The rubric "Teachers of Bulgaria" by Klett Publishing House introduces us to another colorful, motivated and dedicated teacher. Read what inspires Ms. Tanya Vasileva, a professor of fine arts and information technology in Montana, every day.

Every working day of Tanya Vasileva starts with a hug and a smile, and her students adore her. It happens that when she enters class, even before she says "Good afternoon", they have attacked her for a hug and she has not been able to reach the department of children.

For seven years he has been teaching fine arts and information technology at the Fourth Primary School "Ivan Vazov" in his hometown of Montana. Drawing is her passion, and her cause - while teaching children to draw, they believe in their abilities.

As a child she was a quiet child who only painted. She grew up in a modest family, which instilled in her a love of art and literature.She was strongly influenced by her drawing teacher. In the sixth grade she realized that she wanted to draw more than anything and so she opened a famous school in the city. Her family can't pay the fee, but that doesn't stop her. She waits for her friends in front of the studio to study the task for the day and draw it at home by herself. Her devotion does not go unnoticed. The teacher shaked Tanya's hand, invited her to draw with the others, and the formalities were forgotten. When you are kind you bear the fruit of it. At the high school of fashion design Tanya was accepted with excellent grades. Then she studied pedagogy of fine arts and specialized in "Painting" at the Southwestern University in Blagoevgrad. Teaching and drawing go hand by hand in the dreams of Tanya, who has been admiring her favorite drawing teacher since she was a child.

Without hesitation, she returns to her native Montana to show everything that she has learned. The beginning is difficult. First she replaced a sick teachers from time to time, then she became an educator, and for seven years she has been a teacher at the primarly school Ivan Vazov Primary School. From the very beginning, her connection with the team is very strong, everyone helped her, shared materials, books, ideas for children and Tanya realizes that

this was HER school

She often gives himself as an example as a person who realized his childhood dream - to be a teacher of fine arts. Talk to students about happiness and satisfaction. A person with a smile is like that because he is happy with the things he does and feels complete.

Although she started as a teacher of fine arts, she also worked on the school's website. Thus, the idea was born to specialize and take on information technology classes. The always smiling Mrs. Vasileva skillfully combines the two subjects. They start making great posters, for example, in the fine arts class, and in the technology class they develop them with the tools of the subject. The system of interdisciplinary connections helps and facilitates the work of the teacher. If, for example, they study the ancient world in history, in the class they study ancient art, and in information technology they prepare a digital guide to this period. Thus, the children have fun and learn, and the role of the teacher is to guide the process, to give ideas and motivate, explains Ms. Vasileva.

Kids love technology first, then art comes into their lives, she says. If a child finds it difficult to draw with a pencil, but it is easy with a mouse and can use ready-made forms, then he is still an artist and creates. For Mrs. Vasileva there is no weak drawing or no value. She appreciates the work done and everyone feels significant and complete because they are valued for their pursuit of development and enrichment. "Children should not be discouraged in the learning environment," believes Tanya. "Success is really the way, the creation, and the courage to try, not the appreciation you get."

Every day Tanya strives to be inspiring and different for her students, and the lesson to be interesting and memorable. She is also grateful that she works in a school that gives her freedom of expression, and mutual help between colleagues serves as an example for children.

Distance learning at the beginning of the pandemic turned out to be an unexpected opportunity. With the drawings of her students from this period, Tanya took part in an outdoor school exhibition in an urban environment. The exhibition became especially valuable because was a joint work between the teacher, the parent and the child. Because the school cannot fuction without the support of the parents and it is important for everyone to show this interconnectedness. Again from the initiative of Tanya, the children participate in the competition "Painting during quarantine" at the local community center. She sent the drawings to her students, which they shared with her online during the quarantine. Imagine their surprise when they steal the prizes! Again in a new way Tanya combines technology and art on the occasion of May 24. Creates a virtual hall in which the children's drawings are displayed "on the walls". While listening to the anthem "Go, people, revived", you look at the works  through your phone. Thus, Tanya clearly shows the students that the phone and the computer are not just for games, that technology is the tool that helps themselves.

Being a teacher is a cause

Tanya Vasileva loves her job and likes the school she willingly goes to every day.  She believes that it is important to promote the activities of the school and pays great attention to its website. When she publishes news, she always uses photos with students because it helps them feel part of something big. Moreover, the generation itself is so involved in taking photos and videos. She often tells them to imagine life as a film created by them. They determine what colors this film will have, who will be the participants in it - these are their friends. It encourages children to use their phones not only for selfies, but to experiment with light, shapes, to feel free to create with technology and create art. And when she posts a picture or photo of a student on Facebook, then the child sees that she has an audience, that there are people she has touched with his product.

At her workplace, Tanya shows every day that there are young people who work and develop in Bulgaria, and they do really important things.