From drama stages to language classrooms

Following her mother’s footsteps

“My mom has always shown me that being a teacher is a noble profession where you can make a genuine difference in people’s lives,” Maja explains, describing the influence that led her to study language and philosophy at Zagreb’s Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.

What started as following her mother’s example evolved into Maja’s own conviction that language education offers more than grammar rules – it creates bridges between cultures, people, and sometimes even parts of ourselves. Now as a school manager at Let’s Learn, she shapes this philosophy into a broader vision.

The classroom as a stage

In the school Maja manages, language learning transforms through drama techniques. Students improvise conversations, adopt new personas, and create stories – all while absorbing vocabulary and grammar structures in engaging ways.

“When students hide behind a character, they can express themselves more freely without overthinking grammar or vocabulary,” she explains. “Drama methods work perfectly with language learning because both are about authentic communication.”

This theatrical approach creates a rare learning environment where making mistakes isn’t just accepted – it’s celebrated as the only genuine path to fluency. As school manager, Maja encourages all teachers to embrace this philosophy.

Beyond managing: exploring mind and matter

While her professional life revolves around school management and pedagogy, Maja’s curiosity extends far beyond administrative tasks. She practices meditation and journaling, diving into psychology books to better understand herself and the learning process.

“I’ve recently become fascinated with exploring mental well-being,” she shares. “These insights help us create better learning environments. I believe understanding how our minds work is crucial for effective teaching methodologies.”

This breadth of interests reflects her management philosophy – that genuine connection to education comes through multiple perspectives and approaches, which she encourages throughout her school.

Creating community through language

For Maja, managing a language school means fostering spaces where individual needs balance with collective learning. She ensures groups stay small – never more than eight students – so everyone receives personalised attention while still benefiting from peer interaction.

“The most challenging and rewarding part of developing our teaching approach is recognising when someone needs a different strategy – when to simplify, when to challenge, and when to let students help each other,” she explains. “Sometimes peers understand each other better than teachers can explain.”

This community-centered approach reflects Maja’s broader vision of language education as more than skill transmission – it’s about creating spaces where people find their voice, their confidence, and sometimes even pieces of themselves they hadn’t yet discovered. As school manager, she works to infuse this philosophy throughout Let’s Learn.