AGIS Conference 2026 Potsdam: Full Schedule

Working Together To Support Learning

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9:45am CEST

Creating Cultures of Safety: Practical Child Safeguarding for International Schools in Germany

Saturday September 19, 2026 9:45am - 10:45am CEST

International schools in Germany operate within culturally diverse communities and a unique national child protection landscape. This workshop equips AGIS educators with practical safeguarding skills they can apply immediately in the classroom and wider school environment. Participants will learn how to recognize early indicators of abuse, neglect, or emotional vulnerability; respond to disclosures using trauma‑informed, supportive language; and report concerns confidently using consistent school procedures aligned with German Kinderschutz expectations.

Intended Impact: Through interactive case studies and guided discussion, the session focuses on everyday strategies that strengthen a culture of safety—clear boundaries, consistent language, proactive relationship‑building, and effective documentation. Teachers will leave with increased clarity, confidence, and concrete tools that support the wellbeing of all students in the AGIS community.

Speakers

Chris Floor

Senior School Guidance Counselor and Child Protection Officer, Munich International School

Senior School Guidance Counselor and Child Protection Officer
Bicycles
Sailing
Music
Politics
Psychology

Saturday September 19, 2026 9:45am - 10:45am CEST
0.241 Am Luftschiffhafen 1, 14471 Potsdam

One-Hour Workshop

Audience Whole school for educators
Subject Well-Being

9:45am CEST

Introduction to Positive Discipline- Moving beyond behaviour management

Saturday September 19, 2026 9:45am - 10:45am CEST

0.227

In this interactive session, educators will explore the core philosophy of Jane Nelsen’s Positive Discipline. Moving beyond traditional rewards and punishments, participants will engage in hands-on activities designed to foster a deep sense of belonging and significance for every student. Educators will leave with a "toolbox" of ready-to-use strategies that turn daily classroom challenges into opportunities for character building and community growth.
Key Learning Objectives:

Build a Culture of Belonging: Practice specific experiential activities, such as "Connection Before Correction," that strengthen the teacher-student bond and improve classroom climate.
Foster Executive Functioning through Routine: Discover how to implement visual schedules and "Wheels of Choice" to support self-regulation and independence in primary-aged learners.
Shift from Consequences to Solutions: Learn how to facilitate "Joint Problem Solving" and use "Curiosity Questions" to help students take ownership of their choices.
Implement Immediate Tools: Master at least three "Monday-ready" tools, such as the "Positive Time-Out" or "Class Meetings," to address social and behavioural challenges effectively.

Speakers

Susan Oswald

Pastoral Leader, Bavarian International School

With over 20 years of experience in the classroom, I bring a deep understanding of students, learning and the everyday realities of school life to my role as Pastoral Leader at the City Campus of Bavarian International School. My journey into pastoral leadership grew from a desire... Read More →

Saturday September 19, 2026 9:45am - 10:45am CEST
0.227 Am Luftschiffhafen 1, 14471 Potsdam

One-Hour Workshop

Audience Elementary/Primary Learners aged 6-11
Subject Well-Being

11:15am CEST

Confronting Stereotypes in Today’s Classrooms

Saturday September 19, 2026 11:15am - 12:15pm CEST

0.227

Students don’t arrive to school as blank slates. They bring with them ideas, assumptions, and stereotypes shaped by family, media, peers, and the world around them. This workshop will focus on how educators can effectively address the stereotypes students hold about one another, and how those beliefs can affect classroom culture, relationships, and learning.

Grounded in the principles of diversity, justice, belonging, and inclusion, the session will explore practical ways to guide students toward empathy, critical thinking, and respectful dialogue. Participants will examine common classroom scenarios, practice language for responding to biased comments in real time and learn strategies for facilitating conversations that challenge harmful narratives.

Through reflection and collaborative discussion, educators will build confidence in helping students question assumptions, appreciate differences, and recognize shared humanity.

Speakers

Maude Robitaille

Progress Leader Grades 7 & 8, Berlin Metropolitan School

20 years of teaching experience, focus on pastoral care and student experience. Proud chaos coordinator!

Saturday September 19, 2026 11:15am - 12:15pm CEST
0.227 Am Luftschiffhafen 1, 14471 Potsdam

One-Hour Workshop

Audience Secondary / Middle learners aged 11-16
Subject Well-Being

1:15pm CEST

The Power of Play – How an educator’s playfulness shapes the learning environment

Saturday September 19, 2026 1:15pm - 2:15pm CEST

0.221

In early childhood settings, emotional safety is the foundation for curiosity, confidence, and meaningful play. This interactive session explores how educators’ own mindfulness and gratitude practices directly shape classroom climate and children’s ability to feel secure, take risks, and engage deeply in learning.
Grounded in the belief that educator well being drives student well being, this session highlights the powerful ripple effect of adult regulation. When educators intentionally cultivate calm, presence, and gratitude, they model emotional resilience and create environments where young children feel safe to explore, question, and grow.

