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From an interview with Markéta Kuberská (MK) and Pavel Mentlík (PM) emanates the calm of scientists who know that great changes come slowly, and are worth the effort. A native of Pilsen and his former student from South Bohemia began by exploring the nature around them. Today, at the University of West Bohemia, they’re shaping something equally vital: how future pupils and students will learn to understand the world. 

You’re both connected by the topic of glacial geomorphology. Why glaciers? When did they start to interest you?

PM: Glaciers fascinated me already as a child. I was drawn to the mountains — first through skiing, later through climbing. And glaciers always seemed to me the most exotic and intriguing part of them.

MK: I got interested in glaciers only at university, but I’ve loved nature and mountains since childhood. My mum often took me hiking, though back then I probably couldn’t yet appreciate their beauty and diversity. That came gradually in adulthood.

How does one work on such a topic? Does it require frequent trips to the mountains — or even beyond the Arctic Circle?

PM: Not beyond the Arctic Circle, but I was lucky that the area of Šumava’s glacial lakes was once in a restricted border zone, so no similar research had been done there for decades. Thanks to that, I could begin studying ice age glaciation — first near Prášilské Lake, later around Lake Laka.

MK: As part of my PhD, we regularly went to the Tatras to collect samples and take measurements. So yes, the work definitely requires field trips.

What’s something people don’t know about glaciers but should?

MK: Glaciers tell us about past climates — they expand or retreat in response to it. By studying them, we learn what drives these changes. That helps us understand complex climate relationships and, to some extent, predict how the climate might behave in the future.

PM: Exactly. Glacial research helps verify and refine numerical models. But predicting climate development remains difficult. Humanity emits huge amounts of greenhouse gases, yet natural cycles still play a role — like changes in solar energy reaching Earth. If natural processes repeated as in the last two million years, another ice age would eventually await us.

You also study weak spots in geography teaching. What do Czech schools struggle with?

MK: Students find it hardest to grasp topics requiring imagination — often physical geography themes, like air circulation or tectonic plate movement, which are very abstract.

PM: For example, many think earthquakes happen when two plates collide. In fact, plates don’t float and crash but rather move past each other, and the tension between them causes the tremors.

You both now teach future teachers. What have you learned from each other?

PM: Markéta always emphasized how to convey knowledge — whether to the public or to pupils. That’s crucial for future teachers. I tell my students they’re not here just to learn, but to learn how to pass it on. Markéta understood that deeply.

MK: The dean actually inspired me to focus on didactics — his teaching was different. He wanted us to truly understand how things work. He also helped me see strengths I hadn’t noticed in myself, and that gave me confidence.

How do you recognize a good mentor and a good student in science?

PM: When they learn from each other. A good mentor listens and learns from the student, and the student, in turn, formulates and spreads new insights.

MK: A good mentor is patient, tries to understand the student’s struggles, helps overcome them, and builds confidence. A good student shows genuine interest — that’s what I value most in mine.

How does your research connect with the region?

PM: Part of my geomorphological research focuses on the Šumava Mountains, within the Pilsen Region. But I consider our didactic research — conducted directly in schools — even more important, as it improves teaching quality.

MK: We work with local teachers, learning about real classroom challenges. We help them tackle difficult teaching points and use those findings in our university courses. So future teachers understand the issues today’s pupils face — and can teach more effectively in this region.

What should the next generation of geography teachers be like? What should they keep — and what should they leave behind?

PM: They should love both children and their subject. They need to create a classroom atmosphere where students aren’t afraid to make mistakes and want to learn. A good geography teacher sparks curiosity and a desire to explore the world. I’m glad that some teachers I once taught now teach my own children — I hope they’ve carried forward the joy of teaching.

MK: Rote memorization should stay in the past. Future geography teachers should still pass on core knowledge, but above all, help students truly understand the material — the relationships and connections that shape today’s complex, yet essential, world.