The Educational Workshop comprises two phases, spanning a period of approximately two years.

In Phase 1, five modules of the training programme are delivered, each over two consecutive training days. During these modules, based on input regarding various teaching approaches and classroom examples, concrete lesson plans are drawn up in collaborative workshop sessions; these must then be tested in the participants’ own classrooms between modules. Each subsequent module builds on the experiences gained during this process. Phase 1 concludes with the fifth module, which school heads are required to attend so that concrete steps for change can be developed for their respective schools.

The second phase focuses on in-school teaching development. The transfer to the individual school level is supported by process advisers of the school’s own choosing. They accompany the school for at least one further school year and work closely with the school management and the workshop participants. They support the dissemination of the workshop’s ideas amongst the teaching staff, for example within subject and year-group teams.

Barbara Eckstein

has been teaching at the Bergedorf District School in Hamburg for many years and coordinates project-based learning there. For six years, she worked as a teaching trainer in the Department of Inclusive School and Teaching Development at the State Institute for Teacher Training, advising schools facing difficult circumstances.

Silke Gotha

has been a teacher at the Bergedorf Community School in Hamburg since 2006 and has been working with great dedication for many years to bring about change in teaching and schools.

Nicole Kersten

has been Head of Teaching at Alexanderstraße Secondary School since 2011; this is a school on the move, continuing to develop in a forward-looking way.

In total, up to 8 schools from the OFZ region may take part. Three to five teachers per school may participate. It is recommended that places be allocated to teachers who teach different subjects and are actively involved in subject-specific collaboration within the school. It is expressly intended that a member of the school management team should attend two face-to-face and two online sessions (see schedule). The workshop is designed for a fixed group of participants.

Participants undertake to actively take part in all events organised by the Pädagogische Werkstatt. Where overnight accommodation is provided at the conference centre, participants are strongly encouraged to make use of it. School heads are expected to provide targeted support for the processes of individualising learning in their schools and to take part themselves in modules 1 and 5, as well as the compulsory online sessions.

The training programme is funded by the State of Lower Saxony as a priority area of education policy. Accommodation costs may be incurred if an overnight stay is required (with the exception of Module 5, where an overnight stay for participants is included in the programme).

Schools wishing to take part should apply informally by email () by 30 November 2026, clearly addressing the following aspects, amongst others:

• A brief profile of the school (max. 1 page – including details of the school type, size, catchment area, distinctive features of the school, etc.)

• Reasons for participating in the ‘Pädagogische Werkstatt Lernen’ (Which teaching and school development projects are currently of particular importance at your school? What do you hope to gain from participating in the PWL?)

The application must be accompanied by a list of the participating teachers, named individually.

The selection of participating schools will be made jointly by the team of trainers and the OFZ. All schools will be notified of the decision by 15 December 2026. After that, all participants can register for the event via the NLC.

Module 1: 25–26 January 2027 (Mon/Tue) Creating the right conditions: A different approach to learning (compulsory for school heads)

Module 2: 15–16 June 2027 (Tue/Wed) Planning lessons differently: Individual and collaborative learning

Online meeting with school management: 14 September 2027, 2.00 pm (Tuesday)

Module 3: 6–7 October 2027 (Wed/Thu) Planning lessons differently: In-depth study of subject-specific teaching methods

Module 4: 7 February – 8 February 2028 (Mon/Tue) Learning support, assessment and performance evaluation

Online meeting with the school management: 30 March 2028, 2.00 pm (Thursday)

Module 5: 30–31 May 28 (Tue/Wed) OR 21–22 June (Wed/Thu) Developing a supportive framework for the school’s own development (compulsory for headteachers)

To find out more about all this, we warmly invite you to attend the information session on 28 October 26 at 2 pm in the assembly hall of the Alexanderstraße School Centre in Oldenburg. You can register here.