Croatian Association of Teachers of English

The second HUPE Rijeka Branch meeting report

The second HUPE Rijeka Branch meeting took place on May 27, 2023 at 10 am at the Trsat Branch of the Rijeka City Library. Eight teachers from Primorsko-Goranska County participated in the meeting.

The agenda included:

  1. Gracijela Orobabić: Bilingual CLIL Workshop for Young Learners
  2. Anita Jokić: What can we learn from Winnie the Pooh? (2 versions of materials A2-B2)
  3. HUPE news

Gracijela Orobabić held a workshop titled Bilingual CLIL Workshop for Young Learners in which she presented a lesson for elementary school students which combined history (Ancient Egypt) and English language. The presentation was interactive as the members did all the exercises in groups, which involved learning new vocabulary, solving mysteries, cutting out and coloring a pyramide and learning how to dance to the song 'Walk like an Egyptian'. 

In her workshop What can we learn from Winnie the Pooh?Anita Jokić showed the members how Winnie the Pooh can teach us a valuable lesson on empathy, accepting differences and value of a true friendship. The activities included recognising the songs on the topic of friendship, analysing traits of the characters in 'Winnie the Pooh' and explaining some quotes from the book. As well as in the previous presentation, members had an opportunity to try out the activities on their own.

Members were informed about the news in HUPE and the 31st Annual International HUPE Conference, which is taking place in Valamar Diamant Hotel in Poreč from 20 to 22 October 2023. 

HUPE Rijeka is grateful to the speakers for their interesting workshops and to all members who attended the meeting.

Doris Mesaroš
HUPE Rijeka Branch President

The first HUPE Varaždin branch meeting in school year 2022-2023

The first live HUPE Varaždin branch meeting in this school year was held on Saturday, 3 June 2023. in Centar za kulturu i informiranje Dragutin Novak Ludbreg. Fifteen teachers from Varaždin, Međimurje and Koprivnica-Križevci Counties attended the meeting.

The agenda included:

  1. Jasna Polanović, prof. mentor: Translation in English language teaching
  2. Mirta Kos Kolobarić: Guard your cultural heritage
  3. Sanja Ždralović: Literature and mediation
  4. Ivana Gradečak: London is Always a good idea!
  5. Marina Đura & Ivana Pavlic: Edinburgh is always a good idea, too!
  6. HUPE Varaždin branch elections
  7. HUPE news

Jasna Polanović held a great talk about translation as a method in English language teaching. She also informed the members about the competition Juvenes Translatores in which she participated with her students and about the trip to Bruxelles. Her workshop initiated a very interesting discussion among the participants since they come from both primary and secondary schools and it was interesting to see their views on using translation in their teaching.

Mirta Kos Kolobarić joined us via BBB platform and held an interesting talk about the project dealing with cultural heritage. Her talk was a collection of several practical, ready-to-use activities designed for and carried out within an Erasmus+ project. All these activities are aimed at making our students (regardless of their age) aware and appreciative of their rich cultural heritage. Some ideas for project work were designed to make students think how to use cultural heritage as various tourist products. The activities can be used both in primary and secondary schools. 

Sanja Ždralović held an interesting workshop about using authentic literature in English language teaching and gave participants many examples of activities which can be done with the extracts from authentic literature. 

The last part of the meeting was dedicated to continuous professional education activities organized by HUPE and held in London and Edinburgh. Ivana Gradečak took us to London and showed us everything they saw and learned in London. Marina Đura and Ivana Pavlic gave a great presentation of their trip to Edinburgh and talked about the sights and the activities they enjoyed while in Scotland. 

At the end of the meeting, the HUPE Varaždin branch president elections were held. The president of HUPE Varaždin branch informed the participants that there was only one candidate, Stela Pavetić, from Veliki Bukovec Primary School, HUPE Varaždin branch president. The voting was held via google forms. Stela Pavetić was unanimosly voted the new HUPE Varaždin Branch president for the next two years. 

Members were informed about the news in HUPE and the 31st Annual International HUPE Conference, which is taking place in Valamar Diamant Hotel in Poreč from 20 to 22 October 2023. They were also informed about the call for papers for the upcoming conference and that their speakers' proposals should be sent via the link on our web site by the 23rd June.

HUPE Varaždin is grateful to the speakers for their interesting workshops and to all members who attended the meeting and participated in these great workshops and activities. 

If you are an English teacher and want to join HUPE Varaždin, feel free to contact me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The second HUPE Zagorje branch meeting in school year 2022-2023

The second HUPE Zagorje branch meeting in this school year was held online via Zoom on Monday, 29 May 2023. Fifteen teachers joined the meeting and supported their colleagues who delivered interesting lectures.

The agenda included:

  1. Petra Gorički: Teaching English to SEN students – My experience
  2. Gabrijela Haramustek and Marta Šarčanin: The valuable skill of note-taking in practice
  3. HUPE news
  4. HUPE Zagorje branch elections

At the beginning of the meeting, HUPE Zagorje branch president Petra Gorički held a workshop titled Teaching English to SEN students – My experience. During the workshop, she talked about the difficulties she has come across when teaching English to students with special educational needs. She also shared her methods of working with such students and presented her materials, which she has developed through years of working with SEN students.

