A primary English teacher. Dixie is focusing on wellbeing in the school. Born and raised in London by Polish parents, completed French education, wanting to leave the UK and live somewhere in Europe. Since 2017, living and teaching English in Brno, since 2019 working full-time in Labyrinth. She loves that she can teach what she thinks is necessary in the moment for her students and the way she thinks will benefit them the most.
Kirsten Beadle has been a social worker at Laborschule Bielefeld since 2012. She is working with Laborschule’s youngest students with a specific focus on English, democratic education and project work. She is also a member of Laborschule’s counselling team and offers parent counselling. In addition, she is mentoring Laborschule’s social work interns and coordinating the UNESCO network. She is also a part of the EU-funded Erasmus+ project LabSchoolsEurope: Participatory Research for Democratic Education.
James is the Executive Headteacher of the University of Cambridge Primary School. James completed his PGCE, Masters and PhD degrees at the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge. James previously worked as an Advanced Skills Teachers (AST), supported the transformation of two failing schools in East London, UK as a Deputy Headteacher and was the inaugural Headteacher of a new Hindu-based primary school. James is a founding fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching.
Matthias Bischoff is Head of „Praxismittelschule“ – Lower Secondary School for Pre-service Classroom Teaching. His teaching at University College of Teacher Education focuses coaching and he also works as a tutor of teacher trainees. In addition, he teaches in the university course for leisure time pedagogy, in which his focus is on mobile learning and sport in heterogeneous groups as well as psychomotor development support.
Manuela Burtscher-Ebner is a teacher of ´Praxisvolksschule´ – Primary School for Pre-service Classroom Teaching. She has a degree in primary- and special-school-education and accompanies teacher trainees in the context of practical studies. Due to her academic training in the field of school development and educational management her focus is on the further development of concepts for school organization and teaching development. She is a certified Hatha-Yoga-Teacher (RYS).
After ten years of teaching at a secondary grammar school transferred to the Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Education, Masaryk University, Brno. As a teacher trainer, she specializes in methodology of English language teaching and in her research focuses on the concept of pedagogical content knowledge and reflective teaching practice in teacher education.
Jan Wilhelm Dieckmann has been a teacher at Laborschule Bielefeld since 2015. He teaches numerous subjects including STEAM, German and PE at primary level. He has been elected multiple times by Laborschule’s students to guide the student parliament. He is currently involved in two research and development projects at Laborschule: Mathematics at Laborschule – developing a concept across grades 0-10 and LabSchoolsEurope: Participatory Research for Democratic Education (an EU-funded Erasmus+ project).
Christine Drah is a research assistant at Bielefeld University’s Faculty of Educational Science. At Bielefeld Laboratory School Research Unit, she is involved in coordinating the Erasmus+ project LabSchoolsEurope: Participatory Research for Democratic Education. Having worked and studied in the fields of Latin American Studies and Cultural Heritage in Mexico, France and Germany, she currently completes a third degree to become a teacher for English and Spanish at secondary level.
Aimee is the Director of Inclusion and Community at the University of Cambridge Primary School. Aimee leads the UK Teaching Assistant Network Hub, leads Reading for Pleasure educator groups and regularly leads professional development around supporting vulnerable children. Aimee received an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2021.
Nicole Freke is the Head of Primary Education at Laborschule Bielefeld. As a primary teacher for maths, German and social studies she has been teaching at Laborschule since 2002. From 2010 to 2016 she worked as a seconded teacher at the Laboratory School Research Unit at Bielefeld University’s Faculty of Educational Science. She has been involved in numerous research and development projects on democracy, all-day schools, mathematics, and children’s resilience.
After a Bachelor’s degree in Education and an experience as an editor in education, Irene combined two Master’s degrees in language teaching and several experiences in schools. She then joined the Lab School Paris with the aim of linking research and the world of education on a daily basis.
Alice is French-American with a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and International Business. After two years in the world of startups, Alice found herself at the Lab School, with a desire to create the same sense of community and multi-culturalism for her students that she experienced as a child.
Pascale is a psychologist at the École des hautes études en sciences sociales (Paris). She initiated the creation of the Lab School Paris, which aims to put research at the service of educational success and to promote exchanges between all the actors of the educational ecosystem (teachers, researchers, parents, students, companies, public authorities).
