World Teachers’ Day is back, as always, on 5 October! On this occasion, we aim to celebrate inspiring teachers around the world, whose work deserves to be highlighted. In this article, meet Melanya from Armenia, for whom teaching is not just a profession; it’s her passion, and she relishes every moment in the classroom.
We met Melanya through the Teachers for the Planet Programme, a global coalition co-led by the Aga Khan Foundation, Learning Planet Institute and Teach For All, which witnesses inspiring examples of outstanding educators all around us. It puts teachers and education leaders at the centre of the educational response to our climate crisis.
Are you an exceptional educator like Melanya, working to address the climate crisis in your school? We are now collecting solutions, 100 of which will be presented to policymakers at COP28.
What are your sources of inspiration?
As a student, I used to admire teachers who were encouraging us to be the best version of ourselves. Now, as an educator, I am inspired by the students who motivate me to be their leader. Their engagement in any kind of activity, contribution, warm words of appreciation, and smiley faces are enough for me to be inspired and create my best self.
What’s the best advice your students have given you?
In the last 2 years, my students have been the best source of inspiration for me, especially the little ones. They were the proudest of themselves because they knew I was learning more from them than anybody else.
Even though I was always supporting them, they were making me crazy from time to time, and I was feeling down, not knowing how to move forward. Those were the times when my students confronted me. One day, my 10-year-old student [girl] said to me, “Miss Melanie, I know we make a lot of noise sometimes and upset you, but do not get offended. We love you and appreciate your work. We love you for being patient and supportive of us. Please, always be like that”. And then she hugged me. It was my biggest motivation for the day and the whole year.
What are your main challenges as a teacher?
Facing challenges is fine as long as you think of them as ways to improve your work. As a teacher, I always keep this in mind. Challenges can be different depending on your students’ backgrounds and experiences. In the village where I have worked for the past two years, the biggest challenge was students’ lack of motivation to study due to more interest in everyday work in the fields or their yards. My students were sometimes heavily snowed under; hence, I was trying to teach them everything in the class and assign no or little homework.
As a high school teacher now, the biggest challenge is students’ hyperactive energy. Most of my students are fond of talking during class, and it is really hard for me to keep them entertained all the time. That is why we often have peer-to-peer discussions during the lesson so that the learners can interact freely without feeling the burden of writing exercises or reading texts all the time.
How does teacher shortage affect you in your daily working life?
In Armenia, teacher shortage is a serious and urgent problem that has a significant negative influence on the educational system, especially educators. Most often other teachers have to work overtime to fill in the gaps, and the quality of education may be at risk because of this.
Two years ago, when I was sent to the village to teach, I felt the teacher shortage immediately. Students had been studying English for 3 years before me, meaning that 11th graders explored the language for 3 years instead of 6. That was because they did not have an English teacher before. Their knowledge was limited and they were learning the same as 8th graders. As a consequence, I had to find various methods to introduce the same topic to different classes. Sometimes, high school students were not even motivated enough to learn the subject as they started it relatively late.
Do you feel valued as a teacher? Why? Why not?
Recently, when I entered one of my classrooms, I got a surprise from my students. It was written on the blackboard: “Hello, our beloved teacher, Miss Melanie”. I grinned and had an amazing lesson. These kinds of moments make me feel like the most valued specialist ever. Of course, there are cases when I feel like my efforts can be in vain, yet I move forward due to the students who believe in me and my potential.
How do you think the teaching profession could be better valued?
In Armenia, the teaching profession can sometimes be less valued than imagined. This is generally because of its reputation. Nowadays, young people may not see any perspective or new horizons in teaching and do not have the desire to become educators. In my opinion, this can and should be changed at the root, which is introducing teaching as a fun and energetic profession that requires both responsibility and the willingness to make changes in the world through education. Everyone should encourage young individuals, who are full of motivation and inspiration, to take part in this transformative journey.
Another essential aspect is reducing administrative burden. Teachers need to be left teaching and making big minds instead of filling out so many papers. Sometimes, the documentation may be more time-wasting and difficult in a noisy classroom. Days and years will pass, papers will fade away, and technology may get weak. One thing, however, will always stay alive, and that is teachers’ influence on their learners.
How do you think the teaching profession could be better supported?
It is an open secret that sometimes teachers can feel down because of their hard work. However, true leaders also go further. For that, we all need inspiration. I believe teaching can and should be better valued with the support of educational experts and supervisors, principals, bodies and institutions responsible for quality education, ministries, etc. Teachers do not need much; warm words, emotional hugs, or supportive messages from their colleagues can be enough for us to make sure that our work is worth anything.
Do you feel that you receive support?
I am lucky to have all this. And that is why teaching is not just a job for me; it is my passion.
Meet Melanya Hovhannisyan
Melanya’s desire to contribute to her country and the next generation was ignited by “Teach for Armenia“. From the very first day at school, she fell in love with pedagogy and firmly believe teaching is one of the most rewarding vocations. In the past two years, she has taught English in the Armenian village of Drakhtik (small heaven). The work has been tough but fulfilling. Her students, aged 10 to 18, were hyper-energetic and occasionally challenging. Yet, Melanya succeeded in changing their disobedient behaviour into participatory engagement in the lessons and out-of-school activities.
As a teacher-leader, she has been a part of the “Teach for All” network and gained valuable skills through the experience. Based on those lessons, Melanya conducted seminars in Armenia. In 2022, she completed the Enclusive Education course, receiving funding for a successful student self-reflection project. Currently, she is mentoring two other participants to implement their projects within the framework of the same course.
In a nutshell, teaching is not just her profession; it’s her passion, and she relishes every moment in the classroom!
