Strengthening Future Skills through PLCs

This school year, our educators are coming together in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) to engage deeply with topics that support our mission and vision. PLCs provide a structured space for educators to reflect on their practice, exchange ideas, and explore new approaches to teaching and learning—all with the goal of better supporting students’ development.

Aligned with this year’s annual theme, Future Skills (Zukunftskompetenz), each PLC focuses on how learning environments can be designed to help students develop essential competencies for the future, such as self-regulation, autonomy, and responsibility for their own learning.

One of these groups, the Voice and Choice PLC, recently had the opportunity to connect with Prof. Dr. Ferdinand Stebner from Osnabrück University in an online session. Prof. Stebner, an expert in self-regulated learning, shared research-based insights and practical impulses during an engaging hour-long exchange. The discussion offered valuable perspectives on how students can be empowered to take an active role in their learning process.

The conversation further strengthened the group’s commitment to placing each student’s individual needs at the center of teaching and learning. By connecting educational research with classroom practice, our PLC work helps ensure that our school’s mission and vision are lived every day—preparing students with the skills they need to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

We thank Prof. Dr. Stebner for his time and inspiring input and look forward to potential future collaboration.