“Thank you, Ms Dasha, my dream has come true.” The teacher at the School of Superheroes told us about the studying process in hospitals

“Thank you, Ms Dasha, my dream has come true.” The teacher at the School of Superheroes told us about the studying process in hospitals

Currently, there is no “hospital teacher” major  in Ukrainian pedagogical universities. For the last thirty years, education in hospital institutions existed in name only.

For the last three years, the Superheroes School  has been working on restoring the right to education. It turned from a small volunteer initiative into a national franchise. In 2022, the  Superheroes School received state status and has every prospect of expanding and covering all the largest children’s hospitals. The curator of the  Superheroes School project is the presenter of the 1+1 TV channel and the nationwide news marathon “Edyni Novyny”, and a YouTube blogger Nataliya Moseichuk. Every year, she honours educational therapists in her own nomination “Choice of Heart” within the framework of the nationwide Global Teacher Prize Ukraine.

In 2021, elementary school teacher Daria Mykulich joined theSuperheroes School team at the V.J. Bashek Children’s hospital in Zhytomyr. Like many teachers who are deciding whether to work in a hospital, Daria hesitated. The hesitation was over the day she conducted a trial lesson and experienced firsthand the uniqueness of the Superheroes School, which is admired by both children and teachers.

“I want to run to work for the sake of happy eyes”

Dreaming of becoming a teacher and being one are very different things. What was your path to the profession?

After school, I went to study at Korostyshiv Pedagogical College as a primary school teacher. Then, I studied at Zhytomyr Ivan Franko State University and got a master’s degree. Since then, I have been working at a school in Zhytomyr. I was invited to the Superheroes School by Victoria Mykhaylenko, the coordinator of this institution at the V.J. Bashek Children’s hospital. In the autumn of 2021, they were looking for a primary school teacher. At first, I hesitated. Working at a hospital school was a very responsible step for me. So, first I came to a trial lesson with the little superheroes, I really liked it. They were diligent and very inquisitive, and when I was leaving they asked me when I would come back to conduct a lesson.

When you’re feeling down, what inspirational stories from your experience at the Superheroes School do you recall?

I am inspired by the children themselves, their love, kindness, thirst for knowledge and inquisitive eyes. When the lesson started, the door opened and a little girl came into the classroom, crying her heart out. I went up to her, hugged her and asked her what happened. Sobbing, she told that the doctors had put a very scary device on her. As it turned out later, it was just a halter. I explained what kind of mechanism it is and that it is not scary at all. I tried to involve her in the educational process. At first, the girl didn’t want to do anything, but very soon Sonya calmed down and was fully involved in the lesson. She forgot she was wearing a halter. At the end of the lesson, she received a superhero prize. We summed up the lesson by deciding that Sonya got a new superpower that day – courage. All the children congratulated the girl with applause for being so courageous. Then, little Sonya came up to me and gave me a big, big hug and thanked me. She said that she was not afraid of anything anymore and would tell everyone that halter is not scary at all. For the sake of such emotional moments and happy eyes and smiles, you want to run to work fast to reveal new superpowers in little superheroes.

In your opinion, does studying in a hospital school have a therapeutic effect?

But of course, studying at a hospital school has a therapeutic effect. Mostly, due to the fact that kids study together and communicate with each other. At the School of Superheroes they forget about their health issues. Studying inside the hospital facility is like a breath of fresh air to them. I’m always excited to work with little superheroes—for me, it’s not only about teaching them. My mission is to show them how to work, make impactful decisions on their own, and not be afraid of making a mistake. I want to help them be kind, honest, and sincere, and give them as much warmth and attention as I can. That’s my motivation. Working with children does not cause nervous tension in me, because it is my calling, my innermost desire. It is my life. When I started my work at the School of Superheroes a situation occurred: a second-grader boy came to me and told me that he could not read, that he knew only a few letters, and asked me to teach him. In a few lessons, we mastered all the letters and learned to read in syllables. When he was being discharged, he said: “Thank you, Aunt Dasha, my dream has come true, now I will always remember you.”

“Children who lived through the war need help in reducing their stress levels”

What kind of help do hospital teachers need most?

First and foremost, financial help and sharing expertise with others.

In your opinion, how should hospital education in Ukraine develop, and how important is it at all?

Our country is going through difficult times right now, but I think that Superheroes Schools should be opened in every Ukrainian city with a hospital after our victory. It is very important for all children who are undergoing treatment to develop, not to lose interest in learning, and to spend time away from procedures in an interesting and useful way.

What knowledge and practices do teachers need most today?

In my opinion, we, as teachers who work in hospitals, require trainings in various areas of psychology in order to help the children and their parents, those who lived through the horrors of war, to cope with emotional overloads and reduce stress levels.

Education is constantly in a state of reform, and the world and society are changing rapidly. In your opinion, which directions of reform should be prioritized?

I believe that, first of all, it should be the development of language reform, in order to make children interested and provide opportunities for learning various foreign languages. This way in the future they can communicate freely with their peers and friends across different countries of the world.

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