TALKING TIME
WE ARE TALKING TO: Tatjana
Popov
This time Mamizeit is asking the ardent soul of the Sunshine pre-school,
Tatjana Popov, to share with our readers glimpses from her Croatian background
and passion about teaching.
Q: What made you move to Switzerland?
TP: My husband, originally from Novi Sad (Serbia)
whom I meet in India (participating in an aid project) already lived in Switzerland
and had only Swiss citizenship at the time we met. I was born in Zagreb (Croatia).
We married in August and the war between our 2 countries started in September.
Thou we traveled a lot together (and studied music and dance), we eventually
decided that Switzerland was the best base for us. Since old Yugoslavian passport
wasn't existing any more (for traveling purposes it used to be a good one), we
concluded that having Swiss passports would make it possible for us to visit
relatives on both sides, as well as continue with our world tours.
Q: What were your expectations of Switzerland?
TP: I didn't really have any expectations. I just
tried to be open for the flow of life. I knew that Switzerland was famous for
banks, precise watches and chocolate. But this wasn't really my stuff. Alps and
skiing, that was already better. And I knew that life is a challenge, so I accepted
my life here could be challenging. I felt more that I was brought to this place
in order to learn the qualities that I'm still lacking as well as to offer what
I already have with me.
Q: What do you thing are the main cultural differences between Croatia and Switzerland?
TP: Cultural expression here is more
of introverted nature while in Croatia it's more extroverted.
Q: Moving to another country – how did your kids react?
TP: They decided to come to this world only after I
have decided to really be here. So, they were both born in Switzerland and helped
me to release my roots.
Q: Being a workingwoman in a society where most women stay at home: Why
did you decide to work?
TP: When my daughter was two I realized that there existed
few organized activities for kids around that age and that common understanding
and expectation of preschool age children was zero. During that period I made
a decision to do something about it. Being a pedagogue and an experienced kindergarten
teacher, I was surprised to see that in the middle of Europe people have so low
expectations in the domain of early childhood. After the initial shock I started
observing what the usual way of doing was. I felt that Swiss people are rather
skeptical to implement new ideas and therefore most of them the time stick to
standard procedures: to do what is "normal" for them. That was really
a difficult process for me. With all my international experience I felt like
a beginner, tapping in the darkness.
Then my son was born and I got another year for my idea to mature. When my son
reached one and my daughter four, I eventually started with "English for
kids". First year was like an experiment. I rented a space for one afternoon
and started with one group of 7 pioneers for just 2 hours, while baby boy was
entertaining grandma at home.
Since then I could always adjust my family and professional life because they
were growing parallel. I often describe Sunshine as an organic project. No fertilizers
for fast growth are used.
My main challenge was this school year. I had to learn a lot about administrative
things and felt several times that I'm at the limit of my capacity. My children
see me more often on the computer and my husband sometimes complains that I don't
have enough time for us, but, at the same time, my project provides me an opportunity
to do some things for my family.
Q: Tell us about Sunshine pre-school: mission and methods.
TP: The sunshine uses
a holistic education approach that integrates all aspects of the child's being:
body, senses, intellect, emotions, imagination, intuition and spirit. It is a
harmonious synthesis of rationality and creativity, freedom and responsibility,
idealism and practicality, self-reliance and interdependence.
Language is a natural companion on that journey (and amongst all forms of symbolization
and expression, most popular). At Sunshine we offer currently English as a world
language of present era, German as the main language in this part of Switzerland
and Spanish. We are open for other languages too, but there must be sufficient
interest (which is not that easy in small community of Stäfa). We have variety
of methods to meet the developmental needs of children. We pay big attention
to the constant improvement of teachers in their professional and personal development.
Q: Why is it important to be bilingual?
TP: Language is not just the words;
it is values, pictures, emotions... Every language enriches a person. There are
many
good reasons for being (at least) bilingual: from purely neurological to cultural
and social. The reason I like most is that it can contribute towards universal
sensitivity.
Q: What else is offered at Sunshine?
TP:
* Playgroups in English, German and Spanish
* Lunch Bunch for preschoolers
* After School English Language Clubs (Theater Arts Club, Yoga for Kids, After
School Club & Lunch Bunch)
* Workshops for children during vacations
* Summer Camps
* Workshops for parents and educators
* Teachers Training (International NH Certificate for early childhood education)
Important to mention is that we offer a nice working environment for enthusiastic
moms and teachers and additional international network for volunteers in educational
projects.
* Sunshine Pre-school, Bergstrasse 13, 8712 Stäfa, Zürich. Tel: +41
(0)44 926 12 18, email: www.sunshine-kids.ch
Red: Thank you Tatjana Popov for talking to mamizeit.
Tatjana Popov holds a Masters Degree in Pedagogy and has
been teaching and running the Sunshine Preschool Project for the past eight
years after gaining experience in education programs all over the world.
She is a passionate dancer, Yoga teacher and mother of two children. Tatjana
also hold seminars on preschool education for teachers and parents.
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