Tinela NAstasi
“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.”
By Robert Frost
When I first heard this poem as a student at Alexandru Ioan Cuza University in Iasi and then, in the blink of an eye, as a teacher of English at Mihai Eminescu National College in Suceava, the question that automatically sprang to my mind was if the choices I had already made at the time were actually defining me: treading on the teaching path or following the intricate but fulfilling diplomacy track. With the benefit of (19 years) hindsight, I can only assert that “the road” where my travelling companions are the forever young and inspiring teenagers has undoubtedly been my perfect itinerary full of international projects, training conferences and seminars.
What a bon voyage so far, Tinela Nastasi!
Anca Dãscãliuc
Anca Dãscãliuc is a holder of a University Degree in Philology-Modern Languages, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Iași, and also of a Master’s Degree in the Theory and Practice of Translation, Ştefan cel Mare University, Suceava. As a student she obtained an Erasmus scholarship at Université Catholique de l’Ouest, Angers, France, where she improved her linguistic and cultural accuracy in English and French and expanded her experience in the fields of specialised translations and interpreting. She has been teaching English for almost 17 years and is currently employed by Ciprian Porumbescu College of Arts, Suceava.
She is a communicative person, expressing great interest in educational psychology, progressive education and cognitive empathy, team spirit, ability to adapt and cooperate smoothly in a multicultural environment gained through her teaching experience. She takes great interest in modern languages, open-ended problems and challenging assignments.
She is a results-driven achiever with good planning and organisational skills, along with a high degree of detail orientation and innovation in generating creative teaching solutions. She is a personable professional whose strengths include cultural sensitivity and an ability to build rapport with students in multicultural settings. She enjoys new challenges and she is eager to learn and assimilate new concepts that will stimulate her willingness to take on new tasks.
Maria Magdalena CIOBANIUC
I am a teacher of English at Tehnical College Latcu Voda Siret, Suceava. I have been teaching English for 13 years. I love working with students and watching how they find new and ingenious ways of studying and improving language skills by using technology and music.
My experience in education helped me understand that English learning must be pleasant and challenging. Thus the idea of introduction songs in the classroom is one way of changing attitudes, of fighting against rigid thinking and of embracing a variety of language-related activities aimed at developing reading, listening, speaking and writing.
I know that I am doing the right thing when all of a sudden it is not work anymore, it is fun.
Cătălina-Cristina Olari
Cătălina-Cristina Olari graduated Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Iași, Faculty of History, in 2004 and has a BA in History and English. She has been teaching English for almost 13 years and is currently employed by Iraclie Porumbescu School, Frătăuții-Noi, Suceava County. Starting from the idea that teaching is one of those careers where one learns something new every day, she has sought to be up to date with creative teaching strategies and attended many training courses and conferences held by esteemed authors in English methodology. Her goal is to inspire students to love learning and bring them out of their shells. In order to do so, she has coordinated partnerships with other schools from Belgium, Spain and Denmark in projects where English was the only means of communication.
DIANA sabău
I have been teaching English for 14 years and coordinating “AS WE ARE” Drama Club at Alexandru cel Bun High School in Gura Humorului for 12. By attending national and international lectures and workshops, after being awarded many national prizes with my students, I have understood the close relationship between drama and teaching English. Also, while working with groups of children from different backgrounds, with different learning styles and of different ages, I have become more aware of their needs. What do they all have in common? They all consider that work without fun is no fun at all.
Nicoleta-Carmen Andronachi
Nicoleta-Carmen Andronachi has been a teacher of English for 22 years. She started her career as a primary school teacher, then went to the University of Bucharest to study foreign languages. She has taught at LPS Suceava, Cobham Hall School, Kent, UK and Petru Rareş National College Suceava. She is a member of the Romanian Association of Teachers of English and of the Silvia Manoliu Association for Anglophone Studies. She also studied American Culture and Civilization at the University of Illinois at Chicago, USA. She is the coordinator of the ‘Closed sub-centre for Cambridge Exams’ at Petru Rareş National College.
Raluca-Iuliana Suciu
I am a teacher of English at the Technical College Mihai Bacescu, Falticeni, Suceava. I have been teaching English for 17 years now and I love everything about the universe of English language, as well as being permanently in contact with students aged 14-19, who provide energy and will for lifelong learning. A testimony for this love is my PhD in English language.
