Arrival:
Opatija looks great, it's almost summer and there are a lot of tourists, dressed in summer clothes, walking around the town, some even soaking their feet in the sea water while enjoying the sun. It is more than I'd expected when I was hurrying, trying to avoid using umbrell,switching from the car to the coach, to join a group of teachers travelling together to the conference from Zagreb. Most of us are in jackets, waving our umbrellas. I feel like I am in heaven and can't wait to adapt to the local ways.
At the hotel:
The hotel is fully prepared for all the teachers coming from different parts of Croatia and abroad. Everything runs smoothly. Thank you, organizers. The HUPE volunteers are the best!
The conference starts:
In the afternoon the opening ceremony is nice, not too long, the president's speech well balanced - he does not forget anyone he has to thank and I feel welcomed. It looks like HUPE is going to survive our first male president and he is not going to be remembered for that only :)
The first plenary:
"Living and Learning at Intersections", was interesting, informative and offered the teachers a lot of food for thought. Ms Olinka Breka shared with us her thought about the teacher's role in the 21st century, the need to embrace the change in order to be the kind of teacher to educate the new generations of learners, the need to use the language not only as a way of communication but also an expression of culture, to teach about culture and to educate the heart. The right topic and very well presented, too.
Looking forward to hearing what tomorrow's plenary speaker has prepared for the teacher. This conference has started very well. In the meantime, off to take part in some workshops and see what the colleagues have been up to. Good luck to all of us!
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