Mykhailo Lisovets, a physical education teacher from the Rivne region, has been teaching children for more than 20 years at the school he once graduated from. a gym, he has managed to provide exciting physical education lessons regardless of the weather conditions, and his participation in the Klitschko Foundation's Play for Equality project has helped him create gender-equal conditions for boys and girls to play sports. 

Mykhailo Lisovets, a physical education teacher at the Drozdyn Lyceum (Drozdyn, Rivne region), never planned to become a teacher. As a child, he dreamed of becoming a lawyer and studied at the same lyceum with excellent results. However, the long distance to regional centres and higher education institutions made him reconsider his plans for the future. After finishing the 11th grade, the school principal made an offer that changed Mykhailo's life: she advised him to take a job as a physical education teacher at his home school! Mykhailo recalls that his school sports life had always been proactive, and he was happy to take part in competitions ranging from checkers to football. So, unexpectedly, even for himself, the young man entered Rivne University as a part-time student and started working as a teacher from 1 September at the school he left as a graduate in the summer.

His first steps as a physical education teacher were confusing and difficult. Yesterday's graduate had to teach the subject to his friends. Mykhailo admits that it was difficult to adapt to his new role, but the support of the team and his own determination helped him overcome his fear and find his place in the school hierarchy. 

‘I was very nervous. I was a sporty guy, but the challenge of teaching lessons in a school where I was a student six months ago was extremely difficult. But at the very first lesson, my friends from the 10th grade said, ‘Mykhailo Andriyovych, don't worry. You are now a teacher, we are your students, and we will do as you say,’ recalls Mykhailo Lisovets. For twenty years, he has remained loyal to his school, despite offers to change jobs.

The village of Drozdyn in the Rivne region lies on the border with Belarus. Mykhailo recalls that it was very difficult at the beginning of the full-scale invasion. Many families with children left, and those who stayed were unable to connect to distance learning regularly. Gradually, life settled into its military rhythm, learning became hybrid, and students started attending school in shifts. One of the biggest obstacles was the absence of a gym in the lyceum, which has almost 800 students. However, Mykhailo does not give up: almost all physical education lessons take place on an open artificial turf field. And in unfavourable conditions, the lessons are moved to the classroom, where children play checkers, chess and petanque. 

In the winter of 2016, the lyceum's students were invited to the district futsal competition. The children were very keen to take part, but did not have the opportunity to prepare for the competition. In order not to lose the opportunity and motivation of the students, Mykhailo arranged for a gym 40 km away from the school, where the children came to practice twice a week with their parents.

‘The absence of a gym is a big obstacle, but at the same time an impetus for victory. Despite the lack of an indoor gym and training opportunities, we found a way out and our school team took first place in the district futsal competition,’ says Mykhailo. 

Physical education is not just lessons, but an important part of every child's development.

For Mykhailo, physical education is not just a lesson, but an important part of every child's development. He believes that physical activity should be varied so that every student can find something to their liking. This is exactly what the new NUS (New Ukrainian School) programme promotes: new modules such as badminton, ultimate frisbee, petanque have been introduced, allowing children to experience the joy of movement and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

‘As a joke, I sometimes ask my students to look at how much athletes and singers earn. Music and physical education lessons should be important to achieve success,’ says Mykhailo. 

According to Mykhailo, a physical education teacher is a guide for children to the world of sport. Secondary school students, especially those in grades 5-7, are interested in sports activities and learning new games, so it is very important to keep this spark of interest alive for as long as possible. But, unfortunately, the lack of equipment allows only a limited introduction to sports. The same problem does not allow us to pay enough attention to both the students who are making significant progress and those who need more time to learn. 

Participation in various projects and programmes for physical education teachers is a chance to replenish the lyceum's sports equipment. 

He willingly participates in all the activities that are becoming more and more common for physical education teachers. Over time, Mykhailo began to highlight his professional achievements on social media, which encouraged him to develop and participate in further projects. In the spring, he was selected for the Play for Equality project. For Mykhailo, participation in this project was an opportunity to increase his knowledge of gender equality in PE lessons and to promote a culture of gender equality among children.

‘Thanks to the Play for Equality project, I have gained more practical knowledge and skills to address issues related to gender inequality in physical education classes. A common problem is when boys refuse to play football, for example, on the same team as girls. These stereotypes come from society, from the family, and the teacher has the task of breaking them down and uniting children around sports, rather than separating them with a problem from the outside,’ says Mykhailo. 

One of the solutions to this problem is mixed teams of students, which they have to form on their own. The teacher gives the task that each team, consisting of several classes, should have the same number of girls and boys. The teacher can help form the first team, and the rest of the students learn how to negotiate, cooperate, distribute roles and create a gender-neutral team. Thanks to these emphases, children build new relationships, and the number of conflicts and gender biases is significantly reduced. 

Teachers from all over Ukraine can take part in the Play for Equality project. Registration for the project lasts until 22 July. The Klitschko Foundation's project, supported by the German Football Association's DFB-Stiftungen Egidius Braun, aims to reduce gender discrimination at the initial stage of introduction to sports - in physical education classes. The 80 participants who will be selected for the next stage will take part in an intensive 4-day offline programme that will help improve their skills and inspire teachers to make sport open and equal for everyone!

 

https://osvita.ua/school/92587/