Osnovna škola "Vladimir Nazor" Đakovo

Teacher Ivana Hrastović Mandarić has been awarded as one of the 511 Croatian best teachers.

Why did you become an English teacher?

During my Primary and Secondary school I loved learning foreign languages, specially English. At that time I also read a lot in English and learned about its culture and history. I was very fond of British and American literature and some of my favorite writers are William Faulkner, Edgar Alan Poe, JD Salinger, Agatha Cristie, J.K. Rowling, so the love of reading books and travelling was probably the main reason why I've chosen to become an Englih teacher.  Being able to understand and speak English language is an important competence for 21 century students and I enjoy working with them, for me it has always been a very positive experience.

What do you like about your job?

As an English teacher I have an opportunity to meet and work with other teachers all over the world. We share teaching experience and inovative methods and collaborate in international projects. I enjoy teaching young people and sharing my knowledge with others. My role as a teacher is to encourage young people to gain confidence in speaking and communicating in English, but also to explore some intercultural differences , this way they can better understand their own cultural background.

What do you like about your students?

Well, I definitely love the interest that students have for learning English language and improving their communication skills. Our lessons are very dynamic because the main part of it are usually debates on various topics, I love how my students express their opinion on some important issues and the way they use their language competence. I teach them critical thinking skills and it helps them to better understand and develop their own view of the world today. Also, English has become the language of all media and social networks and young people are constantly exposed to it. Therefore, it is essental nowdays to teach our students to be aware of the fake news and to recognize them. The influence of social media today is extremely powerful, this has both positive and negative effects on young generations.

What's the most challenging thing about your job?

Well, there are many factors that influence teacher's job, inside and outside factors. Inside the classroom there are many students that have different learning abilities and finding the balance between teaching the gifted learners and those with specific educational needs is definitely a real challenge for every teacher. Outside the classroom there is the society in general, and over the years, their consideration of teacher's position and job has greatly changed. The society sometimes underestimates the effort and the length of the teachers' working hours. In other words, there is a huge amount of work that teachers do outside the classroom, it is essential for the society to perceive and value this.

How did you feel when you got awarded as one of the 511 best teachers in Croatia?

I felt proud and grateful, and definitely honoured to be among 511 awarded teachers this year. Many of the awarded teachers are my colleagues, also English teachers from different schools in Croatia, some of them I know professionally from some past projects and seminars. And all these are very ambitious and hardworking people who have made an outstanding contribution to the educational system in our country.

How much work and effort did it take to get the award?

It takes great effort and hard work during the whole year, you need to be very dedicated and engaged in different projects, organize educational events, extra- curricular activities, improve your students outcomes and keep them motivated, write articles and do your own teaching process reflection and collaborate with other teachers. Furthermore, you need to be inovative and ready for whole life learning process.

Who supported you the most?

My family members supported me the most, my pupils and colleagues.

How did your coworkers react when they found out about the award?

Most of my coworkers congratulated me on this success and showed their support.

Did your success inspire you to continue working hard?

The reward is a recognition of determined and hard work, and it definitely inspired me to seek new challenges in my professional career. Also, it inspired me to continue teaching my students 21 st century skills in an inovative way and support them to reach their goals.

                                          Duje Plavčić, Slaven Mitar and Renato Tišma, 6.a