Welcome to ELT in Greek Primary Schools!
Vivi (Paraskevi) Hamilou is an appointed English Language Teacher and HeadTeacher at the 4th Primary School of Almyros, in the Prefecture of Magnesia, Greece. She holds a BA in English Language and Literature from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and a Master’s Degree in English Language Teaching from the University of Patras. Her postgraduate dissertation focused on: “Exploring CALL in the Greek Public Primary School: From Theory to Practice.”
She has been serving as a HeadTeacher in Greek Public Primary Schools since 2022, leading with a strong emphasis on collaborative culture, pedagogical innovation, and teacher empowerment. In July 2025, she was honored with a Silver Award for organizing, developing, and successfully implementing in-school asynchronous online distance teacher training.
With over 25 years of teaching experience (in both private and public sectors), Vivi is particularly interested in the integration of educational technology, drama in education, teacher training, and project-based learning. She has participated in numerous conferences, seminars, and eTwinning programs, and is committed to lifelong learning and professional development.
As a passionate ELT blogger since 2010, she curates the blog ELT in Greek Primary Schools, which serves as a platform for sharing classroom projects, reflective articles, and teacher resources. Her writing has been featured in various ELT magazines and has fostered a vibrant professional network across the ELT community in Greece and beyond.
She actively promotes student voice and creativity, having produced student newspapers for over five years and leading a Theatre Club at her school since 2023. Vivi is also a member of local cultural and volunteer organizations, including:
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Keremidogatoi and SkenoPaiktes theatre groups (since 2010 and 2018, respectively)
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FLOGA, supporting families of children with cancer
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History, Literature, and Art Club of the Cultural Association of Efxeinoupolis
She identifies as an independent researcher, open to academic collaboration, educational writing, and innovation in ELT and primary education. Above all, she believes in the transformative power of education, values teamwork, and considers teaching to be “the best job in the world.”
#ELT #Greek_Primary_School #ELT_blog
Dear Vivi,
I came across this FANTASTIC blog of yours and I am writing to congratulate you on your work! It is as bright and lively as you were at PEKADE event in Larissa!
My blog : http://www.englishstaffroom.blogspot.com is a recent attempt and parallel to the setting up of the websiite, so it needs further improvement.
I would appreciate further communication, cooperation, friendship and of course sharing of ideas and expertise!
Yours,
Marianthi Kotadaki
School Advisor for English in Achaia, Peloponnese
Dear Ms Kotadaki,
Your kind and encouraging comments are highly appreciated, it means a lot to me!
Your presentation at the PEKADE event in Larissa was really inspiring (and very professional!)! I’m currently working on a lesson plan with YouTube videos for my 6th graders, as I would like them to feel the excitement and have the fun I did, during the presentation of your lesson – standing in our learners’ shoes during your presentation was brilliant, so I hope I can achieve the same learner involvement in such a fun-filled lesson!
I follow both blogs, there are interesting, eye-opening posts and they’re frequently updated! Communicating, cooperating, exchanging ideas and being friends with you is a warmly welcomed and highly appreciated suggestion! Looking forward to all these!
Thanks again,
Vivi Hamilou
All sites that can make an EFL teacher’s life easier and more pleasant are welcomed here! Thank you for being there for us and a round of applause for your fantastic job! Keep it up!!!
Good afternoon!
I’ve just run into your wonderful blog and I would like to congratulate you! It’s my first year as an English teacher in primary school (I was a high school teacher for about 15 years) and I would appreciate your help with something: could you tell me how we can call «ευέλικτη ζώνη» in English?
Thank you for the supporting comment, I really appreciate it! Your question is a tough one, indeed! There has been a lot of discussion about that issue, as some of us try to translate it as closely as possible (calling it Flexible Zone) and some of us try to explain what it is (therefore choosing terms like Free Zone, or Free Hour). All these years that I’ve been working in eTwinning programs, I have discussed about this with other European colleagues. Some of them have something similar in their schools and they call it Golden Hour, which is the term I like best, as it really is a golden opportunity for crosscurricular projects and experiential learning!