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Interview 20. The meaning of faith. Olesia Chaikivska

Olesia Chaikivska, a teacher from Odesa, talks about the daily exploits of Ukrainian men and women, lessons that have a value component, and why you can’t live half-heartedly. After the war, there can be no return to the old education system.

Because during wartime, Ukrainian teachers are developing new, quality methods aimed at our children’s psychological needs, and making lessons exciting and clever. Olesia Chaikivska, teacher of Ukrainian language and literature, deputy director for educational work at V. Chornovil School in the town of Yuzhne, Odesa Region, talks about getting closer to children during the war. In her opinion, it is a revolution in pedagogical thinking  and in education that will  create a genuinely new Ukrainian school and, at the same time, not lose the young generation that have witnessed the war.


The main lessons

Ukrainians love to grow and nurture things, and give life; we are a philanthropic people. But when someone humiliates us, violates our dignity and infringes on our rights, we are ready to sacrifice ourselves and die for these values. One lesson is the difficult path of trials and tribulations that we must take; only then will a great and mighty nation arise. I am sure we will endure all these trials and reach the end of the path.

Another lesson is the lesson of gratitude. I am grateful for the faith that God has given me. I am very grateful to each person that strives to persevere and win. I am sincerely thankful to our soldiers. Every day, I realize more and more that they are sacrificing their lives for us. As they say, there is no greater love than to lay down your life for your friends.

I am very grateful to the world community that supports us. I was recently struck by the words in a song performed by a Polish band – Give Ukraine a helping hand: “Don’t stand by, but give Ukraine a helping hand”… Yes, it really is a friendly helping hand!

Cultivating courage

During this war, the phrase – The brave always have happiness – from the book Tiger Hunters by Ivan Bahrianyi resonates with me. It lifts my spirits. I believe we are a happy people because we know how to unite and defend our dignity, as was the case on the Maidan (Independence Square in Kyiv). Today, all of Ukraine is united! I think we should cultivate courage and not be silent, as we face evil daily. And, we should do this not only across the whole country, but also in each community, on each street. We must stand on the side of truth and defend our opinions.  

Everyday feats 

We see heroism every day. My older brother has always demonstrated his love for our history and our country. So, on the first day of the full-scale invasion, he went to the front as a volunteer, and his young son joined the Territorial Defense Forces.   I admire the feats of our women, especially those who took their children and left the dangerous, occupied territories. I marvel at this maternal power: to travel for several days, cross borders, and look for safe places in order to save their children’s lives! I moved with my child from Odesa Region to Lviv, which is not so far away, but this decision was extremely difficult for me. I was torn apart, looking for answers to the following questions: Where is my home? How should I behave? Can I leave my community, where I am a kind of leader? And, can I leave my child in such conditions and in such uncertain times? I had to provide my child with safe conditions. I am happy that my relatives and friends supported me. A friend told me that Ukraine would be victorious if I sacrificed myself for my child. It warmed my heart. I left my life in Odesa, accepted a new situation and new conditions, and accomplished a small feat by overcoming my fears and hesitation. Later, I realized that I could be useful in Lviv as well. I immediately started looking for a volunteer community – a reliable circle of people who, with their daily heroic service, bring our victory closer! This is where I plunged into a new life. Volunteer work connected me to something more powerful and more important.

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We should cultivate courage and not be silent, as we face evil daily. And, we should do this not only across the whole country, but also in each community, on each street.

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Growth vs. passivity

Before the war, there was a large divide between the government and society; we were not united. The authorities did not listen to our voices; they decided everything themselves. Before the war, our school director wanted to find out more about the bomb shelters; he was concerned about their condition; the authorities laughed and said that we were overdoing it. When a shelter was finally assigned to our school, we saw that it was dirty, full of litter and totally unsuitable for our children. In my opinion, the authorities took it lightly and were unprepared for any challenges, even war.

On the day the invasion began, the local authorities, through the teachers, appealed to the parents to urgently take the children out of the city (we are in a border zone and there is a dangerous chemical plant nearby). The parents had to decide how to save their family. It’s a pity that when part of the teaching staff left the city, the representatives of the Education Department condemned our action, although we continued to work remotely and fulfill all official duties. Such an attitude lowers the teacher’s dignity and indicates that there is a deep divide between those in power and the people.

