The adventure of a life in education

For as many years as there has been a place called ‘school,’ parents have been seeking ways to give the best educational experience to their children - a place that would provide students with the best possible education and send them forth, fully prepared to meet life’s challenges. Tallinn Center Russian Gymnasium (Tallinna Kesklinna Vene Gumnaasium) is one of the schools in Tallinn which people call a ‘top-quality’ school. Actually, it is a public school with a long history in attracting the brightest and most talented students in Tallinn.  

Sergei Teplov, who has been involved in the educational field since 1991, is the principal of Tallinn Center Russian Gymnasium. He receives great respect and trust among his colleagues, as well as from students and their parents.
There are always a lot of different events taking place in this school, meetings between students and famous people, celebrations of different events, excursions, educational projects and a lot more. It’s just a small paradise situated in the city center, with its old building famous for its unique architecture.

Sergei Teplov sat down with The Baltic Times to discuss his school’s strategies as well as to tell the readers about the latest news in the educational system.

Why did you decide to enter the education field and how long have you been working in this area?
It is quite a difficult question, why I have made up my mind to get engaged in pedagogics. Probably because of my desire to discover something new for me and to share it with others, and I think that it was kind of adventurism for me. I have been working at the school for about 19 years.

How can you describe your school and the atmosphere within it?
Tallinn Center Russian Gymnasium is a school where a friendly atmosphere dominates in relation to the students, one where students receive profound knowledge and learn about the world around them. At our school we give the chance to our students to receive not simply ready knowledge, but we create a situation when students can have an opportunity to search for new ways to acquire knowledge, and students also have a chance to be involved in scientific research. We have school experts who support the composure of our students’ work: a psychologist, a social teacher. The school also carries out a lot of activities according to the students’ interests, where the students can study more deeply the problems that they are interested in.

How do you think you can improve your school?
We have three purposes: foreign languages, the students’ development of logic, and the expansion of choices where students are involved and engaged at school.

What is most rewarding about being a school principal?
The most rewarding thing for the school principal is to know and see that students and parents respect the school and appreciate the teachers.

Do you plan on changing any policies within the school to make it enjoyable for students?
Life is changing rapidly and the school is changing together with life. It is very important to be able to keep up with the changing world. If society puts out new problems, then the school also sets new goals to achieve. I believe that everything in the world is interconnected.

Do you have any long-term plans for improvements within the school?
Yes, of course, I consider that the principal is a strategist first of all. Strategy of school development should develop together with teachers, parents, students. School work is planned for the next five years. Results are compared to external and internal indicators.

Are there any programs that you would like to implement in your school?
Actually, we are going to carry out the training program in three languages, there will be the introduction of electronic instruction, and there will be psychological support for students.

What do you think is the most important task of the principal?
The most important task of the principal is the success of the students and teachers, and the comfort of the parents.

What do you consider to be the characteristics of an excellent teacher?
Constant replenishment of knowledge, perfection of teaching methods, love towards the children as well as optimism and self-sacrifice.

What are your personal and professional goals in the next 5 years?
I do not plan for such a long time ahead; I can only set up some certain goals which I want to reach. Having abilities without constant improvement becomes outdated after 3 years, as the world is changing.

What difficulties are Russian schools facing these days? What difficulties is your school facing?
I can say that the basic difficulty in schools is the frequent fluctuations with views of society and the insufficient financial support of the school.

What do you think should be done in order to improve the educational system in Estonia?
I consider that the state should train teachers; it is necessary to agree on the accepted ‘game rules’ between all participants in the educational process. The teacher should create and the students should get pleasure from their lessons, from dialogue with schoolmates, with the teacher and with science.

What is a successful school for you? And what should the school do to be a successful one?
Success of the school is measured by the success of its graduates, and if they are pleased with the school then in the future they bring their kids to the same school. And what is our task to gain this success? The answer is clear. It is only to work and do our best.