Alexander Hacker is a teacher of ´Praxismittelschule´ – Lower Secondary School for Pre-service Classroom Teaching. He is certified in the subjects mathematics, biology and environmental studies, physics and chemistry and teaches in a multi-grade class. His areas of focus include interdisciplinary teaching, the use of digital media in the classroom and research-based learning. He accompanies teacher trainees in the practical studies.
Nyasha became a teacher and joined Q3 Academy Langley in the suburbs of Birmingham, where she was able to develop her pedagogical knowledge and expertise, while forming strong relationships with her students. She then decided to join the Lab School project, with the aim of supporting her students both emotionally and academically.
Cornelia Hofmann has been a teacher at Laborschule Bielefeld since 2015. She teaches English, P.E. and German/Social Studies from third grade up until tenth grade. She is interested in networking with other schools, universities and organises student exchanges. She was involved in the research and development project “English Any Time”, currently she is involved in „LabSchoolsEurope: Participatory Research for Democratic Education“ (an EU-funded Erasmus+ project) and „Digital Teaching and Learning“.
Sabine Jakl is Head of ´Praxisvolksschule´ – Primary School for Pre-service Classroom Teaching. Due to her training as a Psychosocial Consultant, parents’ educator and educational consultant and systemic exhibitor, her teaching at University College of Teacher Education focuses professional self-management and coaching. She teaches in the mentoring program with focus on communication and supports schools in their staff development as a school development consultant.
Katharina Kemper is a research assistant at Bielefeld University’s Faculty of Educational Science. At Bielefeld Laboratory School Research Unit, she helps coordinate the LabSchoolsEurope project. Her research interest in media education is reflected in her involvement in a second project at Laborschule, Analogue and Digital Media in Primary Education. Having worked as a foreign language assistant in England, she is currently completing a teaching degree for English and Biology at secondary level.
Harald Knecht worked as a secondary school teacher. Since 2012 he works as a University college teacher for democratic education and tutor of teacher trainees in the Department of Educational Sciences at the University College of Teacher Education Vienna. His main research focuses on general didactic, theory-practice-gap, democracy education, civic awareness, holocaust education in primary schools and competence-oriented civic education.
Gabriele Kulhanek-Wehlend worked as a primary and secondary school teacher for 20 years. Since 2003 Gabriele Kulhanek-Wehlend works as a University college teacher of Pedagogy and tutor of teacher trainees in the Department of Educational Sciences at the University College of Teacher Education Vienna. Her main research focuses on university didactics, general didactics and practical studies in the context of school and university.
Benedict Kurz is a Research Fellow at the Laboratory School Research Unit at Bielefeld University’s Faculty of Educational Science. He is the deputy project manager of the LabSchoolsEurope project. As a former high school dropout and first-generation academic with vocational and academic degrees from four federal states, he has undertaken a unique journey through German education.
Margot has a master’s degree in graphic design, during which she worked on digital education for children, with the aim of leading them towards a better understanding of the constantly changing world around them. She joined the lab school team as communications manager. Her profile as a designer also allows her to help design educational resources in conjunction with the educational team.
A primary teacher in Labyrinth school since 2019. A coordinator of primary teachers and classes. She is a school mentor and couch, a member of a wider school management team. Pavlína gives a wide support to teachers and students through lectures, focusing on reading literacy, RWCT methods or assessment. In 2021 she won the 3rd place in the professional award for inspiring teachers Global Teacher Prize Czech Republic.
She is a Labyrinth teacher and a researcher. She has been working in Labyrinth laboratory school Brno since its founding in 2016. Recently she is focusing on school democratic principles and children ‘s participation, coordinating a school council and a group of regional School Councils within the Local Action Plans for Education (MAP). She is responsible for coordinating EU projects in Labyrinth school.
Trained as a speech therapist, Marlène Martin also holds two master’s degrees in education and a master’s degree in social sciences. A specialist in the teaching of reading and the inclusion of special needs students, she is currently a preparing a doctoral thesis on co-teaching at the University of Caen-Normandy. She is the teaching director of the Lab School Paris.
