From Professional Development to Playful Activities: Lessons from the 31st P.A.R.K. Conference
Attending a conference is always a refreshing way to step back from the daily routine and reflect on our teaching practices. And the organizers of the P.A.R.K. Conference really know what they’re doing. They’ve mastered the art of keeping teachers engaged from start to finish. This year, they set the tone right from the beginning with a light-hearted welcome from the owner and manager of the P.A.R.K. School. He greeted us—“ladies and a few gentlemen”—a playful reference to the fact that, in the Czech Republic, teaching is still a predominantly female profession, with only a few male teachers present at such events. He thanked us for showing up on a Saturday morning and encouraged us to “enjoy the café and the rest of the conference.” The in-joke landed perfectly, especially since the catering at P.A.R.K. is famously top-notch and often gets rave reviews from participants.
The choice of the plenary speaker was absolutely spot on. It set the tone for the rest of the conference perfectly. Peter Lucantoni, who travelled all the way from Cyprus, brought a burst of energy and enthusiasm as he spoke about the importance of professional development. He posed some thought-provoking questions—like “What are we aiming for in teacher learning?”—that really got me thinking.
What resonated most with me was the idea that learning can’t be forced. Also, true teacher development needs to be sustained over time. Peter emphasized the importance of a positive and supportive learning environment—one with order and structure, strong peer collaboration, leadership that actually leads, and a culture built on trust, respect, and openness. As he spoke, I found myself reflecting on my own context, quietly asking, “How much of this applies to me?” It was the kind of talk that lingers in your mind long after it’s over.
Peter then moved on to discuss the steps involved in professional development. As teachers, we need access to the right kind of input—something that’s not just professional, but also practical and personal. He shared a short video clip featuring Scott Thornbury, who highlighted a key takeaway: talking to other teachers and sharing experiences is absolutely essential for meaningful professional growth. That simple reminder hit home—sometimes it’s the informal chats over coffee that lead to the biggest insights. Other key steps in the process include planning, implementation, and evaluation.
To sum up Peter’s plenary: the ultimate goal of teacher learning is better student learning. For that to happen, we need to prepare the ground thoughtfully, check for impact along the way, and give ourselves the time and space for improvements to take root and grow.
Throughout Peter’s plenary, there were a lot of thought-provoking moments, but one that really stood out to me happened when he mentioned Scott Thornbury. As many of us know, Scott is a highly respected figure in the ELT world, known for his contributions to the field. But what surprised me was that only a few participants raised their hands when Peter asked if anyone knew Scott Thornbury—the guru of ELT. Peter seemed a bit taken aback, and I was too, especially after he had shown a video clip featuring Scott. It made me realize how much times have shifted in this regard. I couldn’t help but ponder the reasons behind this. Has the landscape of ELT changed so much that newer generations of teachers are less familiar with the older pioneers? It was a thought-provoking moment that made me reflect on how the field is evolving.
I went to see Peter Lucantoni again in the afternoon for his workshop on collaboration. It turned out to be another thought-provoking session, packed with great questions: What are collaboration skills? Why do students need them? Why should we focus on developing them in the first place?
One key point that stood out was the definition itself—collaboration means working with someone to achieve a shared goal that students wouldn’t be able to accomplish on their own. Simple, but powerful. As Peter spoke, I couldn’t help but think back to our recent Erasmus+ project—that was a perfect example of what he meant by genuine collaboration. It felt great to see that kind of meaningful work validated in such a clear way. I also appreciated hearing Peter mention jigsaw activities—something I use quite a lot in my lessons. It was reassuring to hear them described as a genuinely collaborative technique because I’ve always had a gut feeling that they really work that way. It’s nice when your teaching instincts get a bit of expert backing!
The most practical takeaway from this session was the idea of assigning specific roles for collaborative tasks, such as editor, designer, manager, time-keeper, presenter, researcher, etc. It reminded me that I should be doing this more often—students need to feel they have personal responsibilities, not just shared group ones. When everyone has a clear role, the collaboration becomes more purposeful and effective.
Fiona Mauchline is another person who really knows how to lift the mood. She came on stage with a warm, funny intro, telling us how she’d had to redo all her slides the night before because her presentation had been corrupted. Totally relatable!
Her talk focused on teaching teens—something I’ll always be interested in, since teens are all I teach. Fiona shared eight practical principles that really stuck with me:
- A safe, rich learning environment– no teasing or bullying, just a space where students feel secure.
- Active, interactive learning– or as she put it, “the best AI in the world.”
- Students as teachers– she referred us to the learning pyramid to highlight how powerful this can be.
- Transferable skills– things like writing a CV, doing drama, or working with poetry.
- The learning tree– starting from what students already know (the roots) and growing from there.
- Authenticity– in both tasks and the teacher. Make it real, make it useful.
- Collaboration– she mentioned “contagion,” the idea that students often follow the example of their peers, which we can use to our advantage.
- Multiple focuses– engaging the senses and different modes of learning.
One point that really resonated with me was her take on Duolingo. She’s not a fan—and I found myself nodding along. Fiona argued that while a sense of reward is important for motivation, we shouldn’t over-trigger it. Duolingo, in her view, does just that. She also touched on emotions. In the classroom, students are already navigating negative emotions like anxiety and fear of failure. Our job is to balance that out by triggering positive emotions—curiosity, confidence, and joy in learning.
The closing plenary by Phil Warwick was the cherry on top—a playful cherry, I should add. Phil shared a bunch of fun, tried-and-tested activities that work well with his students. This is exactly the kind of practical stuff that many conference participants really look forward to. I’m usually not one of them, to be honest—but I still found it enjoyable and appreciated the energy he brought to the room. Some of the activities he demonstrated included definition race, eights, word auction, word associations, Stop!, two letters, Taboo, affix race, Venusian vocabulary, and article race. A proper toolbox of games to liven up a lesson!
Overall, the 31st P.A.R.K. Conference was a fantastic opportunity to reflect on my own teaching practices while gaining fresh perspectives from experts and fellow educators. From Peter Lucantoni’s insights on professional development to Fiona Mauchline’s practical tips on teaching teens, and Phil Warwick’s playful activities, every session offered something valuable. What stood out the most, though, was the sense of community—being surrounded by like-minded teachers, sharing experiences, and learning from each other. As I left Brno, I felt re-energized and ready to put new ideas into action. Conferences like this remind me that, no matter how much we know, there’s always something new to learn—and that’s what keeps teaching so exciting.
