His secret is that he believed in and followed his dreams, which seemed impossible to everyone. Because nothing is far, impossible for him. If he wants, then he will be able to. This determination took him from Shirvan to the United Kingdom. Our interviewee is an Azerbaijani Ravana Shikhali, an pedagogue who aims to support children with special educational needs, a graduate student at Edinburgh University in Great Britain, and a teacher at “George Heriot’s School”.
He was born in Shirvan as the middle child of a family of three children. His father was an English teacher, so he started teaching his children this language from an early age. Ravana was distinguished by her activity since childhood and was the favorite of her teachers. He calls himself a lucky student and says he owes his career to his father, who was his first teacher, and to his other teachers. After graduating from school, he was admitted to the Faculty of Education of the Azerbaijan University of Languages, majoring in English language teaching. From the second year, he continued his education in SABAH groups. After working as a teacher in one of the private schools in Azerbaijan and gaining experience, he continues his education in Inclusive education at the University of Edinburgh in Great Britain with the State Program. Ravana also works as a teacher at George Heriot’s School, one of the largest schools in the country in Great Britain. He says that he is the only foreign citizen who works here as a teacher in his field.
“A teacher who accepts all mistakes positively is able to teach”
– Mrs. Ravana, your parents call you a fighter and a maximalist. Do you think you’re a maximalist because of middle child syndrome?
– Yes, the advantage of being the middle child is being a maximalist, trying to do the best. Usually, middle children think that they are not very loved by their families. Therefore, they become more fighters and constantly try to prove themselves to their families. I had that too. No matter how much my parents wanted me, I always tried to make a difference and stand out. I got “5” in classes, wrote stories and read them to my parents, participated in poetry contests, hosted events. I was trying to be the best. According to the middle child syndrome in the world, a child who thinks that his parents do not pay enough attention to him, can do extreme actions to show himself to them. This syndrome manifested itself in me as a maximalist in a positive sense.
– You consider yourself lucky to be surrounded by good teachers. What are the advantages of a student surrounded by good teachers?
– Imagine two students. Both need to learn English. One goes to a course and prepares with a commendable teacher. This teacher conducts a standard lesson, is strict, highlights the student’s mistakes rather than his successes. That student hates this subject. Because despite working from morning to night and knowing all the grammar rules, he can’t speak English, so he feels incompetent and doesn’t like the language. Because the teacher does not develop his active listening and speaking skills, and most importantly, he is negative. A lucky student develops completely differently. A simple teacher goes along, but a teacher is a motivator. Despite the fact that the child’s language level is zero, he loves this language and lovingly learns it. After that, all doors are opened to that student. Every child can make mistakes and have difficulty understanding. But a teacher who accepts all mistakes positively is able to teach. I have always had such teachers. That’s why I’m chasing my dreams today. When I come to Azerbaijan, I meet my teachers, I thank them. Because the foundation of pursuing what I believe in is laid in school. Every child must have at least one good teacher.
The reason why students don’t like subjects…
– “The fact that a candidate has knowledge and skills related to his subject does not make him a teacher,” you say. But what makes a candidate a teacher?
– Many people can be knowledgeable, but not everyone can be a teacher. A teacher is a person who can teach what he knows. Scientists of the last era no longer agree with this. They say that a teacher is a person who has enough knowledge and skills, teaches his knowledge and skills to others, and at the same time knows the learning methods of the students in front of him. Every student has a different attitude towards learning. For example, one learns by looking and the other by hearing. Or there is a student who is autistic and his approach to learning is completely different. Let’s say that one of the students is hyperactive and does not listen to the lesson. The teacher should understand that this child is not “uneducated”, but just not independent and has a diagnosis. A true teacher is one who understands these differences and treats them positively. He teaches his lesson according to their needs.
– Game-based learning process is being discussed in the world today. Some people are in favor of the teacher being strict. What do you think?
– A professional teacher should not have a one-sided approach to teaching during his activity. Because it is very stressful for the student. The learning process should attract the student and arouse his interest. The reason why students dislike some subjects is that the learning process is uninteresting. All children love play, it is curiosity that develops them. When curiosity arises, they question something. Game-based learning is one of the most popular teaching systems. It also has important nuances. A teacher’s goal should not be to play with children and make them laugh. When preparing the lesson plan before the lesson, the teacher should set goals, what will we learn while playing this game and will our lesson plan be completed? If the teacher achieves his goal by playing games, then it is a successful lesson.
