Carolyn Hart

Teacher, native English speaker

Education: university

“am American and have lived abroad with my teacher husband for over 12 years. I am a mom to two young adults who grew up in third cultures. We enjoy Prague for its rich culture and quality of life. This is our sixth year in Prague after having a break in the USA during the Covid-19 pandemic. I come to Opalinka with a love for young children to help them grow and learn. I have been in the preschool classroom in schools in North Africa, the Middle East, the USA and Europe. Children can learn best when they feel secure and cared for while they are at school. My 8 years of teaching children from different parts of the world has helped me understand how to guide children in play while they are simultaneously learning English. I follow best practices for young children from both the UK and the USA. My favorite activities are literacy focused; reading books and telling stories. I understand that the environment is the third teacher and strive to make the classroom a stimulating, calm place. Teaching young children is a most rewarding experience!”

Aneta Řezníčková

Teacher, native Czech speaker

Education: university

“My entire studies from high school to master’s degree were focused on preschool education. High school prepared me to work with children, especially from a practical point of view. I worked intensively with children in kindergartens as part of internships and I created puppet shows for children, I performed in theater and music performances for children, I participated in organizing events with an educational character. The college gave me an insight into preschool education in a much deeper dimension.The child’s pre-school period is one of the most key stages in a child’s life. During this period, the child’s brain is the most plastic and literally absorbs everything like a sponge. It has a great influence on the relationship and success in further learning in primary school. My goal is therefore to develop the child so that he reaches his maximum possible level of development in terms of mental, emotional, physical, social and learning and is prepared for compulsory school attendance. Everyone is unique and typical, so it is necessary to approach children individually and respect their personality, and thus strengthen their self-confidence and self-concept. To support their curiosity with the help of questions and lead them to such learning, where the child comes to information on the basis of games and active activities and gains experience without passing on ready-made knowledge. During my studies, I helped in kindergartens as a teacher in the summer months.During the university, I also worked as a teacher internship as a teacher for preschool children at a Czech-Slovak school in London and subsequently as a teacher’s assistant at an English kindergarten and primary school in London. Working with children fills me, it is important for me to help children gain confidence in themselves and constantly motivate them to discover the world around them, so that learning is a game, have a positive attitude to learning, enjoy new experiences and information and in short, to reveal as much as possible what is in them, and last but not least, so that I too can constantly improve and be a good teacher.”