20 Educators from Ukraine traveled to East Lansing as part of a two-week faculty exchange program at Michigan State University. These educators continue to deal with tough situations as the war between Russia and Ukraine continues. Forcing them to adjust the way they interact with students and how they teach them.

The war between Russia and Ukraine has been ongoing for 10 years, starting when Russia annexed Crimea.

“The war started in my town, from my yard, I would say because I was living in the center and I saw everything happen with my own eyes,” said Maryna Shevenko, an English Teacher in Ukraine.

Fighting has ramped up since Russia invaded Ukraine two years ago, changing the lives of those who live in the battle zone.

“You have students, you have work to do, and you just wake up and call your students and say it’s okay,” said Roman Sytnik, a Dean of Faculty in Ukraine.

Some of these teachers are getting a reprieve from the war to hone their skills as educators at Michigan State University.

“They cover teaching methodology, classroom management, and even today we talked about chat GPT and how AI is used in teaching English,” said Xinyu Wu, Director of the Visiting International Program at MSU.

They are hoping to keep students involved despite the circumstances in their country.

“A lot of people say online teaching has more disadvantages than advantages but for motivated students, it is possible,” said Sytnik.

Taking home something much greater than what you can learn in a classroom.

“Something I am going to bring to my sessions is freedom. Ukrainians have been fighting for freedom for centuries. Here I feel this freedom,” said Shevenko.

Amid the chaos, there is still hope for a brighter future.

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