I have participated all along the years of teaching in many English language conferences, training courses, both on national and international level. Thus, I had access to a wide range of teaching materials that I have brought as aids in my teaching process.
I need them a lot to help my adaptability and flexibility in teaching, because the students in my school present mixed abilities. They are either good learners or students who have trouble keeping up the good work because they come from disadvantaged backgrounds, students who often find themselves in risky situations, such as school failure. There is no in between. Thus, a lot of skill will be required to socially include these students by increasing their motivation in English language learning.
That is why it comes at ease for me to train, on my turn, teachers on the way of improving their didactic career, in my capacity of a School Inspectorate Teacher Trainer. I use my teaching experience to improve as much as possible their didactic qualities.
But this is only a new career challenge for me, a challenge that keeps me going and I try to make others feel all the time what a unique experience can be made out of English language learning.
LIVIA-MARA SOCOLIUC
LIVIA-MARA SOCOLIUC has a BA in English and Romanian Language and Literature. She has been teaching English at Școala Gimnazială nr.3, Suceava, for twenty years. Throughout her career, she was a teaching practice mentor for students from Ștefan cel Mare University of Suceava and Inspector of English, German and modern Russian (Suceava County School Inspectorate). She is an MA student of British Culture and Civilization, University of Suceava.
ALINA CREȚU
I have been teaching for 18 years and I am currently employed by Colegiul National Ștefan cel Mare, Suceava. During this period of time, I have seen how pupils’ training needs change from one generation to another. Therefore, in order to be able to perform as a highly qualified teacher in front of these ever demanding pupils, I myself have to be in tune with new creative methods of teaching-learning-evaluation. I have taken part in a decent number of training courses both on national and international levels, which gave me the possibility to return home with many ready-to-use teaching materials.
My job as a teacher is to provide education to pupils aged 10-19 gathered in large classes (28-35), coming from very different social backgrounds and having different education needs. Working in a highly rated school as Colegiul National Ștefan cel Mare is, I am aware that developing the communicative skills of my pupils is very important because a high percentage of them will apply to universities abroad after graduation. Consequently, my teaching strategies are in relation to this specific profile of my pupils. They involve a variety of activities which engage students’ imagination and creativity (innovative role play and drama activities, use of the media, poetry and stories), strategies for differentiation and inclusion, alongside learner style techniques designed to develop their autonomy in evaluation (self and peer). It goes without saying that my intention is to be part of the big family of European teachers. This implies sharing not only the methodology of teaching and evaluating, but also the attitude towards different aspects of life. Adding to all these, an increased awareness regarding the importance of lifelong learning will surely define me as a professional, oriented towards a 21st century Europe that knows no boundaries when it comes to education.
Monica- Petruța Arotăriței
I have been an English teacher for almost 12 years. I graduated Stefan cel Mare University, the Faculty of Letters, in 2003 and I am currently teaching English at the National College Mihai Eminescu from Suceava. Personally I believe that self -development is very important that is why I have attended several RATE and MATE conferences, wonderful events that have helped me meet great personalities, lovely teachers and amazing blog writers, many workshops and courses organised by British Council or different publishing houses. I am a member of MATE (The Moldavian Association of English Teachers ), AESV (the Association of Teachers from Suceava) and SMAAS. I love working with students and also watching how they find new and ingenious ways of studying and improving their language skills by using technology in the online and offline environment. Most of my students, from primary school to high school have challenged me and also helped me to include technology in my lessons and to have the courage to take new steps in teaching old things in modern and various ways. There are always new things to learn and new opportunities to experience and I am willing to take the plunge and improve myself and my teaching skills. English has become my calling and also part of my life and I enjoy it every step of the way.
Ana-Alina Ichim
I am currently a deputy principal at Ștefan cel Mare National College Târgu Neamț, and a teacher trainer of Neamț County School Inspectorate. I graduated “Literary and Cultural Studies” Master Courses of Bacău University, Faculty of Letters, and I also participated in an international programme entitled “Developing Oral Fluency in the English Language Classes at Secondary Level”, of the International Project Center and University of Exeter, UK. The English language-teaching programme “New Ideas for Communicative English Language Classrooms”, organized by the Romanian Ministry of Education and The Embassy of The United States of America, has also influenced my teaching.
I am a founding member of “Edumond” Educational Association and “cAUTă” Association for the autistic children in Neamt.
My 16-year experience in education, teaching English Language and Literature at all levels, helped me realize that English learning must be pleasant and challenging at the same time.