Participants will engage in a hands-on creative activity, decorating a small wooden heart or stone to serve as a personal gratitude touchstone. Through guided reflection, they will connect this tangible object to a simple 30-second reset practice that can be used during busy classroom moments.
Educators will leave with:

A personal gratitude touchstone and reset strategy
3–5 classroom-ready mindfulness and gratitude practices
A practical “Ripple Model” framework linking educator well being to child safety and engagement

Speakers

Hilary Borini

Early Years Educator, Leipzig International School

Saturday September 19, 2026 1:15pm - 2:15pm CEST
0.221 Am Luftschiffhafen 1, 14471 Potsdam

One-Hour Workshop

Audience Elementary/Primary Learners aged 6-11; Whole school for educators
Subject Well-Being

2:30pm CEST

You Matter Too: Balanced Teacher, Balanced Classroom

Saturday September 19, 2026 2:30pm - 3:30pm CEST

0.221

Teaching is an act of constant giving, and educator well-being matters. This one-hour interactive workshop helps you identify daily stressors and introduces simple, practical mindfulness strategies you can use anytime. Participants will explore how supporting their own mental and emotional health builds balance, resilience, and more grounded, effective classrooms. School leaders will also examine how teacher well-being is shaped by school-wide systems, and how those systems can better support educators.

Speakers

Elizabeth Tucker

Primary Teacher, Leipzig International School

I’ve been an international school teacher since 2012 and I am currently teaching at Leipzig International School. I’ve worked across diverse school communities and bring a strong background in IB PYP. I’m especially passionate about inquiry-based learning, thoughtful classroom... Read More →

Saturday September 19, 2026 2:30pm - 3:30pm CEST
0.221 Am Luftschiffhafen 1, 14471 Potsdam

One-Hour Workshop

Audience Elementary/Primary Learners aged 6-11
Subject Well-Being

4:00pm CEST

Developing Emotional Intelligence Through Coaching: A Practical Framework for Building Lasting Skills

Saturday September 19, 2026 4:00pm - 5:00pm CEST

0.22

Calming a child helps in the moment.
Coaching a child changes the next moment.

As educators we have been hearing/working a lot on supporting children in naming feelings and regulating emotions. In this session we will go deeper and think about what comes after- coaching kids through what to do next—using meaningful, reflective conversations rather than quick fixes or distraction and consequences.

Emotional intelligence isn’t complete when a child can name a feeling.
The real learning happens when we help them figure out what to do with that feeling next.
This workshop teaches adults how to:

Reflect what happened
Explore impact
Build a “conversation toolkit” for future moments

Speakers

Laura Venezia

Kindergarten Principal, Leipzig International School

Laura has spent over 20 years in the early childhood field, and she truly believes this is the work that matters most. The foundational skills we help children build today shape their success for a lifetime. She is especially passionate about social-emotional learning, brain and psychological... Read More →

Saturday September 19, 2026 4:00pm - 5:00pm CEST
0.22 Am Luftschiffhafen 1, 14471 Potsdam

One-Hour Workshop

Audience Administrative staff; Whole school for educators
Subject Well-Being

4:00pm CEST

Strengths-Based Conversations in Education: Using Positive Psychology to Support Wellbeing, Growth and Performance

Saturday September 19, 2026 4:00pm - 5:00pm CEST

0.245

Description:
This interactive 60-minute workshop introduces educators and school leaders to practical tools from positive psychology to support staff wellbeing, strengths-based development, and meaningful appraisal conversations.
Drawing on the PERMA wellbeing framework, Character Strengths, and the GROW coaching model, participants will explore how to shift from deficit-focused conversations toward growth-oriented dialogue that enhances motivation, engagement, and professional learning.
The workshop is grounded in research from positive psychology pioneers such as Martin Seligman and coaching expert John Whitmore.

Intended Impact:
Participants will leave with practical tools and a shared language to:

Support wellbeing
Strengthen professional relationships
Improve appraisal conversations
Encourage a culture of growth and reflection

Speakers

Marieke Scholten

Cambridge Coordinator & Teacher of Mathematics, International School of Bremen

I am a Cambridge Coordinator and Mathematics Teacher at the International School of Bremen.

Saturday September 19, 2026 4:00pm - 5:00pm CEST
0.245 Am Luftschiffhafen 1, 14471 Potsdam

One-Hour Workshop

Audience Administrative staff
Subject Well-Being

5:15pm CEST

Designing Learning Environments Where Everyone Thrives

Saturday September 19, 2026 5:15pm - 6:15pm CEST

0.237

Grounded in neuroscience and the Self-Reg research of Stuart Shanker and Susan Hopkins, this session explores how we thrive in learning environments where we feel safe, rooted, balanced, capable, and trusted. It invites educators to intentionally design a learning environment where self-regulation is not demanded of children, but thoughtfully cultivated through relationships, structure, and shared understanding. Using the Self-Reg “5 Look Fors,” participants will explore what each element means within the lived reality of classrooms and schools, and how it translates into daily practice. Through reflection and practical examples, educators will begin to see the learning environment through a Self-Reg lens recognizing how space, schedules, transitions, and interactions shape students’ ability to regulate, connect, and learn.

