My-war-lessons - Edcamp

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Today, teachers have a very important task. The war has shown how important it is to instill dignity and media literacy in students so as not to be as blinded by propaganda as the russians are. Liudmyla Khorkova, a history and law teacher, and director of school No.114 in Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk Region, is convinced of this. Liudmyla believes it is essential to know who your enemy is and who your friend is and to stand up for your ideas. Therefore, she develops these skills in her students.

Our country is a wounded bird

Our country is like a bird. Now, it’s war; the bird is injured; its wings have been damaged. But, we must do our utmost to protect it. We must love Ukraine and surround it with care so that it heals, gets better and is reborn like a phoenix from its ashes.

The position of a leader

Kryvyi Rih is close to the front. The enemy was 20 km from the city, but they were pushed back successfully and driven away. They continue shelling the area; the rockets hit very close to my home - about 100m from my house. Of course, I, like everyone else, had a choice - to go or to stay. In the first days of the war, the president said that if everyone leaves, then who will protect the city? It really resonated with me because I love Kryvyi Rih. I definitely decided that I could not go anywhere. Although my sisters, who live in Moldova, tried to persuade me to save my sick husband, for whom there was no medicine at that time.

When hostilities escalated, the city offered to evacuate our district; transport was organized. I had to notify my team, and I wrote about the evacuation in our Viber group. But, in the end, I added that I was staying. My colleagues read my message and also decided to stay. I realized then how important it was for people to have a manager and leader. This gave me strength, because I realized that my school and the people needed me. All doubts about leaving disappeared.

People must have a manager and leader. This gave me strength, because I realized that my school needed me.

Building a reliable rear

Our school is sometimes called "stable 114" on social networks. Whatever task is assigned to us, we can always complete it. The school is classified at a high level because we have a stable staff. Sometimes people say to me: "Your teachers are lucky to have a principal like you.” To this, I answer that, on the contrary, I am happy to have them.

We weave camouflage nets and send them to the front, particularly to Kharkiv and Mykolaiv. I recognized our nets at checkpoints in Kryvyi Rih and felt proud of our work. We prepare homemade food for our Defenders and try to ensure that they get everything they need. We look after school property and monitor the territory. In particular, we planted many new types of flowers; 22 maples were planted on Environment Day. We try to support needy people. We live life to the fullest, just as we lived before. Some functions have just changed a little.

The city has a military administration. Everyone carries out different work here in the rear. I hope that we are a true, reliable rear. The city is protected, and order is maintained. People evaluate the work of the city government in different ways: some defend the administration, others criticize it, but everyone does it openly. It is not like before when Kryvyi Rih was considered an outpost of the Party of Regions. Today, everyone is united by a single goal — to defend themselves and protect the state.

Educational Front

Kryvyi Rih is not far from the front line. The enemy regularly strikes the Zelenodol community in the south of Dnipropetrovsk Region; in July, Nikopol and the Inhuletskyi District of Kryvyi Rih suffered massive attacks. According to the reports of the regional military administration, enemy rockets destroyed schools and institutions dedicated to professional and extracurricular education.

In order to help Ukrainian educators to continue teaching children during the war, the EdCamp Ukraine community launched a crowdfunding campaign — collecting funds for computer equipment and Internet access for teachers who lost their pedagogical equipment in the war. The funds will be used for psychological support for teachers and to organize conferences where they can share their pedagogical experiences during the war. Both foreign colleagues - on the GoFundMe platform, and Ukrainians - on the EdCamp Ukraine page, can join the campaign by adding the comment My War. Lessons to the payment.

The main lesson

People, life and health constitute the highest, most important values. Schoolsthat have been destroyed or burnt can be rebuilt, but it is much more difficult to save human lives. Therefore, people are our most important treasure. May God keep them all alive and healthy!

Before the war, I never paid attention to my friends’ conversations about the fact that every family needs a weapon for protection. Today, I really understand how important it is for each one of us to be able to protect ourselves and other people.

We want to feel needed

Our souls have changed and become more vulnerable. Because we worry about our loved ones and about the entire country, about the children, teachers, and colleagues who have died; yes, this happened. We must face these challenges, overcome them and become stronger. I am thrilled with our students’ success. One of them, Vlad Vyshnevskyi, received the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky III degree. I was very happy for him. I often remember how, as a 9-10-year-old child, I went out on the porch of our house, sat on the stairs, and looked at the sky. Gazing at the countless stars, I thought: what a pity the war ended and I did not have time to become a hero. But, the point is that I never really wanted to be a hero. Even then, I knew that I wanted to feel needed. Today, the situation is such that we are all needed. We need each other; we are needed by our students and our parents. Our Ukraine needs us. We must all do our jobs, stay and work in our place.

