The movie ‘The teacher’ is a about the opportunities and importance of quality in education. By now movie have been seen almost 7,000 times on-line, it has been broadcast on national television and at several conferences. It is advocacy tool but also a tool to stimulate discussion about education.

Vesna Perhoč has been an elementary school teacher in Macinec, Croatia for 25 years ‘I came as a replacement for another teacher and I stayed for 25 years’.
At that time it was not her dream job. The school has 70% Roma children, most of them are not fluent in Croatian when they started first grade, and they live in extremely poor circumstances.
When she started working Vesna knew immediately that children should feel comfortable in school environment. She painted their classroom and drew some cartoon characters on walls. ‘After a while I realized that it is not about what I do but what they can do, it is important that children become active learners.’ To do that she had to learn a lot, and she did.
Vesna started to apply the child-centered approach she had learned during Step by Step training 10 years earlier. Although the children’s reactions were great, it was not easy. Vesna continued to learn, and started to reflect on her own practice from another angle when she was introduced to the ISSA Principals.
In 2012 she received an ISSA Certificate of Excellence in Child-Centered Approach. In 2013 she became a facilitator in workshops for parents which give her an opportunity to get to know Roma community even better. The following year, she become Step by Step trainer which allowed other teachers to learn from her professional path. As professional learning community facilitator and mentor, she discusses with her colleagues their everyday practice. Vesna has been a member of REYN from the start and member of REYN-C in Croata. As an active REYN member she advocates for quality education for every child especially those coming from vulnerable families.

The film has been subtitled in English with the support of REYN International, produced and published by REYN-Croatia and Open Academy Step by Step, Croatia.