My name is Elina and I was born in Ukraine, in the city of Kherson. I have been living in the United States for 20 years. I worked as an elementary physical education teacher currently and did before moving as well.
Before I had children, I never thought that I would work in an American school, but after having, children everything changed. Now I’m thinking about applying for a transfer to work at a high school in order to be closer to my children. I have two, Sophia and Francis. We all live together with our dog Dora and cat Chanel. We often go out into nature, we love outdoor activities, and the children play volleyball. I love being active and athletic games. I am lucky that I get to do what I love.
– Please tell us about your work. What do you like most about working at school?
I work as a physical education teacher in an elementary school. I am thinking about applying for a transfer to high school to be closer to my children. At work, I create, invent and think of all sorts of nuances in order to intrigue my students, as well as give them the opportunity to communicate and play at the same time. For example, I tell a short story before a game to make it more interesting to play. I come up with stories because children love fairy tales and always listen to them closely and quietly.
I love working with special needs children, these children expanded my perspective because I had no experience of working in Ukrainian schools with such children. You would think that everything is very simple in my line of work, but there are many nuances, and when I am able to help a child, to teach him to jump, run, pedal a bicycle, help in the motor functions of his own body, that is the biggest reward to me.
My work takes up a lot of my time, especially now. I work until 4 pm, pick up my children from school, take a small break at home, and then it’s back to work, only now for the children who study at home. It’s hard, I hope that soon this nightmare that came with the coronavirus will end.
– Tell us about your family and hobbies.
I have two daughters, Sophia and Franziska. There is also Dora the dog and Chanel the cat. We often go out into nature because we love outdoor activities and the children play volleyball. I find an outlet and inspiration in growing flowers. It’s my hobby. I love indoor plants and flowers on the street. All year round I have a flower garden, in the house, on the street, and of course in my shower. When my children were younger, we attended the Russian School in Austin.
– How do you participate in the life of the Russian-speaking community?
There is no substitute for spending time with the community! But we grew out of the school framework, and because of this, the children lost the Russian language a little bit. I believe it is very important to maintain a relationship with your culture at any age, especially during adolescence. Our culture is more personal and based on great life principles, and if we show and tell everyone who is interested, it will be great for everyone involved.
– Does Austin need a Russian Cultural Center? If yes, how would you like to participate?
Austin needs a Russian Cultural Center, and I would love to be a part of it with my family!
– How is your relationship with your home country?
Today I talked on the phone with my dad, at home it is a “babiye lyeto”, chestnuts are falling and it smells of dry leaves. I miss it.