The sparkle in children’s eyes, the greatest motivation
Steluța Claudia Berechet
Steluța Claudia Berechet is a teacher of economics and commerce at “Ion Ghica” Economic College in Brăila, one of the most important technological education institutions in the county.
Nearly three decades after first stepping into the teachers’ lounge, she speaks with great warmth about her professional journey, the challenges, and the everyday joys that give meaning and fulfillment to the teaching profession.
“I’ve been a teacher since 1997, in the very high school where I was once a student,” she tells us. After graduating from the Faculty of Economic Sciences, she began her career in an accounting and marketing company. Later, following advice from her family, she submitted her application to the same high school she had graduated from.
I was accepted and I stayed, because I liked it and because I discovered many things about myself. I had never liked speaking in public, I preferred to stay in the background, but being a teacher means knowing how to speak and, at the same time, how to listen. As proof that I had found my place, two years into teaching, when my former homeroom teacher asked me if I knew anyone who could work as an economist in an important company, I didn’t think of myself for a second, even though at that time I wasn’t yet a tenured teacher. I recommended someone else for the economist position, and I stayed in education. I don’t regret it.
What motivates you to be a teacher?
As a teacher, I am motivated by the sparkle in children’s eyes, when I see their faces light up, when they are attentive and show interest. That’s when I know I’ve managed to keep them close, that I made myself understood, and that they feel comfortable at their desks instead of waiting for the bell to ring.
How do you encourage love and curiosity for the subjects you teach?
It is both difficult and easy. Difficult because sometimes the concepts are new and unfamiliar to them, and easy because I can make connections with the real world. For example, in 9th grade, where I teach Product Quality, when we talk about food products we all consume or use daily, I manage to help them see things from a different perspective. Similarly, in 10th grade, where I teach Consumer and Environmental Protection, they become aware that all our actions matter – for ourselves, for those around us, and that they also have consequences, which future generations will feel most strongly.
It is more challenging in 12th grade, where students are already focused on the Baccalaureate exam and possibly university admission, and the subject you teach may no longer spark the same level of interest.
What does a successful class look like?
A successful lesson is one in which students are engaged. Technology helps a lot. We have interactive boards in almost all classrooms and use digital platforms that capture their interest. Beyond building skills, education is also about transmitting knowledge and information, and having visual support makes a difference. Technology offers many benefits, although often there isn’t enough time to explore all of them.
Students are interested in anything new, and sometimes the roles reverse: “Many times, I learn from them as well. I ask them to show me how certain applications work, and they are delighted to be able to help and to feel that their value is recognized.”
Professional challenges and satisfactions
One major challenge remains capturing students’ attention, but also finding new methods and the time needed to apply them, especially when it comes to technology and the multitude of platforms that on one hand make our lives easier, and on the other hand more complicated.
The satisfactions come in the form of unexpected messages, when former students call her years later or stop her on the street and ask, “How are you, Mrs. Homeroom Teacher?” They also come when parents thank her for supporting their children to reach olympiads or ask for their children to be placed in her class because they have heard good things.
“Maybe many of the things taught in class fade after high school, but I know I taught children to be respectful, responsible, attentive to others and to the environment they live in. And these are some of the most important things they carry with them.”
If the school had unlimited resources you would…
I would create a space where children could eat and socialize, a new building wing for practical workshops, and extracurricular clubs where students could discover or develop their passions. And if it were possible, I would give students more patience, so they could understand that school can also be a place where they feel good.
A message for those preparing to become teachers
To be a teacher, you must enjoy working with children, be curious, always well prepared, and above all, patient. Being a teacher is not only about teaching, but about reaching children’s hearts, making them feel close to you, being willing to listen, to understand their real problems, to answer the phone at 10:00 p.m. or 5:30 in the morning. And to make every child feel they can come with an open heart, without fear of being criticized or judged. Many times, we are not just teachers – we are confidants and emotional support.
This article was written by Laura Călin, Institutional Partnerships Coordinator in the Own Your Path program, as part of the Storybook Teachers project, a series of 20 articles about the Partner Teachers of the program.