Vasyl Diakiv

Location: Zalishchyky, Ternopil oblast 

School: Zalishchyky State Gymnasium

Subject: World History, Civic Education, History of Ukraine, Basics of Healthcare 

Mr. Diakiv was awarded the title of “Honored Teacher of Ukraine”. Last year he also won the competition “Teacher of the Year”. Over 60  of his students are the winners of regional-level competitions for best scientific papers on different topics. His pupils are active participants in comedy competitions, Popper debates, and intellectual games. Seven of them took part in the filming of the “LG-Eureka” program, which was an intellectual game streamed on the “Inter” channel from 2001 to 2008.

What is your teaching superpower?

My teaching superpower is based on my family’s support, my values, and my faith in God.

My teaching superpower is inspired by my students, who succeed in their lives due to their own responsible choices.

My teaching superpower is in pedagogical freedom and creativity during the educational process and in the knowledge of the world as a whole.

My teaching superpower is in the constant search for something new, creative, interesting, and distinct from standards and dogmas. I am creating an effective system of cooperation that combines individual work and teamwork.

21st Century Teacher: Who are they in a nutshell?

Value-driven person, a free-willed individual, a creator (innovator).

What phrase of your students gives you wings?

I am grateful to you for giving me useful advice, understanding me, feeling my emotional and mental state, helping me decide on the future, solving life’s problems, teaching me to respect, love, work, set goals, and achieve them, your example inspires me, I live by your values, I remember how (and an example from our cooperation)… I am a Human.»

Top skills you have acquired during distance learning.

I learned to “feel” the moods of children using the tools of distance learning. I also learned to test the validity of my values in the online world.

Your professional dream.

I wish for the teachers to stop being slaves who do not want to take responsibility for their actions and are too afraid to make choices. I hope for a liberated teacher who can become an example for children and parents, who can show them what the freedom of responsible choice means. The educational system has provided broad conditions for that. This requires precise and constructive cooperation with the conservative elements of the educational system in the process of reform-implementation. Namely, reducing the number of obligatory subjects, creating practical curricula and studying programs, heightening the social status of the teachers, elaborating individual educational programs, etc. I dream that all this is formed and developed not when I retire, but that I still work and take a real part in the development of such a cool educational system.