachers truly need to thrive: stability, recognition, and a genuine voice. You’ll hear how small shifts in communication, onboarding, feedback, and daily interactions can transform the way teachers experience their work — even in resource- limited or state school environments.

This is a talk about partnership, respect, and the power of being seen as a professional with expertise — not just a name on a schedule. It’s an invitation to rethink how we work together so that teaching can feel more sustainable, meaningful, and supported.

Marco is not only a certified English teacher but also brings in 27 years of experience as an international business executive in the B2B sector. Armed with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, a diploma in HR Management, and a Master’s degree in Marketing & Sales, he is a certified Mental Coach as well. Beyond the corporate world, Marco is an avid hiker and climber who had the chance to travel far and wide. His passion for reading spans Italian, English, and French literature. Marco’s exceptional organizational skills and down-to- earth nature make him a valuable asset to any team. In his role as a Business English instructor, his extensive industry experience and knowledge are greatly appreciated by his students. Moreover, his effective communication style and leadership skills contribute to his well-rounded professionalism.

Follow me or die: Business English Survival Kit

Whether you are a seasoned or novice business English teacher or simply considering applying your teaching skills to this specific language area for the first time, this session will provide you with valuable insight and tools. What will you gain from this session? First, a
general framework of reference to make sense of the different variables at play and how to leverage them to design the right kind of course, based on the students’ needs and expectations. Furthermore, you will learn how to maximize your efforts and lessons’ outcomes using a plug-and-play segmentation matrix, which will help you master the relationship between the students’ learning objectives and your expected teaching impact. Finally, you will also get a review of some off-the-shelf resources that you can use from day one to improve your skillset and performance level.