Speakers

Stela Haralala

Assistant Principal Kindergarten, Leipzig International School

Saturday September 19, 2026 5:15pm - 6:15pm CEST
0.237 Am Luftschiffhafen 1, 14471 Potsdam

One-Hour Workshop

Audience Elementary/Primary Learners aged 6-11; Early Years learners aged 3-6; Whole school for educators
Subject Well-Being

5:15pm CEST

Finding a new job for 2027? How to find the school that fits, and prepare your application.

Saturday September 19, 2026 5:15pm - 6:15pm CEST

0.221

Whether you expect to be looking for a new job in Germany, or further afield, this session will be part workshop, part discussion, to help your application speak with clarity and purpose to those reading it. Based on the joy, challenge and frustration of reading hundreds of applications a year from people who do not always make it easy to see what they might bring, where and how they have gained their experience or whether they would be happy in Leipzig, Dehradun or Weimar, we will look at the good, the bad and the ugly.

We cannot always find the mentors we need to turn to when making job applications, particularly if we want to keep an application quiet until it becomes real. This session will take place within a circle of trust in which anyone can ask anything about what school hiring committees and Heads might be thinking when it comes to hiring.

Bring along your CVs, your aspirations and your questions and we can spend an hour now saving hours later in the year.

Speakers

Matthew Raggett

School Director, Thuringia International School

ThIS Weimar has been my professional home since 2023. On my way here I was Director of Education at an Erasmus vocational training centre in Leipzig, Headmaster of a boarding school in Dehradun, India, Secondary Principal at Leipzig International School, and Head of Boarding at King's... Read More →

Saturday September 19, 2026 5:15pm - 6:15pm CEST
0.221 Am Luftschiffhafen 1, 14471 Potsdam

One-Hour Workshop

5:15pm CEST

Knowing Students, Knowing Ourselves: From Reaction to Relationship

Saturday September 19, 2026 5:15pm - 6:15pm CEST

0.233

Research on school belonging shows that students who feel seen, valued, and understood demonstrate stronger engagement, improved behavior, and higher academic achievement. In internationally mobile school communities—where students navigate cultural transitions, multilingual environments, and evolving identities—relational safety is a critical protective factor. Educator self-awareness and regulation directly shape classroom climate and students’ sense of belonging.
Grounded in belonging research, attachment theory, and co-regulation frameworks, this interactive workshop examines how teacher reactivity and attunement influence learning readiness. Participants will reflect on personal triggers, explore culturally responsive interpretations of behavior, and practice practical strategies—including the 2x10 relationship approach, connection-before-correction language, co-regulation tools, and structured repair conversations—to move from reaction to intentional, relationship-centered practice.

Speakers

Anja Centennial

Whole School Counselor, Leipzig International School

to be added later

Fanni Németh

Whole School Counsellor, Leipzig International School

to be added later

Juan Carlos Campos

Whole School Counsellor - Focus Upper Primary and Secondary School, Leipzig International School

to be added later

Saturday September 19, 2026 5:15pm - 6:15pm CEST
0.233 Am Luftschiffhafen 1, 14471 Potsdam

One-Hour Workshop

Audience Whole school for educators
Subject Well-Being

5:15pm CEST

Strengthening Advisory: Sharing Our Experience and Learning Together

Saturday September 19, 2026 5:15pm - 6:15pm CEST

0.226

Advisory can be one of the most meaningful parts of a student’s day — and one of the most challenging parts of a teacher’s role. In this full-day workshop, we’ll open up our playbook and share what we are doing at our school: what’s working, what’s evolving, and what we’re still trying to improve, while looking to make new connections and hear what is happening in the Advisory program at other schools. We’ll walk through how our advisory program is structured, how we support advisors, and how we try to build authentic relationships with students while balancing everything else on our plates. More importantly, this won’t be a sit-and-get session. We want to hear from you. Through discussion and practical planning time, we’ll workshop together and share strategies that have made a difference. Our goal of the session is for all of us to leave with stronger ideas and a network of colleagues who believe advisory can be more than just another block in the schedule. Session Outcome(s) ● Reflect on their own advisory program and identify what’s working well and what could improve. ● Explore practical strategies and tools to strengthen student engagement and advisor support. ● Collaborate with peers to generate solutions to common advisory challenges. ● Leave with ideas and resources they can adapt and implement in their own school. ● Build connections with other advisors and leaders for ongoing support and collaboration.

Speakers