Vlatka Butković holds a Masters Degree in Art History and in English Language and Literature from the University of Zagreb, Croatia.
In over 25 years of teaching and 20 years as a principal she worked with over 15000 students and their families. She continuously trains a team of teachers whose expertise is the trade mark of Butkovic Education Centre.
Vlatka’s love for web-design and media marketing keeps her finger on the pulse of change and helps her continuously adapt her method to the new generations.
She also sings jazz and blues and knits. Her long time dream is to illustrate and publish story books she’d written inspired by her son and daughter to thank them for teaching her more about herself than any education has.
Field of study
Vlatka has been the Programme Director and ESL teacher in Butkovic Education Centre for over 20 years. Vlatka runs a team of 10 language teachers and numerous associates, managing the duties as a principal, a curriculum designer, trainer and mentor.
Her field of study in the recent years has been the synergy of Classroom Communication and Instructional Technology with the aim to help students recognise the purpose of learning. Having understood the neglected needs of every individual student in the current teaching practice, Vlatka developed the Butković method™, a set of highly adaptable elements of teaching for any classroom regardless of the Subject. Butkovic method™ continuously changes but has firm foundation in education theory, pedagogy, continuous practice and communication with students and their parents.
Vlatka's research is largely dedicated to the psychology of education and the importance of relationships as the foundation of any learning process. She seeks the answers to the secrets of motivation and the learning processes as well as the constant change in the teaching they require with every new child and every new generation.
She grew her school into a platform for teachers and educators in Croatia and internationally, with the goal to exchange knowledge, teaching resources, ideas and good teaching practice. Vlatka holds workshops for schools implementing effective solutions in every-day classrooms and curriculum. She also assists Social Services in helping children from troubled families to open up and connect with their peers.
Butkovic method™ continuously changes but has firm foundation in education theory, pedagogy, continuous practice and communication with students and their parents.
Virtual Conferences
Vlatka co-organizes virtual conferences and meetups and participates in many others. Check the calendar and join the exciting group of international educators.
Vlatka is the co-founder of CEduAD - Connected Educators Appreciation Day annual conference that takes place in October. She was happy to have partnered with Michael Sinclaire, Tim McDonald and Cassie Reeder and organised the panel conference in 2018 that was joined by 26000 participants from 6 continents. In 2019, this annual event's outreach had grown to over 140000 people.
She is also co-organizer of #CEMM - Connected Educators Monthly Meetups with the same fabulous team.
Individually, she is the creator of CEESAconnects - Central and Eastern European Schools Association Virtual platform she has designed to help members of the CEESA organisation to continue collaboration and learning throughout the year.
Publications
Vlatka is a co-author of a series of interactive textbooks for ESL learners, FAIL FORWARD IN READING 1-4, FAIL FORWARD IN GRAMMAR Starter-4 , A CUP OF ENGLISH 1-4. Her partner in crime is her colleague and dear friend, Anita Poljak. Vlatka also did the graphic design of the books, implementing the need to educate students about the design and self-presentation through creative work into the books.
Vlatka is currently writing a book for educators that will thoroughly explain steps behind the successful teaching practice of her and her team in the past 27 years. Her method known as Butkovic method™ brings every student to his or her full potential but most importantly, introduces learning to students in such a way that it becomes a way of life and leads them to highest achievements and personal accomplishments. Working title is Setting An Example: An Adaptive Teacher and is planned to be published in the spring of 2021.
Vlatka is the founder of NoStress Publishing and the creator of the No Stress Publishing website that provides online support to students and teachers who use Fail Forward in Learning and A Cup of English textbooks.
Vlatka's Design
Vlatka Butković holds a Masters Degree in Art History which explains her love of design. She has designed the classrooms of Butkovic Education Centre, modular learning spaces of clear and yet colourful design beloved by students of all ages.
She has designed numerous websites and textbooks. She includes design training in all of her workshops and curriculum programmes, seeing that it is too often overlooked by students and teachers. You can find samples of her textbooks on NoStress Publishing website.
She sees a website as part of your personal story, not only a virtual business card. If you need help in designing your website and getting it promoted on the right platforms, contact her.
Take a look at some of the websites she's designed: CEduAD, , Project Unicorn, EdChange Global, Butkovic Education Centre, NoStress Publishing, CEESAconnects, Dinko Stipanicev, The Brothers.