Alexander Matthias studied primary school teaching in Bielefeld and did internships in England and South Africa. He has been teaching German, English, Maths and Physical Education in the upper primary section of Laborschule Bielefeld since 1999. He established an exchange partnership with a primary school in England and has a wide range of research experience with the focus e.g. on English for primary children, students´ mobility and presently within the LabSchoolsEurope Erasmus+ project.
Ellen is the STEM curriculum and phase leader at the University of Cambridge Primary School. Ellen has a particular passion for Maths and is interested in children’s mental wellbeing. Ellen studied at the University of Hertfordshire and completed a BEd in Primary Education.
Elena is the Health and Wellness leader at the University of Cambridge Primary School. Elena studied Education with Languages at the Faculty of Education, Cambridge, where she also completed her PGCE. Before starting to teach at UCPS, Elena taught in a refugee camp and a language school.
Brendan was rewarded his PGCE (Post Graduate Certificate of Education) at University of London. As part of his studies, Brendan carried out research on teaching through dialogic method and gender roles in the classroom. He join the LabSchool project as a teacher, dedicated to ensuring all children have the high quality learning experiences they deserve.
Gabriela Oaklandová has taught at the Faculty of Education, Masaryk University, Brno, at the Department of English Language and Literature since 2002. As a teacher trainer, she specialized in English pronunciation. In 2022 she transferred to the Brno laboratory school, Labyrinth, where she teaches English while preparing practice-focused courses for teacher trainers.
After a Master’s degree in Arts and Cultural Industries, Pauline participated in the Comenius project for a year as a primary school assistant in Manchester, which aims to promote cooperation between schools in a European context, to develop open-mindedness and tolerance. She took a PGCE to become a teacher of French as a foreign language, and she join the LabSchool project for its innovative and bilingual aspect.
As a teacher, Reinhard Reisenberger is a male role model in sports, social and nutritional issues at Praxisvolksschule Vienna. He studied geography, history, biology, psychology, education, philosophy and computer science. For the optimal transfer of his knowledge and experience, he chose the additional training as an elementary school teacher in order to be able to positively influence future generations in the above-mentioned areas already at the primary level.
Luke is the Associate Headteacher at the University of Cambridge Primary School. Luke has taught overseas in Ghana, China and Japan. Luke has a Masters degree in Teaching and a postgraduate degree in Primary Mathematics Teaching from the University College London. Luke is a member of the Early Years and Primary contact group for the Advisory Committee for Mathematics at the Royal Society.
The founder and the headmaster of Labyrinth laboratory school in Brno. He is a geographer, teacher, organizer of the international educational festival Eduspace. He has been focusing on place-based learning and sustainable development. As a manager he is connecting institutions, experts, and creating an educational environment that leads to systemic change.
Annette Textor, Ph.D. is Professor at Bielefeld University and head of Laboratory School Bielefeld Research Unit. Her main focus is on school research, school development, action research, and inclusion.
Oliver Wagner worked as a secondary school teacher for more than 12 years. He holds an MA in Applied Knowledge Management with an emphasis on Media Education. Since 2014 he works as a Professor of Media Education and tutor of teacher trainees in the Department of Educational Sciences at the University College of Teacher Education Vienna. His main research focuses on practical studies, media education and Democratic Education in the context of school and university.
Stefanie Wagner studied English Language Teaching and English Linguistics at the University of Vienna. Since 2015 she works as a teacher of English Didactics and Methodology at the University College of Teacher Education Vienna. Her main research focuses on psycho- and neurolinguistic aspects of Second Language Acquisition and Democratic Education in the context of school and university.
Dr Christian Timo Zenke is an Assistant Professor at Bielefeld University’s Faculty of Educational Science. In his work at the Laboratory School Research Unit, he collaborates with educators from Laborschule Bielefeld in various research and development projects on inclusion, democratic education, the history of university schools and classroom design. He is also the initiator of the LabSchoolsEurope project.
Michaela Zotter is a teacher at Praxisvolksschule a Primary School for Pre-Service Classroom teaching in Vienna. At Praxisvolksschule she teaches a multilevel class at primary level. To broaden her academic background, she took part in the European postgraduate program “Educating the Gifted”. She graduated the program with the “European Advanced Diploma in Educating the Gifted” (ECHA). A Degree in Montessori pedagogy advanced her academic education further.