Written by: Rebecca Sprengel

 

Ever tried to herd cats? Well our former chair, Katrin Beringer, was expert at it using all her people skills, tact and humour. This month’s article is dedicated to Katrin  who I had the pleasure of interviewing. Katrin, you will be deeply missed.

Why and when did you choose to join ELTAS? Please describe your path at ELTAS

It must have been around 2005 when I joined ELTAS. I heard about it for the first from the VHS where I taught adults. I think what I liked most about attending ELTAS events was being in an international environment, something I had always enjoyed. At that time I was more involved in my PR career as a copywriter. I would say I was a rather invisible member in my early years; I never went to any after-workshop dinners.

This all changed when Michelle Hunter took over as chair in 2012 and I joined the committee as PR officer and secretary. I felt instantly accepted and I fully enjoyed our meetings and outings to conferences, too. Two years later Krystyna Key took over as chair and I soon became her deputy. During my time as chair from 2016-2021 the committee became even more dynamic in many ways. We were a big team and that’s why we were able to implement a lot of projects. The digitalisation of our teamwork was fundamental for this growth.

Describe your fondest memory/most challenging circumstance/most powerful learning experience

My fondest and most challenging memories are definitely from 2019 which marked our 30th anniversary. We were reaching for the stars. We developed new logos and designs, we had bags and T-shirts printed for our members, we organised a big conference together with Klett and we published a special edition of our ELTAS magazine.   At the brunch party in July we celebrated our 30th anniversary with our members and special guests.

And, there was this one late afternoon sometime in March 2019 which was the experience of a lifetime: 10 members met at Andy Yarahmadi’s studio and recorded the ELTAS anthem “You gotta teach it”. I felt as if I was in a movie. And thanks to his contacts in the creative scene we even made a professional video clip with members to capture the spirit of ELTAS. That year definitely stands out and I’m very proud of what we achieved together. It was a bit too much at times for my work-life balance because keeping an overview of all those activities felt more like work, but it was worth it, every single minute of it.

What do you plan to do with all this free time when you step down?

I can’t wait to be just a “regular” member. How wonderful it must be to sign up for a workshop or any other event without any feeling of “being in charge”. I just want to sit back and enjoy! About my free time? Catching up on what I had neglected. Our front door needs some paint and I want to give my career another twist. Besides teaching English I work as a career coach for job seekers who receive this support  from the “Agentur für Arbeit”. That’s what I want to explore more: helping high school graduates find a career that suits their talents and ambitions. I’ve realised that there are a lot of young people out there who are overwhelmed by the opportunities. They don’t know how to get started. Due to my corporate and university experience I have been observing trends on the education and job markets for a long time.

What would you recommend to members thinking of taking up ELTAS committee work?

I can only recommend to give it a shot. For me it was a game changer in so many ways. You just connect more when you are on the committee. You can try things out and be creative; you become more tech-savvy, and you develop your communication and intercultural skills. You also make friends, get to know publishers and meet a lot of interesting speakers and experts in our business. And you certainly have another standing in the eyes of potential employers. I’ll miss the fun we had together – but I’m glad to say that over the many years my committee colleagues have become friends, too. It’s not goodbye.

I wish the newly elected 2021 team all the very best. I’m sure that they’ll make ELTAS thrive even more.