Matthew is a highly experienced teacher of English Language and Literature with over 15 years’ experience in secondary education. He is passionate about literature, poetry, philosophy and creative expression, and enjoys helping students to become thoughtful readers, skilled writers and confident critical thinkers. As a poet and playwright, Matthew brings a deep appreciation of the arts to his teaching, drawing on his experience in theatre and the film industry. An avid traveller and walker, he enjoys exploring new cultures and perspectives and encourages students to engage with the wider world through literature and language. 

Bohuslav studied physical education and teaching at the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport at Charles University in Prague. Whilst studying, he taught PE at the Christian High School in Hostivař, Prague, and worked as a fitness and strength coach for the Sokol Pražský basketball team. After graduating, he focused primarily on working with athletes and the general public, helping them – and in some cases still helping them – to improve their fitness and build strength. However, he missed working with children, and as he had always enjoyed it, he decided to return to teaching after a break. It will come as no surprise that Bohuslav enjoys sport and strives to pass on his love of sport to others, which is his main professional aim.

He tries to spend his free time in the countryside with his family and a good cup of coffee.

My name is Gilberto Conti. I am Brazilian and Portuguese, and I have been living in the Czech Republic for more than 15 years. I completed my Master's degree in Theatre at DAMU and am currently finishing my PhD in Theatre and Arts at Charles University. I have been teaching at international schools and Waldorf schools for over 25 years. It's so nice to be a part of the Via Beroun project, where the school respects the students and helps them develop their skills.

I love art, nature, puppets, astronomy, books, traveling, sports and to play musical instruments :).

Nikola graduated from the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport at Charles University, having studied physical education and sport with a specialisation in athletics. She has been involved in sport since childhood; she competed in swimming and basketball, but eventually turned to athletics, particularly the 100-metre hurdles and the heptathlon. She has experience of leading athletics and sports clubs. She is currently also involved in physical training for children through the Gymnathlon sports organisation. In education, she believes it is important to provide a friendly and safe environment in which children are not afraid to try new things and strive to give their very best. She sees physical activity and sport as an important part of a healthy lifestyle and believes that they should be practised at every age and throughout one’s life. She therefore sees physical education not just as a space for developing motor skills, but also as an opportunity to foster cooperation, perseverance and healthy self-confidence. What drew her to VIA School was the chance to become part of an inspiring team and an environment that supports pupils’ individual development. In her spare time, she enjoys travelling, discovering new places and collecting experiences. She can’t sit still for long – she prefers to be on the move, playing sport, getting up to something or setting off on a new adventure.

Zbyněk graduated with a degree in mathematics and descriptive geometry from the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics at Charles University. Since the late 1990s, he has been teaching at a state grammar school in Beroun. In addition to his specialism, he also taught computer science, robotics and digital art. As part of his extracurricular activities, he ran clubs at the Beroun Centre for Children and Youth and worked as a trainer in educational technology for teachers.

In his second year at VIA, he enjoys working with inspiring colleagues and the opportunity to see for himself that the educational approaches used genuinely enhance learning effectiveness and offer a meaningful alternative to some of the limitations of traditional teaching. For him, the key is to make the child’s progress the school’s top priority. His strength lies in the use of digital technologies in the classroom.

Walks in the woods are a way for him to recharge his batteries and clear his head. He enjoys board games, comics and big beat music.

Nikola studied science and physical education at the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice. She previously worked as a trainer in the field of experiential education and, as an external collaborator, helped organise experiential programmes for university students. At VIA, she particularly appreciates the block-based teaching structure and the scope for students to discover things for themselves and link experience with theory. She also enjoys finding ways to gamify educational content and create conditions that allow students to engage as actively as possible in their learning. She also considers reflection to be an important part of learning – the opportunity to pause, look back on one’s own experiences and realise what one has truly learnt from them.

When it comes to her relationship with students, respectful communication, fairness, honesty and predictability are key for her. She wants students to know what they can expect from her, not to be afraid of making mistakes, and to express their opinions openly.

In her spare time, she enjoys playing cooperative board games, recharging her batteries by doing nothing, or discovering new kinds of vegetarian burgers.

