Vivien Skladany

Twenty-two years old Step by Step (SbS) program alumna Vivien Skladany from Croatia is working as a pre-school teacher, and also getting her professional education in this area. She is using her SbS experience in the work she currently performs. 

Vivien, how was your SbS kindergarten different from others?
My SbS group in kindergarten was indeed very different from the other groups. It was the only one with such a program. I remember that, already in kindergarten, I had lots of freedom but also knew my boundaries. I had a very warm and loving teacher. She always brought something new to our group and our days were never boring. We had buffet breakfast: we were possibly the only group in the whole city who had that. It was very nice for us, children, because we felt that we always had a choice and that our opinion mattered. We also often had field trips to musea and theaters. Besides, our parents were very much involved in the whole educational process. There would be workshops organized together with the parents: once they even performed a puppet show, which was lots of fun. 

What was the main lesson you learnt during the program?
To treat others as you want to be treated. This was probably the most used sentence in our kindergarten, and it was my main learning. Still today I think about it and use it in my work. I also learned that I always have a choice, but within boundaries that should be respected. I have learnt to be strong, persistent and tolerant, to never give up and to be a good person. 

How did the program change you and influenced your future? 
Those things I learned in my kindergarten were guiding me when I was growing up. The program definitely left a big mark on my life. It influenced me a lot, but more on a subconscious level. I think that I became a preschool teacher because of the Step by Step program. My preschool teacher is my work mentor now. She still works with SbS and sometimes she shares with me some program resources which I use in my study and work. As a teacher myself, I respect the children I teach and try to be open-minded.