Markus Röder

Head Master Secondary School, Geography

I grew up in dreamlike Salzkammergut. After completing Secondary School and Commercial College, I asked myself the question of what profession I should take up. At 17, I realized how good I was at explaining things to people. I enjoyed finding out their level of achievement, thinking up exercises for the next step, and implementing them when the next step finally arrived. That was what I really wanted to do. At that time, it was training children in volleyball.

I got interested in geography quite early, probably because of my holidays throughout Europe in a caravan. I gained my interest in healthy nutrition from my mother. So, I started my diploma studies in geography and, after two years, extended it to teaching qualifications in combination with nutrition studies. At the same time, I played volleyball on a national level. After completing my studies, I worked in public and private schools with two hours a week teaching geography in Phönix Secondary School. In 2009, I was entrusted with the position of headmaster. The concept of the running of the school convinced me right from the start. The combination of a comprehensive approach, close co-operation with the parents, and the possibility of really getting to know each child individually has proven to be a successful recipe since 2007.

When students win national competitions, when an entire class manages to pass the School Leaving Certificate on their first attempt or when a student achieves straight As and thus doesn’t need to pay school fees the following year, these are the highlights for the Headmaster. They illustrate how well the school concept works for all those involved. For me, however, the greatest confirmation is when former students return to our school – even those for whom we were not the right school – and are thankful for what the school did for them.