But, our director supported the team, reduced the tension, asked everyone to ensure the children’s safety, and also united the community around the school into a powerful volunteer center, to which even the authorities turned for help. This position of a wise leader instills faith in our victory. Today, work is in full swing: volunteers help not only military personnel but also citizens in need. The positive thing is that the community is growing; people say that changes are needed at the municipal level, because the government has taken a passive stance. We are probably also responsible for the fact that the government is far from the people and does not listen to us…

Keeping a strong faith

I find my strength in God. He is my source of support; His presence keeps my life in balance. I find harmony in God, prayer, and in the presence of people of goodwill. Death is powerless against life and resurrection. In his Easter sermon, his Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk, Head of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, recalled an incident: a soldier wrote on his helmet: “O God, if I die, take me to Heaven, because I have already been to hell.” I was moved by the fact that our warriors face the inhuman challenge of war and oppose it with love, sacrifice and strong faith. I also realized that volunteering is a source of strength. I learned how to weave camouflage nets and kikimoras; for three months, I taught a Ukrainian language course for people who wanted to learn Ukrainian (with a friend, we created a project called Soloveiky (Nightingales), which consists of a practical course and a speaking club). Volunteering gives me strength and leads me in the struggle for a free and legal state.

People are a powerful resource. My family, the students I work with neighbours and volunteers. Sharing creative energy with other people keeps me going.  

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A soldier wrote on his helmet: “O God, if I die, take me to Heaven, because I have already been to hell.” I was moved by the fact that our warriors face the inhuman challenge of war and oppose it with love, sacrifice and strong faith.

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Saving the young generation

In addition to performing the duties of deputy director, I also teach Ukrainian language and literature in the 5th and 11th grades. During our first meetings with students, I noticed that the high school boys and girls were much more silent, more focused and absorbed in themselves. They used to be active, but their activity had declined, although they really needed to prepare for the External Independent Evaluation. 50% of students attended class, not 100% or even 70%, as was the case before. One young man, a gold medalist, who had not missed a single class before the war, did not attend for two weeks.  

Another young man said that his generation was lost, because the war had started and he would not be able to realize his dream. He thought that he would have to go to war, although he was only in the 11th grade… It is a painful challenge for teachers – to help children return to their dreams, to the desire to move forward and fight despite all odds.  My younger students, on the contrary, have become more open and talkative. We have shared both pleasant and challenging moments. For example, one student always asked to stay online after classes; he told me how interesting it was in Poland and what new things he had learned. Once, the boy shared a sad moment: when he went out to the playground, he realized that nothing was really his; everything was unfamiliar. The child started crying… I realized that the most important thing for a teacher is to be with the child, to become a reliable support.

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We don’t know what tomorrow holds; we are not sure if we will have these meetings tomorrow or next week. Therefore, we should be happy to communicate with others, send positive vibes to the children, and support them in everything they do.

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Building up resilience                  

I used different approaches with my children, depending on the conditions and their mood. I tried to give high school students more space, more freedom: they did not have to turn on the camera if they did not want to, and we introduced a “free decision” rule, which worked perfectly. I created an atmosphere where the students wanted to speak. I structured the classes taking into account their wishes and needs, and I did all I could to help them gradually return to the openness that existed before the war. In agreement with the students, I invited a psychologist to help us build up our resilience.    At school, during offline lessons, we used the mixed learning approach; we had more time to work in teams, prepare creative projects. We missed these classes terribly, but even in these new conditions, I tried to work together with the students: I was both the thread that follows the needle and the needle that leads the thread.

As for the fifth graders, we started each meeting with a short story, a parable, or a resource exercise in order to prepare for classes and increase motivation. I had a lot of interesting material for resource training and emotional adjustment from the Small EdCamp Academy (parables, stories for the soul, exercises, games).

I set minimal homework that the children could choose if they so wished; if the children didn’t read the assignment or didn’t do the homework, I always ended the class on a positive note. We don’t know what tomorrow holds; we are not sure if we will have these meetings tomorrow or next week. Therefore, we should be happy to communicate with others, send positive vibes to the children, and support them in everything they do.

Educational Front

Odesa Region is preparing for the new school year, but not all the schools will be able to start face-to-face classes. According to the Department of Education and Science of the Odesa Regional Military Administration, only 44% of educational institutions have adequate shelters. Therefore, the department is considering other options, such as busing the children to schools with shelter facilities, teaching in multiple shifts, or using a hybrid online and offline system.

