Teaching is based on love

“Let’s start at the very beginning …”

From “The Sound of Music”

32 years has flown by in a flash… I started my teaching career last century! It was in 1975 when I timidly stepped over the threshold of a small village school and found myself in the world of teacherhood. Since that time I have been living in this thrilling, endlessly absorbing, fascinating and delightful world. It is my life. Teaching is not my profession. It is the state on my soul: I feel born to teach. I need to give away what I’ve gathered: knowledge, experience, talents …

I was a light-hearted optimistic student of the Pedagogical Institute. Energy overflowed my nature and I intuitively felt that I had to use that power in the best way. My insides demanded daring deeds. Could I suspect then that I was driven by God to discover the truth of my life? Could I expect that the way from childhood to teacherhood would be so short?

The first step was taken at the gates of the orphanage where I saw a little fair-haired girl in a threadbare dress watching the passers-by. Our eyes met. How much adult sorrow was in that gaze! Reproach? Entreaty? Or loneliness? Being only an eighteen-year-old I couldn’t entirely comprehend the complexity of the feelings hidden in the girl’s heart. I merely felt with every fibre of my being that she had chosen me to care. And I did. Each weekend I ran to the orphanage to my children with candies and white and rosy marshmallow.

Have you watched the film “The Sound of Music”? it seemed to me that I was like Maria, the main heroine of my favourite musical. Time flew swiftly when I taught children all songs from the film. By the way, it was very popular at that time and we went to watch the film where Maria sang among beautiful foothills of the Tyrolean Alps. She had music in her heart. When Maria became a governess, her love for music and nature was transferred to the children just like my love for life was transferred to the orphans.

Each weekend I hurried to them and it was not my duty, it was necessity to be a person who cares, teaches… and loves! Teaching is based on LOVE, it’s as simple as that.

That girl in a threadbare dress turned out to be a gifted individual. She drew, sang and danced in an exceptional manner. I was touched when she said to me one day, “You inspired me to compose a song”. At that time the word ‘inspire’ was generally associated with the communist party of the Soviet Union, but by no means with pedagogy. I could hardly suppress my tears listening to her amazing singing. That girl, Anna by name, dreamt to play the piano. She saw this instrument on TV, the only one technical aid they had in the orphanage. So I took her by the hand and we went to the Musical college, where the director listened to Anna and found her singing impressive. In 2 years the girl was accepted to that college, and after graduating from it with a first-class honours degree, she became a teacher of music. Anna has three children who know the songs from “The Sound of Music” by heart …

It was my first victory in guiding children in developing their talents and abilities.

I have a variety of interests including classical music, singing, reading, travelling, biking… my friends often say that I am a born actress. Others say that I am a born singer, and while I can’t deny that I enjoy both singing and acting, teaching is the only profession that allows me to incorporate all my talents with leading students in raising their abilities, with my natural aspiration to care and share. “We grow through sharing ourselves.”

I always find the truth in these words written by Herbert Otto. No profession encompasses such a huge range of skills as teaching. During 45 minutes a teacher is a tutor, a psychologist, a painter, an actor, a counselor, a speaker, a singer, a director, a critic, a leader, a supporter, a contemplator.

I am driven by a need to fill students again and again. And I need to be filled as well. Students and teachers test each other constantly. The partnership between teacher and student nourishes a unique collaboration. I am proud to be mutual friends with my students. As the fates decree, my former students live, study and work in different corners of the world and each time when they write or call me my heart rejoices in their victories and success in English as well as in their life, work and studies.

I remember how many efforts I put into educating one (among the hundreds!) of my students and involving her in all sorts of competitions. The girl had a great potential but she didn’t aspire to reach it. Natasha had a constant fear of failing. By that moment I had won a lot of competitions and knew that each victory is gained by hard work. I said, “Don’t be discouraged by a failure, it can be a positive experience. If you don’t begin, you will never win. Try.” And Natasha tried. She failed the City Olympiad in the English language. Her first failure made the girl ambitious and decisive. We worked the whole school year reading and discussing original literature, doing grammar tests, writing compositions. The next year Natalia won. The young woman is successfully studying abroad now. She often rings me up and we speak only English. Once she said, “Hello, AD (students call me so)! Your dream has come true. The only language I speak here is English.”

The fact is that all my students know that my favourite and frequently used phrase in the classroom is “In English, please”. I do believe that the best way to learn to speak English is to speak it. I try to encourage my students to be confident. If they have this confidence, they have an ability to succeed.

A teacher’s happiness lies in the seeds s/he sows. How excited I am to recollect all my dear students who won City, Oblast, All-Ukrainian and International competitions in the English language. One of them, Andriy Rusnak, gave me a signed painting at his graduation party, and written on it was, “To the most important person in my life”. I hope all my students know that they are important to me too.

Being a teacher is one of the greatest ways to contribute to society. I am proud that many of my students followed my example and they are respected teachers now. Among my students there are teachers of English, actors, bankers, theatre directors, ambassadors, journalists, doctors, managers, musicians, programmers.

Victor Hugo wrote, “He who opens a school door, closes a prison”.

Before the gymnasia I worked at a secondary school where many boys and girls were from s0-called difficult families. Some of them were registered at the militia. I had no free days at the time. What sorts of activities did I not invent to switch difficult teenagers to positive thoughts and actions! Hikes to the forest, museums, theatres, music – everything was done for the sake of saving children. All teachers can share the successful stories. I am not an exception. One windy day I took a taxi to get home quicker. A taxi driver asked me if I remembered him. Sasha! He was a difficult child whose parents were alcoholics. " I “ill never forget those Indian dolls you put on the school lawn and told about each of them. you opened beauty to my heart and I decided that I would never repeat my parent’s mistakes.”

One more, probably, the most miraculous story from my experience. Iryna obtained a full store of bad habits. She smoked, drank alcohol, ran away from home. The girl got into trouble and found herself in the mental hospital. I don’t know what induced me to take a record with rock opera “Junona and Avos” devoted to the touching love story of the Earl NikolaI Rezanov and Conchita, and bring it to the hospital. I asked Iryna to listen to the opera. It was crucial moment in the girl’s life. Just one piece of music changed her life in an instant. Or maybe, the reason was not in music… Iryna married after school, and when her son grew up, she came to me, saying “I was silly not to learn English. Please, teach my son”. Isn’t this story incredible?

Perhaps, I may sound immodest writing all these stories but I do hope that my experience will be useful for young teachers. Dear colleagues, don’t care about sleepless nights! Don’t be afraid to get tired of succession of ideas! Remember, teaching is sacrifice. There is nothing quite like the feeling you get when you encourage a child to feel good about her/himself – everyone gets a warm glow! Even the little kindnesses and courtesies are so important.

I feel that working with young people, helping them to prepare for the challenges of the future has made my life rewarding.

I am delighted when I see my former students bring their children to my class to study English. I help children to grow up and they help me to stay young. The uniqueness of my profession is in its constant refreshment. I get older in May and in September I am young again. It’s fantastic, isn’t it? And I start at the very beginning.

32 years has flow by in a flash… but I don’t regret it and I am still full of energy and enthusiasm. Sorry, I have to go. Children are waiting for me to rehearse an extract from “The Sound of Music”, the soundtrack of my life.

So, children: “Let’s start at the very beginning

A very good place to start

When you read you begin with A-B-C

When sing you begin with do-re-mi…”

A teacher is a passionate learner in the constant search of truth. I have found this truth.

P.S. All stories are real. Even names are not changed.

Luckily, I wasn’t able to cram my teaching experience into 3 pages.