Lifelong Learners

Tuesday, 15th September 2026 at 12:20pm

Teachers are lifelong learners, too!

Head of GBHS’s Language Department Nicole Polke and Language teacher Beate Starke took their passion for professional growth across the globe, attending specialised seminars in Germany in July 2026.

Nicole participated in motivational workshops at the Languages Professional Development Conference during the Internationale Deutscholympiade (IDO) in Mannheim, alongside Year 12 student Stella Raccuglia, who attended on scholarship. Meanwhile, Beate completed an intensive two-week professional development seminar at the Goethe-Institut in Bremen.

For Nicole, the action-packed workshops at the IDO proved to be an invaluable professional experience. “It is immensely inspiring for me as a teacher to be part of such a global community,” she shared, highlighting how the conference serves as a genuinely life-changing event for educators and students alike.

Beate, who is fluent in multiple languages, specialises in teaching Japanese at GBHS while actively supporting the German program and teaching online courses through Kōtui Ako VLN, a network that expands learning opportunities for students across Aotearoa. Her professional development journey in Bremen was recently featured by Virtual Learning Network Aotearoa. Click HERE to read the article.

Both teachers extend their sincere thanks to Green Bay High School for allowing them to attend and to the Goethe-Institut for providing these impactful learning opportunities, and they encourage fellow educators to pursue global professional development pathways.