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 birth of a New Ukrainian School  

As teachers, we are aware that we have been doing many things incorrectly; sometimes, we followed the curriculum and not the children. At the beginning of May, the administration of our educational institution raised the topic of transformation. During our meetings, we began to talk about the problems revealed by the war, the challenges facing the New Ukrainian School, which we must confront today, and the systems of foreign schools where our students studied. As deputy director, I conducted a survey among parents, students, and teachers regarding the changes that our institution will undergo in the coming year (pros and cons of online and offline education, what changes should be introduced from next year, what experiences should be borrowed from foreign schools, etc.). After that, we analyzed the survey results and approved the School Transformation project. The key changes are as follows: project activities, connecting learning to life, developing emotional intelligence, implementing an individual approach, organizing excursions, activities in nature, economic literacy, in-depth study of languages, psychological support, etc.

My colleagues and I are aware that we have to build a genuinely New Ukrainian School, which is currently being born in such difficult conditions… just as a new and powerful Ukrainian nation is being born. 

We should go beyond past experiences, and get rid of stereotypes. Getting closer to children is the basis of our work. It is so nice when students regret that the lesson ended so quickly, and when at the end of the lesson the children wish for a peaceful sky over our heads! I think that this experience cannot be forgotten, put on the back shelf, and we will return to what was before.

Finding resources and being proactive 

I am convinced that silence in response to evil is evil itself. It is necessary to teach children and the whole community to resist evil, propaganda, zombification and violence. I wish we would give this matter due attention because a small evil begets a greater one. The international community swallowed the annexation of Crimea — and now we all have a global catastrophe on our hands: the enemy is destroying the values acquired by humanity over thousands of years.

How to be resourceful in conditions of war? We gain such experience little by little… For me,  the Holy Scriptures are a huge source of strength; and so are good deeds, volunteering, Plast meetings (Ukrainian scout association), riding a bicycle, morning jogging, learning according to the EdCamp Ukraine principle: Give – Get, creating new projects and implementation them with the help of specialists (for example, within the speaking club, we had a frank discussion with a psychologist on the topic – How to talk to children about the war, charity workshops, etc.), and paying more attention  to honest and direct communication. As deputy directors, we spend a lot of time communicating with our teachers, strengthening positive thinking, involving them in joint activities (making varenyky, buns, amulets for our soldiers), keeping in touch with people abroad, and encouraging them to find tools for mutual support.

After three months of stay in Lviv, I returned home and appreciated another great resource – HOME, as a place of strength, deep roots, and infinite, unconditional love for my family.

In my opinion, the primary source of our strength lies in the belief that a great era of revival and recovery awaits us, for which we will need all our energy and courage.  

Introducing quality changes       

I want this to be the theme of the EdCamp conference – Ukraine achieves new heights. I believe that our country will make a mighty leap forward, and in education as well. We all have great potential; besides, we sense the unity within the country and we have gained the world community’s support. I am convinced that educators will make a rapid change and adopt the New Ukrainian School. Even before the war, this initiative spread very quickly, and strong public education organizations worked and continue to work actively in Ukraine, which inspires teachers and motivates them to change!

Our unity and volunteer spirit strengthen the education movement; in my opinion, the seed will sprout and grow quickly and bear fruit. Yes, the situation is difficult today; we are losing people and territories, but at the same time, we are gaining, returning, and becoming stronger. I want our children to attend really new school, and we can do it!

Living life to the fullest 

Internally, I feel that I would attend an EdCamp where it hurts the most, where it is most difficult – in the cities that need our support, our emotions and sympathy. This is eastern Ukraine and southern Ukraine — Mariupol, occupied Kherson, destroyed Mykolayiv, and also Bucha, the places that were liberated from the occupiers. When I visited Stanytsia Luhanska, I could feel the sacred ground under my feet, soaked with the blood of our fighters. I remember how I dreamed of taking my children there, so they would sense the high price of freedom and be imbued with love for a piece of land called “Ukraine.” In places like Stanytsia Luhanska, you feel the energy that drives you to work, move forward, and do more, because you cannot live half-heartedly.

After the Revolution of Dignity, I read a poem that really touched my heart and is forever etched in my brain: “You flew into the heavens with the Heavenly Hundred, and now I stand in your place.” I feel that I have to live not only my own life, but also to live fully for the people who have died for our freedom.  

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.    

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