I know that your school has the longest history among all the Russian schools. Tell us what are the most interesting facts about your school.
Our school building was constructed in 1936. Our school is almost a century-old school, continuing its traditions and trends. Our school has graduated more than 10,000 students. Actually, 408 of them graduated with a silver and gold medal. In 1930, there was no team in Estonia equal to our school’s team in track and field. In the Olympic Games in 1936, six of our students and graduates participated representing Estonia. In the Soviet period the school was one of the most significant schools in the country, and presently the school is considered as one of the best schools in Estonia with education in the Russian language.

What new technologies do you use in your school?
We actively use computer and electronic technologies and multimedia methods of teaching. It seems to me that we are probably the only school, that’s to say ‘unique,’ which builds a teaching system not on two, but on three languages, which are Russian, Estonian and English.

On what level is the educational system in Estonia as compared with other Baltic States or other EU countries?
I think that the education system in Estonia does not differ from the European, and it even has some advantages, one of which is the experience of Russian pedagogical science.

I know that you have recently celebrated your school’s anniversary. How did you celebrate it? How old is your school?
Our school was founded in 1923. The school was really unique in Estonia in the first half of the 20th century in that it offered upper secondary school [high school] instruction in the Russian language. It was where almost all the known Russian intellectuals in Estonia at that time worked. The divine patron of the school is the Russian prince Alexander Nevsky; therefore, the school’s birthday is marked on December 6. In 2009 we celebrated the school’s birthday with a solemn liturgy in the main orthodox temple in Tallinn, Alexander Nevsky cathedral.

Are all of the students at your school Russian?
I can say that our school is actually a multiracial and multicultural one. We have Russian students, Estonians, Chinese, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Jewish, actually too many to mention here.

I know that there are always a lot of events taking place in your school; tell us about the latest events that took place?
We are now carrying out different thematic activities for our students. The second week of January has been dedicated to winter, where we held various competitions, one of which was a children’s photo exhibition where all the kids had a chance to show their work. Another activity which was launched by the school was building a snow fortress in a school courtyard, which we called ‘A Fairytale Castle,’ where all the students as well as teachers had to build a castle and make some ice-sculptures. The third week of January has been devoted to the European figure skating championship, where the students had a chance to meet some of the famous figure skaters and coaches who visited our school. The school also carried out an exhibition of hand-made articles devoted to sports. The last week of January we dedicated to history and literature. One of the eye-catching events was the theatrical festival devoted to the 150 year anniversary of Anton Chekhov. There was the ‘memory day’ for the victims of the Holocaust. And, of course, one of the most important events was the participation of our students in the city subject competitions, where some of our students proudly represented our school, and some of them even received major awards. There are also a lot of activities planned for February. We are going to organize the meeting of our graduates with the teachers; the school is preparing a big concert for them as well as other surprises. We will also have the week of Russian culture and traditions; Pancake week; Chinese week; Open doors days and a week devoted to the independence of Estonia, which will take place on February 24.

I know that your school is going to celebrate the Chinese New Year. How are you going to celebrate it?
Celebration of the Chinese New Year will take place from February 8-12, where we will have science lectures about China and the culture of China, performances by athletes and talented youngsters. Students from China studying in Tallinn will join in the lessons with our students. On the last day of the program the school’s dining room will offer Chinese dishes made by Chinese cooks for all the guests and students. A torch procession with a dragon made by students and a big firework display will conclude the ceremony.

Is it true that you are the only school in Tallinn where the Chinese language is taught?
Yes, actually we are proud to be the only school in Tallinn where Chinese language is taught as an additional language, along with Spanish.

Does your school cooperate with other Estonian schools?
Yes of course, we have many friends in Estonian schools. Our partners are Jakob Westholmi Gymnasium, Tallinn Kuristiku Gymnasium, and others.

Has your school ever taken part in local or international projects?
We have taken part in different programs including international projects such as the well-known ‘Comenius’ project, which ended last year. We now have joint projects with the ‘Integration Environment Foundation,’ with the program ‘My state,’ and other projects in Tallinn and St. Petersburg, with some high schools in Russia, with our partner schools in Latvia, Lithuania and many others.