Šárka studied Czech and Spanish at the University of South Bohemia and has been working in education for more than twenty years. During this time, she has gained experience in various types of schools; she spent several years at PORG, where, in addition to Czech and Spanish, she also taught IB Czech Literature. It was her encounter with the IB that proved to be one of her professional „aha moments“; it showed her that literature can be taught in a different way – not by presenting ready-made interpretations, but by opening up space for questions, debate and the search for one’s own approach to a literary text. She also spent several years in the management of a private school, where, in addition to its day-to-day running, she devoted herself to developing educational and methodological frameworks. Even after all these years, she never tires of seeking new ways to enrich her teaching and to gain a better understanding of what pupils are actually learning. She is therefore particularly interested in formative assessment, metacognition and critical thinking. At present, she is also becoming increasingly interested in psychology and gaining a deeper understanding of children’s behaviour. In her work, she strives not to focus solely on outward manifestations, but also to recognise the needs, emotions and circumstances that may lie behind them. At VIA, she particularly values respect – for children and students, amongst colleagues, and for what is important to others. She appreciates a safe environment where it is possible to come up with ideas, try new things and learn from inspiring colleagues. She herself enjoys challenges and opportunities to broaden her horizons. Outside school, she most enjoys spending time with her family; she loves reading, particularly contemporary Czech literature, though she also relishes returning to the classics. Her little pleasures also include a good cup of coffee and autumn walks – the more chilly the weather, the better.

Jindřiška graduated from the Faculty of Education at the University of West Bohemia in Plzeň, specialising in secondary school teaching with qualifications to teach German and Czech. Even before starting her university studies, she improved her German in Munich whilst working as an au pair, where she also studied at the Goethe-Institut and helped look after four boys. She had already gained experience in childcare and child development through her studies at the Secondary School of Nursing in Prague and work placements in various paediatric wards, as well as by looking after her older siblings’ children. She also gained valuable experience at summer integration camps for teenagers in Germany, where she worked as an instructor. She later drew on all this experience during her university studies.

In education – whether for children, teenagers or adults – it has always been, and remains, important to her to view each student as a unique individual and to understand their needs, interests, strengths and weaknesses. She adapts her teaching style accordingly. She aims to engage her students whilst naturally developing them, not only in terms of language knowledge and skills, but also by linking learning to real life – for example, by cooking and baking traditional German dishes in the VIA school canteen. What she enjoys most is when students work together, help one another and try to create something. The result is important to her, but the journey towards it is often even more interesting, and Jindřiška is glad to be part of it. VIA appealed to her above all because of its personalised approach, professionalism and the values it upholds. Her interests include travelling, reading, films, hiking, aqua aerobics and Zumba.

Alyssa graduated from Villanova University with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and a Bachelor of Arts in Classical Studies. Originally from the north-east of the United States, she moved to Mississippi after university to teach science at secondary school and coach athletics. In 2021, she accepted a Fulbright grant to work at Gymnázium Sedlčany in the Czech Republic. After completing her Fulbright assignment, she decided to settle permanently in the Czech Republic and now lives in Prague. After serving as head of the STEM department for three years at an international school, she joined the VIA team in 2025. She is passionate about science and excited to be part of an IB candidate school. She is looking forward to continuing her work in a bilingual environment where she can practise her Czech, as well as converse and teach in English.

Luke has worked as an English teacher in the Czech Republic since 2010. From 2014 to 2022, he worked in Open Gate as an English teacher and head of the Primary School English Department. He studied English and Geography in University, and later obtained a Diploma in Psychology. He has a Diploma and Certificate in Teaching English as a Foriegn Language. He believes that teaching children should be fun and interactive. Lessons should be dynamic, entertaining and the children should leave each class with a smile on his or her face.

When he is not teaching, he enjoys performing stand up comedy. He formed Comedy Prague in 2013 and regularly performs in Prague and Europe. He also enjoys watching football, listening to music and running.

Martina She completed her postgraduate studies at the Czech Technical University in Prague. Whilst still a student, she undertook her first work placements abroad, where she gained a wealth of valuable experience and inspiration, which she subsequently put to good use when teaching both Czech and international students.

In her work, she enjoys combining theory with practical experience. She enjoys finding new ways to engage students in the learning process, encourage them to think for themselves and spark their interest in what is happening around them. She has also devoted a large part of her professional life to research and experimentation, not only here in the Czech Republic but also abroad, for example in the USA, Sweden, Switzerland, Scotland and Germany.

She is keen for the school to be an open and vibrant place that can respond to current challenges whilst also providing scope for new ideas. What she likes most about her work is its variety and the opportunity to keep learning something new. She also enjoys seeing the children’s delight in experimenting and finding ways to get them excited about the natural sciences.

At VIA, she was drawn to the modern, values-based education, the school’s openness and the excellent teamwork.

When she’s not at school, she enjoys travelling, playing the accordion, arranging flowers, going to the theatre and taking part in all kinds of water sports.

Peter Sokol studied English and History at the Faculty of Education in České Budějovice. Before joining VIA, he gained teaching experience at three different schools – Propojení Primary School in Sedlčany, Open Gate and Duhovka High School. At the same time, he collaborates on projects dedicated to the training of history teachers. He is currently working with the organisation Antikomplex to develop the Czech version of the ‘Facing History and Ourselves’ programme.

Apart from education, Peter enjoys good films, especially those shown at the Sedlčany Film Club, which he has been running for several years.