Tell me, please, what is your greatest pride as a teacher?

In 2009 we qualified for the National Geography Olympiad. Two of our students won national mentions. In fact, if I could take you now to the geography classroom, I would show you the map of students who were open to going to geography competitions. Not necessarily to win. Many children participate in competitions simply to gain experience.

When I visited your high school during the Own Your Path tour, I remember how the school’s hallways reflected the fact that you have diverse activities and collaborative projects. How do you encourage curiosity for your subject?

By creating a space that encourages students to ask questions about the world around them, which, as I said, is largely geography. When the war in Ukraine broke out, we spent entire lessons discussing political geography, since in 10th grade we have a full chapter on this topic, studying the state and current issues in political geography.

Yes, geography in context reaches students more quickly. I was going to ask you what a successful lesson looks like, but I can already sense from your answers that you encourage open discussions…

Exactly. That is what matters to me, because otherwise I wouldn’t be able to draw students in, I wouldn’t be able to help them pass exams, and certainly not reach performance level. But I constantly remind myself that, besides the hours at the Center of Excellence, I primarily teach mainstream education, and for students to pass exams you have to keep them close. Today, when the phone is central, you have to find a way to use it to your advantage.

So you use technology…

Of course. I use phones in 10th and 11th grade to access Google games where students learn countries, capitals, and global distribution. Sometimes we also do online quizzes in class.

I make use of technology and I believe the pandemic period was an advantage from this perspective. There are many children from rural, disadvantaged areas of Călărași who want to do extra work outside of school hours but cannot stay after school because they commute. So the inclusive solution is clear – we open a Google Meet, and work online with those who cannot remain at school like the others.

What is the role of the teacher today?

Today, the teacher should no longer be that strict, rigid person standing in front of the students dictating. It is clear that we, as teachers, must come down to their level, be among them. If we remain stuck in the mentality of “I am the teacher, I stand at the front, and you (the students) sit up straight in your desks and do everything I say, I know, I tell, I do,” we will never achieve quality education.

What is the greatest challenge you face in the classroom?

To keep their attention. You have to establish the need for very clear rules to maintain attention. I mentioned that we use phones in class, but under certain principles – we agree together that they stay in the backpack, we all take them out when we have online exercises, but when I’m explaining, the phone must be put aside. Yes, this is the greatest challenge – it has always been a challenge to keep 30 pairs of eyes attentive, but now more than ever.

Moving from the classroom to the school community, if the school had unlimited resources, where would you direct them?

That is a truly difficult question! First of all, I would build another building – classrooms are quite small, classes are large, with over 30 students, so it is very clear that we need more space. Another thing I would wish for is for each classroom to be subject-specific. The teacher should remain in their own classroom with all the teaching materials, while students move from one class to another depending on their schedule. It is important that when you teach, you have all the materials at hand – maps, globes, rocks, and a projector – so you can recreate the universe you want to show your students. There is a lot of unpredictability when you move from one classroom to another, projectors sometimes don’t work, and some materials become difficult to carry around. A third thing I would do for the school is to restore what we once had here at Odobescu High School in Lehliu Gară: a dormitory and a cafeteria for commuting children. This way, they could focus on learning and not on the two or three hours spent daily on the road, sometimes even walking, to get to school – hours that drain the energy they need for studying. In these conditions, and supported by programs like Own Your Path, these children could manage well and focus on their education.

What advice would you give to a young person preparing to become a teacher?

To do this profession out of passion, to come prepared when they stand at the front of the classroom, to connect with other teachers, and to be open to change – because students will put you in situations where you must stay open to their world.