Narmin Makhmudzade
Narmin Mahmudzade is 20 years old. She is studying international relations at the University of Languages in Azerbaijan and she also works as an English teacher. As a Step by Step (SbS) program alumna, she now uses her teacher's methodology in her current work with children.
Narmin, how was your SbS kindergarten different from others?
I remember being eager to go to my kindergarten and spend time with my teachers and friends. I had a friend who always cried when she came in the morning because she missed home. Once I told her: “What will you do at home? Will you just be there your mother? Come on, let’s better play here.” She listened to me and after some days she did not even want to leave the kindergarten when it was time to go home. The first and probably the main difference was our teachers. They were very kind to us, and it was this attitude which motivated me to go to the kindergarten. For example, if I did not want to sleep then they did not make me sleep. They listened to me and then asked me to keep silent so I would not disturb the others who were sleeping. They would gently explained to me that getting some sleep during the day was healthy because I would have more energy to play later. If I did not want to eat something, my teacher always found an alternative. If I did not want porridge, for instance, they made me a cheese sandwich. I would say that, as a child, I had more freedom than I probably would have had in a regular kindergarten.
What was the main lesson you learnt from the SbS program?
I have learnt that what you share with children will come back to you. If you give your love, they will share their love with you. I have also learnt that you have to be honest with them, contrary to what many people think, that children do not understand that much about life and therefore you can lie to them. If you do not lie to children, they will not lie to you. We also have to be polite and be kind with children. If you work with kids or if you have your own, you are always a sort of psychologist for them. You have to help them solve their problems and you have to listen to them and respect their choices.
How did the SbS program contribute to your growth?
While I was growing up and still today, I have never been afraid to make choices. I feel free to share my opinions. My family relatives accept my choices and even when they give me their advice, my choice is still mine. If I make the wrong one, I am also the only one responsible to fix it. Therefore, I would say that the program taught me how to take decisions and make choices; how to solve problems by myself; how to achieve my goals and correct my faults.
How did the program change you and influenced your future?
I adored my teacher, Sveta Mustafaevna, very much. She was even kinder to me than my mother. If I did something wrong, she tried to teach me how to do it in a right way and was never strict or mad at me. I loved spending time with her. And I wanted to become a teacher thanks to her. Now the kids I teach also like me and they do not even want to study with some other teacher when I go on vacation. I am convinced that every child’s life begins in her/his early childhood. The SbS program gave me a good start in life because it offered me kindness and independence in a positive attitude.
