Children’s success is our pride
Loredana Mihaela Sava
“Ștefan Odobleja” College in Craiova has a mixed profile, offering both theoretical and technological tracks, and enrolls over one thousand students each year, with notable academic results. The school also stands out through its extracurricular activities and modern educational projects, including an award-winning robotics club and participation in European programs, being part of the network of Erasmus+ accredited high schools.
Loredana Mihaela Sava is a school counselor teacher at “Ștefan Odobleja” College in Craiova, with 20 years of experience in education and in the school counseling and psycho-pedagogical support office. Every day, she builds relationships of trust with students, demonstrating through her work that education is grounded in empathy and authentic presence.
“I have been in the field of education for 20 years, and although experience certainly helps, this role remains a constant challenge. The role of a school counselor is a complex one. It is not limited to working only with students, but also involves parents and the wider community, as well as close collaboration with colleagues and educational partners, all while managing sensitive situations with a great deal of empathy.”
She graduated from the Faculty of Philosophy and Sociology in 2002 and later from the Faculty of Psychology in 2008. The decision to become a teacher was not necessarily planned, but rather influenced by context, family, and friends. Looking back, she believes it was the right choice. Throughout her career, she has taught social sciences subjects such as logic, psychology, sociology, and philosophy, and currently, alongside her work in the school counseling office, she teaches Counseling and Career Guidance to vocational classes.
Counseling and Career Guidance is a comprehensive subject. It touches on topics related to self-awareness and personal management, communication, career planning and development, themes connected to the labor market, lifestyle, and work. Considering my role in the school, I like to believe that my relationship with students is a close one, that it goes beyond transmitting information, and is instead based on authentic communication.
She cultivates students’ curiosity and interest in the subject through connection and interaction, starting from a well-structured plan with clear objectives, while also addressing themes linked to their life experiences and real needs.
“I believe I manage to capture their interest the moment those few curious eyes are focused on me. Adaptability is key. We must constantly pay attention to children’s needs and personalize the lesson. Technology also plays an important role. There are many educational applications and platforms that support learning.”
Her greatest professional satisfaction comes from the small, everyday successes: “when a child tells you ‘you helped me’ or when they leave the counseling office feeling better. These are small satisfactions, gathered over time, that confirm you are there when needed and that you truly manage to help.”
Among the challenges teachers face today, she speaks about continuous and inevitable adaptation: new technologies, artificial intelligence, generations with different needs, attention difficulties, and complex behaviors. “We are in a permanent learning process. We need the skills to personalize teaching, integrate new technologies, and manage students’ needs. Education is not a one-way process. I learn from the children as well. That is how I manage to adapt.”
As advice for those preparing to become teachers, she highlights the importance of empathy, communication skills, flexibility, motivation, and the desire for continuous learning, complemented by integrity, a great deal of patience, and “the ability to create an inclusive, safe, and welcoming space, based on trust and adapted to each student’s learning pace.”
If she had unlimited resources, she would invest in a more friendly and comfortable school environment, a hot meal for students, as well as continuous professional development and the well-being of teachers.
She speaks with pride and gratitude about her colleagues, both at the school and within the County Center for Educational Resources and Assistance:
“My greatest wealth is my colleagues, both those at school and those in the CJRAE network. Children’s success, the results we see in exams, their integration, all of this represents a team effort. We are a team. We support each other, we advise one another, and we try to face challenges together. I am also glad to see how much CJRAE has developed, both in terms of the number of specialists and institutional recognition, and that today it has become an institution without which the education system could not function in the same way.”
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.