Daniela Zhekova
Mathematics
Daniela Zhekova standing in front of the wall of fame at the Sergey Korolyov High School of Mathematics in Blagoevgrad. Here are photos and diplomas of well-known teachers and students who have won awards in different competitions. The students’ achievements are one of the main motivations for teachers. Zhekova shares that her teachers and her students are what inspired her and continues to inspire her to pursue her profession. (Photo/Trayana Karamihaleva)
Daniela Zhekova is one of the most experienced and well-known teachers at the Sergey Korolyov High School of Mathematics in Blagoevgrad. She has seen generations of students and teachers come and go, and she cannot help but smile as she remembers how her own journey here started.
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“I didn’t choose to be a teacher, the profession chose me."
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When Zhekova graduated, back in 1987, admission to universities was very restricted – students could only apply to one place. She was faced with a choice between mathematics and literature, but she ended up choosing mathematics. After graduation, she worked in the automatization department of a company which involved mathematics in a more specific context. Soon after, in 1989, she started teaching and discovered that this was her vocation.
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“A lot of young teachers come, work for a few months and end up quitting, because education now is not what they have imagined and what it should be."
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Zhekova has noticed that the students' attitude has changed significantly.
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Today’s students are much smarter than previous generations, but they tend to be more disorganized and irresponsible. They expect things to happen for them, just like that, rather than being proactive and working hard. The access to information people have today affects that in a way, but specifically in my fields, mathematics, you can’t get away without lots of writing and practice. Students are perfectly capable, they just need to put the effort. Right now, in every class, I can name five to six students who are actually motivated and hardworking. It used to be the other way around – there were a few “black sheep” who were lazy and underperforming. People say it’s the age, hormones, but at every age, the students must know that in order to receive, they have to give first.”
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A student poster saying “Without hard work, there are no talents, nor geniuses. A lot of teachers mentioned that today’s children, although very intelligent and capable, are not motivated and persistent enough to achieve the best results possible. Some of them shared it is most likely due to their upbringing. Zhekova was one of them. (Photo/Trayana Karamihaleva)
Daniela Zhekova is inviting someone to solve a math problem on the board while one of the students is cleaning the board. She believes it is important for every student to get hands-on practice, especially in a field such as mathematics. (Photo/Trayana Karamihaleva)
Being a teacher with lots of experience and on her way to retirement, Zhekova has observed all of the changes that have occured in Bulgarian education and has some theories about why things turned out this way.
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“It starts with the family – every parent wants to provide a better standard of living for their children and, unfortunately, they often end up spoiling them. They get the impression that they can get anything they want without working for it.”
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Of course, there are still students who work hard and manage to realize their potential not only at school, but after graduation.
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“What motivates me the most is knowing that at least a few of my students became good people and education gave them a solid foundation for life.”
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As she mentioned that, she opened up her bag and showed me some photos and a wedding invitation.
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“This is one of my students who is currently pursuing a phD degree in Harvard. He invited me to his wedding and I was extremely touched by this. There is an old saying that a wedding gift should contain 5 things. So, I bought a heart-shaped box and put in a coin, a little “chan” (round bell for animals), a small bottle of rose oil and a poem by Damian Damianov. I wondered for a long time what the fifth item should be, and I ended up making a copy of the key to my apartment.
So, after the wedding ceremony, I walked up on stage to give my gift. I said: “If you ever miss Bulgaria, ring the chan to hear its voice. If you still miss it, open up the bottle of rose oil and inhale the smell of Bulgarian roses. After that, if you are still nostalgic, you should read Damian Damianov’s poem that reminds you that when you are in the very bottom of hell, when you are sad and struggling, you should make your own ladder and climb back up. And finally, if you miss Bulgaria so much that you want to come back, come to my house. If I am not around, use the key, enter and make yourselves at home.”
All the wedding guests cried, especially the bride and the groom. They sent me a thank you letter afterwards. I am so happy to see that this boy is now happy and successful. He even invited me to move to the States, since I know some English. He said my work would be much more appreciated and well-paid there, but at this age, I cannot imagine myself moving. I enjoy working here.”
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Although she has been teaching for many years, has seen all the fruits and faced all the hardships of the profession, Zhekova said that she wouldn't change it for anything.
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“I can work many different jobs, but this is the profession I love most and I can do best. Even when I get sick, at this old age, at least I know my brain is working just as well. The school is my place.”
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Zhekova was very touched to be invited to one of her favorite students' wedding. Here is the wedding invite, a thank-you letter and some photos from the event. (Photo/Trayana Karamihaleva)