We continue the rubric "Teachers of Bulgaria" with the story of a longtime primary school teacher from the town of Byala.

Viliana Dimitrova is a primary school teacher in the town of Byala, near Ruse.

It all started when in the first grade he met his first teacher - Mrs. Velichka Delikotseva.The initials - V.D. - of the two coincide and Viliana's children's consciousness accepts this as a sign that she will become a teacher and will sign with VD in the school notebooks. 

That's what happens. She graduated in "Primary Pedagogy" at the University of Shumen "Konstantin Preslavski", specializing in "Fine Arts". Her affinity for art dates back to her school years, when she became interested in art photography. She was inspired by the physics teacher Kosta Cholakov, who at that time a young specialist conquered children's hearts with his professionalism and his emotion, involved her in the magic of photography and formed her sense of beauty. Viliana participated in photography competitions and exhibitions, but her dream of doing photography gave way to pedagogy. It became her destiny, which to this day follows with much love.

She will never forget the emotion of her first days as a teacher. She received an offer to stay in Shumen as a primary teacher, which she accepted as a high grade, but still preferred her hometown.. As a young pedagogue, she was employed in the beautiful village of Dryanovets, where she taught children of different ethnic backgrounds for five years, and her older colleagues accepted and guided her as their own child. Gaining experience and confidence, Ms. Dimitrova in her 28 years of age has been part of the flock called Primary School “Slaveykov ”in the town of Byala. A school with a 105-year history. She follows the footsteps of Slaveykov and works for his prestige and happy graduates.

For her students, Ms. Dimitrova says that she wants to be friends with them first, and then everything else. "My mental age is still 8-10 years old because I'm friends with them," she laughs. He will never forget a unique moment in his life. On her birthday, the phone rings, a male voice is heard, and then a thin child's voice - a father and son, and her two students, call together to make a wish to their first teacher! Such moments give an incredible emotions and charge to any teacher. The teacher's work brings happiness, but also a challenge, because it does not end with the end of classes. At home, Viliana is the mother of two grown-up daughters and they resignedly share her love with at least 20 other children.

My love is not in the vertical, but in the horizontal, the teacher shares. She creates her own tradition of welcoming and sending letters to her students. She writes personally to everyone in the first grade and again on the eve of the prom, no matter what school she is in. She feels that this is right, she wants to see her children realized and she is infinitely happy for them, because she has the privilege to be their first teacher. Among her grown-up students are doctors and European sports champions, but for her they remain children, and their success is her reward. When they meet, a warm hug follows and "I love you", because the love given over the years has given birth to small dreamcatchers.

Ms. Dimitrova defines the past school year as very unusual, one that will remain in the history of Bulgarian education. The pandemic situation changes every day. After the initial astonishment, they continued with the professionalism with which they had worked so far. As a reward, she accepted the words of a mother of a child in her class who told her: "You know, for the reason I understood that your profession is hard is because I have a very difficult time with two children, and you succeed with 20." At the end of the school year, she received a diploma from her parents with a poetic text about life during distance learning, which ended with the recognition of her as "a worthy role model for them." “I thank the parents for the support, care and courage that inspired us and the children. We worked in an amazing team and I am proud of that ", says Ms. Dimitrova with gratitude.In June he received recognition from the Vazrazhdane Foundation for participation in the competition "Become an example teacher" under the title "Together we can do everything". This makes her happy, because she has strengthened her conviction that Bulgaria is a homeland of responsible children and teachers with a vigilant spirit and that every effort is worth it.

She speaks of his colleagues with admiration, because when you work with professionals with whom you look in the same direction, and you are firmly on the ground, the magic of education will inevitably happen. From this year NU “P.R. Slaveykov ”is an innovative school with excellent facilities. They work with electronic boards, multimedia products, electronic textbooks, "Ucha se", IZZI. They have two interactive touch displays, do electronic lessons. It is this base and the work with the new technologies that helps them in the imposed state of emergency. In Byala, although it is a small town, there are three innovative schools, adds Viliana with pride.

She is excited about the future of the Bulgarian school. But no matter how the new school year goes, Ms. Dimitrova is sure of one thing - she will continue to be with her students on the way forward. When you are laying the foundations for something, it is good to hold the hands of those needing them along the path, that's why you remain unforgettable. If you are a teacher, you are a teacher for life!