“A friend of nature”

Our interviewee is a history teacher who works in a primary school. She described herself as a creative person who is not afraid of trying new things. She is in her thirties. Full time mother of two kids, 11-year-old boy and 6-year-old girl. During the pandemic time, all of the family members worked remotely including her husband. She managed to arrange the day in the way to set time for work and her family life. Her day’s schedule was well organised and she was able to do everything that she had planned. As a history teacher she realised that it is her duty to observe and record that new pandemic situation.

It was really important for me to find a new hobby, which I could do in my free time. Due to moving away from a small apartment to a house on a large plot of land, the new hobby found itself. At the beginning I took up gardening in the terms of planning. My children also got interested in online meetings with garden designer, planning the layout of flower beds and choosing appropriate flower species. We were creating miniature jar gardens, insect houses and we had fun doing it. Afternoons were dedicated just for children. We were doing their homework and later we had time for boarding games and other hobbies. I love turning everything into fun. We were organising hiking tours and treasure hunting. Many attractions were possible to arrange at home, there was no rush, we could finally stop and enjoy our new home. I have many hobbies, among others creating my garden, observing animals, and crafting houses for insects. I even downloaded an app which recognizes birds’ sounds. Together with the children we observed wild animals that live close to our house (deer, storks, etc.). We helped bees by planting many species of honey-bearing plants. My husband, who was making birdhouses, also took part in nature observing. I realised I became more eco-friendly. I wanted to get my children interested in folk through cultivating it and introducing them to agricultural work. Trips we were organising were always adjusted to subjects from school and nursery. We were expanding knowledge gained at school, learning new facts and traditions. We even created a genealogical tree of my family. I had time to systematise the family gallery through developing photographs and complementing albums. I got interested in physical activities, so I took up some sports. I started dancing again, since I used to do it as a member of a folk dance group. This time I shared my knowledge with kids, teaching them steps.

In that difficult period of time, supporting each other was the most important thing, so online meetings and phone calls were very helpful. It was the only chance to see our family and friends so we could stay in touch. I also noticed I started talking with a bigger amount of co-workers, those I never exchange even a word with. I was happy with the presence of my family. Thanks to working with my husband, who has a demanding job when I am a workaholic, we could protect each other from burnout. The pandemic period made us stronger as a family. Even our animals finally felt pampered. For me as the teacher, that was a very interesting moment. I like looking for new methods to beef up my work. My lessons were more interesting and in my opinion it all depends on the teacher’s attitude. What is more, I got positive feedback from my students and their parents. So we cannot give up and always look for the bright side.

“The man with a new idea is crazy until he succeeds.” Mark Twain

Date: 23. 9. 2022
Organisation: Szkoła Podstawowa nr 2 w Sanoku