The truth seen through the eyes of children
Daniela Gavril
600 middle and high school students from villages across the Șușița basin, a tributary of the Siret River, come daily to attend classes at “Ioan Slavici” Theoretical High School in Panciu, Vrancea County. More than half of them commute.
One of the dedicated teachers who stands by the children and young people of this high school is mathematics teacher Daniela Gavril.
How did you choose this profession?
I studied at the Faculty of Mathematics, inspired by my middle school math teacher, who used to call me “colleague.” For the child I was back then, it was a source of pride that a teacher placed so much trust in me, and motivated by this, I chose in turn to become a math teacher – to be an inspiration for children.
With 23 years of teaching experience, Mrs. Gavril speaks with pride about the team she is part of.
I grew alongside my colleagues, the other teachers in the high school, and together we are a young team determined to take education to another level, because we believe that school must first and foremost be dynamic. Dynamic and flexible, so that we can adapt to everything new.
The teacher is also the school’s educational counselor, and in this role she believes it is important to bring in programs, projects, and activities that fulfill students on the non-formal side, outside of class hours. The high school in Panciu offers an extraordinarily diverse range of activities: it is an eTwinning school, runs Erasmus projects, has a choir, a theater troupe, a cheerleading team, a robotics club (which she herself coordinates and where there is great joy these days as they won a €5,000 grant from the First Tech Challenge program of “Nation through Education”), and even a – surely you wouldn’t expect this – an astronomical observatory in the schoolyard.
“We care about bringing students quality, up-to-date experiences, everything that can mean added value.”
What is your perspective on the role of a teacher?
The teacher must be close to the students, so that they find in their teachers support, openness, and discussion partners. As a teacher, you need to be a pleasant person, connected to your students, because otherwise it will be difficult for the child to see the beauty of the subject you teach.
Even though today the teacher is seen as wearing many hats – from nurse, to psychologist, guard, bureaucrat, social worker – I hope the main role is not forgotten, that of mentor and guide for children. There are moments when it feels overwhelming to juggle so many roles, but life alongside children lifts you up again: when you feel it is hard, you go among them and you recharge with energy.
She describes herself as a fair teacher, one who looks into the children’s eyes when speaking about mathematics, this permanent and universal science that she always tries to present anchored in reality.
How do you encourage children’s curiosity?
I like technology, so we use the phone and the interactive board in class. The students use educational software, math games, and they can’t believe that some of these were created by former students of the high school.
If resources were not a problem, I would like to…
… equip the school with everything up to date, because students must have access to things that spark their curiosity. I would create a place where they can relax, be free to initiate various activities and clubs, and where the school can provide the necessary materials and space.
But I would also take care of their physical health, because I noticed they have unhealthy eating habits, possibly due to commuting and eating whatever they can on the road – I would set up a cafeteria and a swimming pool, so they can have a healthy diet and access to sports activities.
What advice would you give to a young person at the beginning of their career?
I don’t really like to give advice, but I tell high schoolers who confide in me that they are thinking of becoming teachers that this is not an easy path, but it is a very beautiful one. Being a teacher is continuous work, in which you must understand that you hold the destiny of children in your hands and you must manage to give them your best, to be the best in front of them.
This article was written by Mădălina Lescai, 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.