Tatiana Saidkhodjaeva

"When I was raising my first two daughters, I often thought about how to help them grow into good people, how to avoid mistakes in raising them, and how not to harm their fragile inner world. I read a great deal of literature on child psychology and pedagogy. My favorite educator became Vasily Sukhomlinsky, whose words struck me deeply: 'To understand a child's feelings means to understand the subtlest, sometimes hidden motivations, causes, and drivers behind their actions — ones not visible at first glance.' I always try to understand what's happening inside each child, to see everything through children's eyes, and, most importantly, to fill our time together with kindness and love.

I strive to make sure my little students' inner world is filled with belief in themselves. After all, there's no such thing as a bad student — sometimes we teachers simply don't have enough time to help a child feel their own strength. I believe every child is talented in their own way. All they need is help discovering that talent and feeling their own capabilities. In class, I build a friendly atmosphere, praise the children, help them see their own successes, play with them, and share in their joy. That's when belief in their own abilities and a desire to learn take root. In the course of our lessons, I try to instill in children a love not only for learning, but for the whole living world around us.

When I'm working with my little ones and I see their eyes light up with excitement, waiting for me to bring them interesting stories and new discoveries, I know I'm ready to search, invent, and create — again and again."