I always tell the children that we must be prepared and disciplined in order to overcome the current trials. They will make us even stronger.

Without hurting the children emotionally

We resumed classes and conducted lessons according to the usual school schedule.

We use distance learning technologies, particularly the HUMAN platform, where we plan lessons, post links to Zoom meetings and upload various educational material. Before the war, we wasted a lot of time because we were quarantined for two weeks in February due to COVID-19. Then, we had almost a month of military vacation, so it wasn’t easy to catch up with the curriculum.

Not all children can connect, because many of them have gone abroad. We meet children who are currently in Israel, Germany, Georgia, the Czech Republic, Poland, and the Netherlands. I can't say that they have become more conscious or ready to study. But, I am pleased that there are always 24-25 students in a class of 28. The teaching style has become more tolerant, gentle, and understanding. We made it a rule not to assign low marks to students. We don’t give grades, but assign an average, sufficiently high score to avoid hurting the children emotionally. We allow children to express themselves, speak out, and ask questions. Loyalty and tolerance are at a much higher level than usual. At the same time, I always tell the children that we must be prepared and disciplined in order to overcome the current trials. They will make us even stronger.

I have lessons in the 6^th and 9^th grades. High school boys and girls are more reserved, whereas 6^th graders are very open. They talk a lot, rejoice in our victories and gladly listen to the songs of the Sichovi Striltsi (Sich Riflemen). I greet them and say goodbye with the words "Glory to Ukraine!" At the beginning of the war, there were only a few voices in response, but now there is a whole chorus. Because our children believe that everything will be fine.

Truth and fake

I pay a lot of attention to media literacy. I teach children to recognize fakes; I provide them with resources where they can check different information to find out if it is fake or not. I teach them to understand and question the information that is currently being broadcast on TV. Sometimes, I even conduct a media literacy lesson instead of a history lesson.

We talk a lot about distinguishing between accurate and fake information. Because we see the negative result of propaganda in the russian federation, and this is a big problem. Also, history is so poorly studied in russia; russians actually believe that Stalin and Lenin created the Ukrainian nation. Therefore, media literacy is an integral part of each lesson

We must do our best so that our people do not become as foolish and stupid as the russians.

Lessons of dignity

If I were to hold an EdCamp (non)conference, I would discuss dignity education. We must do our best so that our people do not become as foolish and stupid as the russians. I realize now the great merit of a good education when I see the queues at the military recruitment offices, and people who are offended when they are not accepted in the Territorial Defense Force. I believe this is the merit of many teachers who instilled such values in their children. We planted the concept of human rights and responsibilities; most importantly, the children know, from an early age, what dignity means. I also believe in the relevance of such topics as media literacy, self-awareness, the ability to recognize who the enemy is and who the friend is, and the ability to defend one's point of view. Schools should teach children to discern between lies and the truth. After all, parents raise their children according to their views and values, and this can be done professionally and objectively at school.

The beauty of peace

I would really like to attend an EdCamp in Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, as well as in Kherson or Melitopol; I want these cities to be free of all kinds of pseudo-referendums. I have never been to Mariupol, although I once had the opportunity to visit. I would like to participate in rebuilding and restoring cities and doing something with my hands, not just helping financially. I agree to cleaning the streets, removing debris and making our cities peaceful and beautiful again.

A coach and a player

I would like to share the principles that have guided me all my life with my foreign colleagues. Being a coach and a player is very important. Being close to people and not just leading, doing what you want to see other people doing. I never demand anything from others that I have not done myself: I weave nets and cut up fabric with my colleagues. Setting a personal example is significant.

I would like other people and myself to be "tough cookies,” and avoid emotional exhaustion. This is necessary in order to have enough strength to support others, because they look up to us. Colleagues often ask me: "Liudmyla Vasylivna, do you think we will withstand together in this war?” Despite some doubts, I say: "We will definitely withstand together, because we are on our land!" So, if I believe it, others will believe it too.

Text — Halyna Kovalchuk.

The interview series My War. Lessons was prepared with financial support from the Black Sea Trust for Regional Cooperation – a project of the German Marshall Fund of the United States The views and opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Ed Camp Ukraine and the Foundation.