Janina Snarska: The Polish teacher is the school’s flywheel

Today, when we direct our words and thoughts overflowing with gratitude to the teachers on the Teacher’s Day, we think in a special way about form tutors and educators from the schools of the Vilnius region. A teacher occupies a special place there: they’re living guides to the world of knowledge, sometimes the most sincere confidants, wise and silent mentors, the closest friends of the students. A particular role in their uneasy mission is played by the Polish teachers – not only do they teach the correct Polish pronunciation day by day, instilling the love to the native culture and language, but also organize the lives of the whole school community, reviving and animating the school existence.

On the Polish teacher’s everyday life, dreams, obligatory books and cribs we talk with Janina Snarska – the teacher of the secondary school the name of Eliza Orzeszkowa in White Wacke, in the the Šalčininkai district.

What does the Polish teacher’s weekday look like?

Well, it’s being on standby all the time. Right now we and the students are preparing to the declamatory contest called “Confines”. I choose texts in such a way they fit the student’s character and voice, and the rehearsals start – every school break is actually occupied. Apart from the fact that the Polish teacher edits every school announcement, in the meantime they upload articles on the school website and they’re still chasing, chasing, chasing until the red light turns up in the evening and they can zonk out.

And there is a lesson in their dreams at night?

Yes, there is a lesson at night… The beginning of the new school years is busy, but then the school makes you winded up very quickly. Apart from having classes, you prepare a variety of different events. On the 26^th of September there is the European Day of Languages and the teachers of each language are also involved in this for it to be interesting, original, and different from the event in former years. Right after that there is the Teacher’s Day and once again the Polish teachers have a lot to do. During the school year, on the other hand, they prepare the students for the Small and the Big Competition in Polish, and the anniversary celebration – preparing for the November 11^th; last year it was a great school trip in the footsteps of Pilsudski, curiously guided by Jozef Szostakowski. For the Day of the Patron every year we have celebrations commemorating our patron Eliza Orzeszkowa – we try hard to make unrepeatable events, such as the literary afternoon or the trip. This year has been announced the year of Szymborska and Tuwim. We have also the tradition that the initial classes along with the student government organize a party for the preschoolers: we prepare performances, classes, pictures, some surprises for them. Not only for the children, but also for the students it is a great fun.

Every day without a rest. I would even say that the Polish teacher is the school’s flywheel that makes the whole school life warmed up.

There is a common complain that the students do not read much. Are the obligatory books tortures or maybe there are still some of them who like reading?

Indeed, there are such cases that love reading. When I asked after the summer whether they read the books I had told them to read as a homework, they said yes, indeed, but in Lithuanian. At the moment the older classes make up the program of the Lithuanian school at the expense their mother language, unfortunately. The younger students read in Polish, although the book „In Desert and Wilderness” scares them with its volume and language. The shorter works are easier to bear. I’ve found the way that we draw from the titles and everyone makes a multimedia presentation on it – with all the characteristics, topics, issues, the reflection of the era… The students also complain on the lack of time but I think that the devourers of time are social networks and the Internet. On the other hand I observe my own children and see they are physically unable to keep up with their responsibilities, they do their homework long hours, additionally they attend the music school – and after all they are only small children working all day long.

So the school program is overloaded?

In one way, yes. The present school taking over much from the West hasn’t rejected the old model of education. There is too much of the boring theory in the textbooks, the theory that the child is unable to put into practice. In turn, enjoying fact is that education is being supported and made more attractive by shopping malls or active and ingenious students and cultural workers. They organize thematic classes, exhibitions, night classes in town, at the university or a museum. The youths today, having their electronic friend, can do their homework with a single key press.

What do the students like to read?

The modern literature. They read “Logs”, Terakowska, Nowacka, Tokarczuk. I’ve been promoting obligatory books all the time. I choose fragments from books in their electronic versions, make it in the Word document for them to be delivered to each student. This way is not available in the libraries, the literature textbooks for older classes are inept and they do not even match the program. Thus I am forced to use the Internet every day and copy the whole chapters from the books; I choose the vivid and significant fragments that are , in my opinion, the most important ones. These modern technologies are very handy at work. Although sometimes I have to sit ‘till midnight for the students to touch the literature even if only fragmentarily and to feel the difference between the prose of the XIXth century and that of the XXIth century.

So the curriculum requirements go their own and the textbooks go the other way?

Yes. There are no textbooks in older classes. 14 books are obligatory and the teacher works the way he likes. He can choose the chronological teaching, i.e. according to the era, or the thematic teaching, e.g. understanding the human being and the values presented in different works. Teaching depends on the creative approach of the teacher. Working with the use of the textbook would be the easiest but not as interesting. Hence, his method provides no place for the routine. This school year we have implemented topics dealing with preparation for family life integrated with literary themes. And these are the case today, marital betrayals, the art of communicating on the intimate matters are no longer taboo. We talk about it when “The Frontier” by Nalkowska, “The Chronicles of Love Affairs” by Konwicki, or works by Tokarczuk. The students discuss them without strange smiles on their faces, they speak their minds aloud. In one word, the work is really interesting.

Does the teacher in today’s schools stand high on a pedestal, or maybe they are just older and wiser friends?

I can say on my own behalf only that I try to avoid being hail-fellow-well-met with the students. I also do not let myself shout at the children. Screaming is a sign of weakness, of the fact that the teacher is not capable of anything more. I want the students to respect rather than being afraid of. And the respect you must deserve.

The work of the Polish teacher is…

It’s a passion for me. I believe that the money I earn are not fair for the work you do 24 hours a day, often at the expense of the family. Paradoxically, I plan the free time spent with my children or family to a lesser extent I think of organizing trips or other events for the students. You are always thinking about what else is there to see, show, recommend. The children at my school are very absorbent of all the novelties and they eagerly participate in every trip (a small town does not have as many attractions as, for instance, a capital city). They can listen to, too. And they hear.

What does the teacher think when standing in front of the class?

I come to the class with a ready-made scenario so I know what is going to happen during my lesson. In older class, I often start with the provocation. I have my provocative question ready, to which the students the students frequently resent, and this is how the discussion starts. The result of it is then to be confronted with some literary work. It happens that the message of the it is completely contradictory to what the students believe in and sometimes such a discussion enables their individual founding of the answer for some important questions. I try different ways in making them interested with the book and not to be scared by its volume or the number of pages. I don’t like silence in the class, I like talking to students, common discussing of themes, investigation, I like when they have their own points of view and speak it out during the lessons.

Is it hard to be the Polish teacher in Lithuania?

I’ve never thought about it. I am a teacher. I believe that you can only be a teacher when you have a calling. It is always apparent. I think the children feel it, too, because they can see and compare. I could prepare for the lesson sloppily but then I think that I cannot do this to my students, this is not the level of mine.

What kind of the teacher you are?

Sometimes I turn a blind eye even on cheating. I tell my students I could never cheat, it would be too hard to do a thing for me, so if someone did – I admire him. Besides, such a crabbed crib is already some arrangement of thoughts, preparing for the lesson, showing the sense of responsibility, hence I believe that there’s no crime in that. For them to have good school memories (laughing).

Source: http://kurierwilenski.lt/2013/10/04/janina-snarska-polonista-to-kolo-zamachowe-szkoly/

Tłumaczenie by Roksana Kasperek w ramach praktyk w Europejskiej Fundacji Praw Człowieka, www.efhr.eu. Translated by Roksana Kasperek within the framework of a traineeship programme of the European Foundation of Human Rights, www.efhr.eu.