The second workshop, titled The valuable skill of note-taking in practice, was held by Gabrijela Haramustek and Marta Šarčanin, who did their best to present different techniques they use in class to teach students how to take notes during listening and reading exercises. They also provided the participants with sample activities that should help them introduce note-taking in their classrooms.

Members were informed about the news in HUPE and the 31st Annual International HUPE Conference, which is taking place in Valamar Diamant Hotel in Poreč from 20 to 22 October 2023.

At the end of the meeting, the HUPE Zagorje branch president elections were held. There was only one candidate, Petra Gorički from Zlatar Secondary School and acting Zagorje branch president. She shortly addressed the members and explained the voting procedure, after which the voting was held and she was unanimously voted the new HUPE Zagorje branch president.

HUPE Zagorje is grateful to the speakers and all the members who attended the meeting.

If you are an English teacher and want to join HUPE Zagorje, feel free to contact me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Petra Gorički
HUPE Zagorje Branch President

The second HUPE Dubrovnik Branch meeting in 2022-2023

The second HUPE Dubrovnik Branch meeting in 2022-2023 took place at Osnovna škola Blato in Blato on May 27, 2023. 

Agenda:

  1. Poem as a motivational tool for discussion and mediation, Silvija Pećanac Bačić 
  2. Job Shadowing in Joensuu, Finland, Marija Lipanović
  3. The Pleasures of Edinburgh, Silvana Radulović
  4. HUPE news

Eleven members attended the meeting. Four members joined us online, through HUPE Dubrovnik Teams channel. 

The first speaker was Silvija Pećanac Bačić from SŠ Vela Luka, who held an interesting workshop, inviting the colleagues to join the activities about using poems as a motivational tool for discussion and mediation. We all gladly participated in the workshop, analyzing a poem, discussing, mediating, and having fun.

Marija Lipanović from OŠ Smokvica, who had visited Finland as a part of the Erasmus+ programme in her school, shared her experience of job shadowing in two primary and one vocational Finnish school. She pointed out some similarities and differences between Finnish and Croatian education systems. emphasizing that every education system has its own advantages and disadvantages. 

Our unforgettable trip to Scotland, organized by HUPE in April 2023, inspired Silvana Radulović from Gimnazija Dubrovnik to remind us once again of the pleasures of Edinburgh. She told the story of Scotland day by day and showed us some beautiful pictures she took there. I hope her enthusiasm will motivate other HUPE members to visit this amazing country in August.

I wish to thank all HUPE enthusiasts who attended the meeting and shared their experiences and ideas with us in a pleasant, cooperative atmosphere. 

Jelica Šeparović
HUPE Dubrovnik Branch President

 

The HUPE Split Branch meeting report

The last HUPE Split Branch meeting in this school year was held on Thursday, 18 May 2023, at 5:00 p.m. at Osnovna škola Brda in Split. Fifteen teachers decided to spend their Thursday afternoon attending a 3-hour meeting and supporting their colleagues who delivered interesting lectures and workshops.

The agenda included:
1 Danijela Radić & Ivana Bokavšek: Music Based Creative Writing
2 Anita Živković & Miranda Barac: Summative Assessment in Language Mediation
3 Anita Živković: The Reform of Vocational Education
4 HUPE Split Branch President Elections
5 HUPE news

The first workshop, titled Music Based Creative Writing, was held by DanijelaRadić & Ivana Bokavšek, who explored different techniques that motivate students to be imaginative and productive in their written expressions. They demonstrated how 'seasoned' by music, writing becomes a joyable activity that encourages students to dive into the world of infinite creativity. The participants were encouraged to produce stories 'seasoned' by music and present them to the audience.

After the coffee break, the second workshop, titled Summative Assessment in Language Mediation, was held by Anita Živković & Miranda Barac, who did their best to answer the questions and remove any doubts the teachers might have when evaluating and measuring a learner's ability to mediate a spoken or written text or texts. They also provided the participants with sample activities and rubrics that should help them with the summative assessment of this relatively new skill in the English language curriculum.

Anita Živković held the third lecture, titled The Reform of Vocational Education, which had an informative character introducing the aims of the reform and the impact it will have on English teachers.

As for the HUPE Split Branch President Elections, there was only one candidate for the branch president, Anita Lasić from Primary school "Don Mihovil Pavlinović" in Podgora. She introduced herself to the 15 members that were present, after which the voting was held, and she was unanimously voted the new HUPE Split branch president. She is elected for a term of 2 years and takes over the management of the branch from September 1, 2023.

At the end of the meeting, participants were informed about the news in HUPE, including the professional development in Edinburgh in August, and the 31st Annual International HUPE Conference, which will take place in Valamar Diamant Hotel, Poreč from 20 to 22 October 2023. 

The members were also informed about the new HUPE Board members elected at the last HUPE Board elections that took place via Zoom during the AGM at the HUPE Day on 25 March 2023.

HUPE Split is grateful to the speakers and all the members who attended the meeting.

Congratulations to our colleague Anita Lasić for being elected the new HUPE Split branch president. We wish her great success in running our HUPE Split branch in the future. 

If you are an English teacher and want to join HUPE Split, feel free to contact me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Miranda Barac
HUPE Split Branch President

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