The 23rd Annual TESOL Greece – Athens College Event was successfully held at the Athens College Theater on Sunday, February 9, 2025. This year’s theme, “Fostering Engagement through Progressive Instructional Strategies,” provided educators with the opportunity to explore innovative methods to enhance student engagement.

The conference was inaugurated with warm greetings from Mr. George Kokolas, Vice President of TESOL Greece, and Ms. Vicky Mavrika, Interschool Head of English at Athens College.

The plenary session was delivered by Ms. Evangelia Karagianni (PhD in Teacher Development & MEd in TEFL), who addressed the growing challenge of task overload (multitasking) for both teachers and students in today’s educational environment. Her speech, titled “Taming Task Overload: Tips for Teachers and Tactics for Learners,” offered practical advice and strategies for effectively managing workload in the classroom, aimed at reducing stress and enhancing learning.

The contributions of all the conference speakers were thought-provoking and insightful. Representatives from Athens College and TESOL Greece shared their knowledge and experiences.

From Athens College:

• Mary Efthimiou (Psychico College, Elementary School) on “Redefining Progress: The Transformative Power of Going Back to Basics,” accompanied by guest speaker Elena Marinopoulou
• Marina Seitanidi (Athens College, High School) on “A High School English Teacher’s Guide to Surviving AI”
• Maria Tanti (Athens College Library) & Mia Tierney (Fulbright Fellow) on “Empowering Students: Navigating Fake News and Building Media Literacy Skills”

From TESOL Greece:

• Marina Diavati on “Metamorphosis: Evolving CLIL for Metaskill Mastery”
• Natasha Manitsa on “Mindset Reset: Reimagining Education & Assessment with Art, SEL, and Philosophy”
• Alexandra Thanou on “Beyond the Textbook: Engaging 21st-Century Learners Through Multitasking and Innovation”
• Nikolas Dellas on “Supporting Teachers in Multitasking Environments: Promoting Well-Being, Productivity, and Professional Growth"

The conference attracted educators from Athens College as well as members of TESOL Greece, who had the opportunity to enrich their knowledge and develop new strategies for teaching and learning.

The event concluded with the cutting of the TESOL Greece Vasilopita (generously sponsored by Burlington Books), followed by a lunch hosted by Athens College in the theater’s foyer. Participants had the chance to exchange ideas in a pleasant and friendly atmosphere.

Watch in full the speeches of Athens College representatives below.