Deep in the Belarusian countryside, where quiet fields meet the bustle of school recesses, lies the story of a family for whom teaching is not just a profession, but a calling passed down from generation to generation.
It all began with Ekaterina Emelina—my great-grandmother whose heart remained forever within the walls of the elementary school. For more than 45 years, she stood at the blackboard, teaching children to read, write, and count, but most importantly—to be kind, honest, and curious. A special atmosphere reigned in her classroom: here, every child felt important; everyone could ask a question and receive not just an answer, but guidance. Ekaterina knew all her students by name and remembered their hobbies, dreams, and fears. Her teaching career isn’t just a number—it’s thousands of lives she helped shape.
Her daughter—my grandmother, Natalya Veligura—took up the torch. She chose a slightly different path, but one just as noble: she became a preschool teacher. For fifty years, she has welcomed little ones at the entrance to their classroom, teaching them to make friends, to share, and to believe in themselves. Her hands were always warm, and her voice was calm and gentle. For hundreds of children, she became a second mother—the person who, in the absence of their parents, offered care and understanding.
«Grandma says, “A small child is like a blank sheet of paper. Whatever you write on it will stay there.” And she writes only kind things on those sheets»
Now I understand for myself just how true that is. I’ve been working as an elementary school teacher in Belarus for six years now. My classroom is my little world, where a miracle happens every day: the children learn, grow, and discover new things. I instill in them the very best: a love of learning, respect for their elders, and belief in their own abilities. For me, every lesson is an opportunity to pass on a little of what my ancestors gave me: patience, wisdom, and humanity.
When I walk into the classroom, the children often mirror me in many ways: my behavior, my words, and how I treat people and my work. I’m a very active person, and my children are the same—we’re constantly going somewhere, doing something, trying new things. That’s why I understand the responsibility I have as a teacher. It’s important not just to give a child knowledge, but also to show them by my example how one can relate to the world and to other people.
That’s probably why I’m continuing the teaching tradition that began with my great-grandmother. Although my choice of career wasn’t obvious. At first, I wanted to apply to a metallurgical college, but literally at the last moment before submitting my application, I changed my mind and chose a teachers’ college instead.
My family supported me: “Whatever you want, that’s how it will be.” And my grandmother, of course, was proud that the teaching tradition was continuing. But I didn’t fully realize I’d made the right choice until after I graduated from teachers’ college. That’s when I first felt that this was truly my calling.
The story continues. My sister is currently finishing teachers’ college, majoring in “elementary school teaching.” Her choice is a conscious one: she wants to work in a rural community, where every teacher is worth their weight in gold, where the school is the center of life for the entire village. She knows that the small but important eyes of children are waiting for her—children who are looking not just for lessons, but for a true mentor. And she’s ready to be that mentor.
And so the teaching dynasty continues. From my great-grandmother to my grandmother, from my grandmother to me, and from me to my sister. Children, schools, and times may change, but what remains is what matters most: respect for people, a willingness to be there for them, and the desire to leave something good behind every day.