Supporting a Teacher Colleagues in Ukraine during wartime

Story written by a MovED mentor

MovED by Mentoring is a project aimed at assisting Ukraine through education. The volunteer organization Voices for Freedom led this initiative, inviting Haaga-Helia experts to participate. While Haaga-Helia doesn’t yet have a partner university in Ukraine, this program bridged us to Kyiv University with local teachers. In the spring 2024 pilot, 13 teachers from Ukraine were each paired with a Finnish education professional as a mentor. The goal was to boost motivation, enhance skills, and empower the Ukrainian teachers, who play a crucial role in fostering the mindset needed for Ukraine’s rebuilding.

A Teacher’s Daily Life in Ukraine

I hoped to mentor a higher education teacher and was matched with Nataliia, who teaches IT engineering at Kyiv University. We met three times via Teams after initially connecting by email.

Nataliia explained that Ukrainian universities have relied entirely on online teaching for four years due to the war and the pandemic. Her biggest challenge was keeping students motivated and engaged. Many struggle to focus, lack optimism, and have weak social skills, with absences common. Classes mainly consist of traditional online lectures, with students keeping their cameras off.

Air raid alarms regularly interrupt teaching for hours as everyone moves to bomb shelters. Teachers feel frustrated but try their best to inspire students and give them hope for the future.

The Mentoring Process as a Learning Journey

During our sessions, I listened carefully to Nataliia’s needs and concerns. Drawing on my experience during the pandemic, I shared tips for engaging students.

I encouraged Nataliia to organize students into teams to help them build relationships and develop teamwork skills. I also suggested icebreakers to foster psychological safety. Additionally, I consulted Haaga-Helia students on best practices for online teaching and passed their insights to Nataliia.

We also explored digital tools and teaching methods like flipped learning, which Nataliia found interesting and planned to try. She was curious about business collaborations, branding, and graphic design, and I showed her examples from Haaga-Helia’s Creative Agency Krea.

Testing New Teaching Approaches

Nataliia eagerly tried incorporating teamwork into her classes. Initially, her students were terrified, and some even dropped out of the session. However, those who participated realized by the end of the lesson that teamwork was useful. They acknowledged that in their future careers, projects are built around teams.

We agreed that team-building is especially crucial in online learning, where communication can be challenging. Nataliia plans to continue using teamwork, especially in project-based courses.

Pilot Project Results

At the project's conclusion, MovED interviewed participants to assess its success. All the Ukrainian teachers reported feeling empowered, supported, and gaining valuable insights for their work. The pilot showed that direct professional support is both necessary and effective.

Personally, the project made me appreciate how much we support student learning in Finland. As a lecturer, I often take established methods for granted. I also realized how fortunate we are to live in peace. The challenges faced by Ukrainian teachers and students put our own concerns into perspective, broadening my outlook and deepening my gratitude.

This is a shorter version of the blog written by Mentor and Senior Lecturer Jenni Brisk at Haaga-Helia University of Applied Science Finland. Blog was originally published on Haaga-Helia E-signals on May 14, 2024.  Read the full story in Finnish language here

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