“Every child learns differently”
– We often hear the words “the child has a head, he doesn’t read” or “he doesn’t have a head, he can’t learn” from those around him. How correct are these statements?
– This is a completely wrong approach. We are all born with the same potential. But it is important how this potential is developed and directed by the parent, how the teacher conducts the teaching process after the parent. For example, if a child’s approach to a subject is different, is this difference silenced or welcomed by the teacher? Every child’s learning method is different. How did the teacher approach this difference? Every child has a “head”. These “heads” are just waiting to be discovered by the teacher. If it is not discovered, it is not the child’s fault, but the parent’s and teacher’s fault.
– Ms. Ravana, you are studying for a master’s degree in inclusive education at the University of Edinburgh. Why did you choose this specialty?
– In addition to normal children, there are and should be special children in the class. It is unfortunate that special children today have learning difficulties or limitations. Inclusive education is the inclusion of special children in education together with other children. I had special students when I was working in a private school in Azerbaijan. Every child has the right to have equal rights and to study together with everyone. Most of the teachers in our country do not understand special children in the world of education and they cannot develop because of this. Educating teachers about inclusive education is my biggest career goal. Whether special children or others, I study abroad to ensure that every child has the best possible start in their education. I am currently researching theories and practices of creating equitable and accessible learning environments for students at the University of Edinburgh.
How does an Azerbaijani girl teach English children?
– How did your work life in Great Britain begin?
– One of my main goals when I came to Scotland was to work at a school here. Because their school experience is quite different. I wanted to learn this experience and apply it in my country. I applied to George Heriot’s School, one of the most prestigious schools in the country. The children of CK Rowling, the author of “Harry Potter” works, also attended this school. After the interviews, they hired me. I currently work 17 hours a week. We cannot work more than 20 hours because we have a student visa. Here we discuss and talk with British, Scottish and Irish students. My directors are also satisfied with me.
– It is not so easy for a foreign student to find a job in the UK.
– Yes. I am the only foreign student working in my field. They prefer their own nation more. Citizens of other countries are treated as second class. All of my coworkers are over 35 British, Scottish, Irish. I was hired because they thought I was good at building an emotional bond with children. In fact, my goal in starting work at this school was not to earn money, but to gain experience. Currently, I work on a contract basis, I receive a monthly salary. The school takes care of my needs, the taxes are lower, and it’s written into my pension in the future.
“I am here in Azerbaijan, not Ravana”
– You study and work in a completely different environment. What is the relationship of the British with the Azerbaijani lady?
– The student community in a foreign country is such that each person represents his country. For example, I am not Ravana here, I am Azerbaijan, or John is the United States for everyone. I am trying to build relationships with foreign students here and represent my country. During the lesson, I am active enough to draw attention to the fact that I am an Azerbaijani and to get to know my country well. We have courses, where I actively participate in discussions, this does not affect the grades, but people know you, the teacher has a positive attitude. For this reason, I always conduct debates in course discussions. Indeed, later they approach me and ask about Azerbaijan. There are even people who do not believe that I am from another country because of my English pronunciation. I have good relations with everyone, there are even people who want to visit our country. The face of each of us abroad is Azerbaijan. We have to act by feeling it.
– They say that a woman’s greatest chance is to grow up in a family that believes in her and supports her. You consider yourself lucky because of that. What moment do you remember with your parents that still gives you strength abroad today?
– In the eighth grade, I told my parents that I wrote a story and I want to read it to you. I read it cover to cover and found them cringing. They said to me words like “you’re welcome”, “may you be blessed”, “we are proud of you”, “we believed you could do it”. These words had such a great effect on me that I considered myself the strongest girl in the world. Later, I was participating in a poetry competition, I asked my mother to come watch me because she was afraid that I wouldn’t get a place, I didn’t want to be alone at that moment. My mother said that she will not come because she will be at work that day. When I was on stage, I saw my mother in the audience. I cannot explain the magnificence of that moment, the feeling it gave me. If I don’t forget these two moments until I’m this old, I’m sure that they played a big role in my development.(“Kaspi” newspaper)
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