For Tsvetanka Terziyska, a Mathematics teacher at the "Sergey Korolyov" Mathematics High School, teaching is a childhood dream come true.

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“From a very young age, I had this dream of becoming a teacher. Maybe it is because this is a way to be useful to the people around me, to help children who want to learn and understand a tough science such as Mathematics. But in the past, there was a lot of enthusiasm among young people and the ones who wanted to become teachers. A lot of people from my class applied to be teachers. We probably did not realize the amount of stress and tension that this profession demands and the fact that we have stayed so long is proof of our motivation, because we could have given up. I like this profession and my desire to help students has kept me here – I had a choice, and I chose this.”

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All the challenges and pressure that Terziyska encounters in her job every day do not make her love it any less. However, she cannot help but be disappointed about how much things have changed since the time when she was a student.

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“The attitude towards teachers was completely different. Maybe it is because, back then, the rules were much clearer than they are today. Discipline would first be established in the family and then be built upon at school, and we followed a clear system of rules. Now, it seems blurred. Many things have changed, and not always for the better.”

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Some of the recent legal changes in schools seem to have a great impact on education, according to Terziyska. She thinks that there are a lot of contradictions in the rules and the way things work. She also believes that the image that society creates of school as an institution and the modern thinking of trying to get things the easy way play a central role in the students' perception of teachers. As an example, she mentioned a new inclusion regulation.

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“According to the new inclusion regulation, students should stay in school and get a certain level of education. In other words, all students have to pass. This creates discomfort, especially in a school like ours, because you cannot simultaneously give all the material that you know is difficult and high-level, while at the same time keep the attention of children who are not interested enough to achieve something – they lack the motivation. However, I don’t blame them. Society teaches them that it is not education and the opportunities that it gives you that matter, but rather that the people who succeed in life need to be flexible and know how to make money in easy ways. In the eyes of young people, the material world is of great importance. They don’t realize that the easy way is not always the right way.”

 

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Terziyska realizes that the high stress and low salaries are the main factors that turn young people away from becoming teachers. Fortunately, a  17% raise of the minimum teacher wage to 1 225 leva is expected in 2020. The fact that the teachers' hard work is often underappreciated can also be demotivating.

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“Young people value the material things and want immediate results, avoiding stress as much as possible. This makes the job not very appealing to the majority. Furthermore, society paints a very wrong image of the teacher. Over the years, I have noticed that the teacher is often blamed by the public, even in media, teachers are thought not to motivate children enough, not to perform very well. I don’t know how long it will take, but it’s important that parents realize how much effort we put into our job. They only see the final result, when there are the big exams after 7th grade – they are happy for it, but they don’t consider how much hard work it took for the people who worked with these children to achieve this.”

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Terziyska says that she is proud of her profession and wouldn't change her decision if she could go back in time. She feels that being a teacher is her duty and her way of contributing to society. (Photo/Trayana Karamihaleva)

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Despite all the problems in Bulgarian education and the hardships of the profession, Terziyska is happy to see that there are still young people who are willing to pursue it.

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“I was very happy to hear from one of my students, who was excellent at mathematics, who told me that she will apply to the Sofia university to become a math teacher. I asked her whether she realizes what she is signing up for, but five years have passed and she is still with the same mindset. This makes me very proud. I hope that the image of the teacher in society changes and this motivates more young people to want to become teachers.”

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When I asked Terziyska what the Bulgarian teacher needs, her answer was:

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“Teachers need attention and understanding from society.”

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Furthermore, Terziyska portrayed the teacher's role not only entails giving knowledge to students, but also helping them grow up to become good people.

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“I want to teach my students to be fair and understand that if there is will and ambition, they can achieve their goals. What makes me happiest is seeing children who understand me, seeing the happiness in their eyes. This is the most precious reward from our profession. There are many beautiful moments at school which you will probably never experience anywhere else. I think such moments are the anchor that keeps people like me and younger ones to stay and keep working.”