A Lesson in Improvisation | The story of a multigrade teacher

AllGrow’s programs are built by people, with people, and for people. Behind remarkable results, there is always a teacher eager to learn more, give more, and help students grow. That is why we are starting a series of stories about the educators we work with — people who are changing a small corner of the world, each in their own way. We hope their stories will inspire other teachers as well, and we believe their voices matter.

We continue the series with the story of Florentina Cogălniceanu, a primary school teacher at Școala Primară Ciorani and a participant in the “Future in Multi-Grade Classrooms” project, implemented by All Grow Association with the support of Fundația Dacia pentru România.

Personal picture.

In the first grade classroom, students are learning addition with carrying over. It is math class, and from beneath the desks the same sound can constantly be heard: pop, pop, pop. The balls are bouncing almost as much as the students’ attention spans at the end of the school day. Then the teacher’s voice is heard: “Take the balls out onto your desks. Gather them all together and let’s count them.”

The teacher is Florentina Cogălniceanu, and the lesson above is far from an exception. In more than 18 years of teaching — only two of them spent in a single-grade classroom — improvisation has been one of her closest allies. With its help, she has guided students through abstract concepts using balls, cups, sticks, or whatever objects happened to be at hand. Improvisation also helped her connect with her students, understand them, and respond to their needs.

Years ago, during a similar lesson, a student from another generation came to class carrying a deck of playing cards. He was a bright child who loved being the center of attention. Florentina asked him to bring the cards to the front and stick them on the board. Using the symbols on the cards, she managed to explain addition with carrying over to the class.

And during Romanian language and communication lessons with preparatory grade students, her pupils bring their favorite toys and talk about them. “When you bring something from their own universe into the classroom, learning becomes active and engaging. You manage to keep children connected. Because they lose interest quickly, and that is exactly what we have to fight against — keeping them active and attentive for those 40 minutes,” the teacher explains.

“Teacher, I felt wonderful at school today.”

While a typical school day might begin with checking homework or “open your textbooks to page…,” Florentina’s classes begin with a social moment — a playful activity where, for a few minutes, students share with one another what they have been doing since they last met. At first glance, this approach might seem unusual, but the truth is that the teacher is not losing time; she is gaining it. By doing this, she ensures that her students will stay attentive and focused throughout the rest of the lesson.

Florentina has transformed her classroom into a space that encourages both play and learning because she places great importance on connecting with the child. Her classroom is filled with books, encyclopedias, and all kinds of games. And in the mornings or during breaks, it is a joy to watch the students building puzzles or playing with LEGO pieces.

“I learn every day. I learn for myself, I learn from the children, I learn for the children. I even teach together with them.”

Florentina Cogălniceanu learns a great deal from her students. One of the lessons she has picked up over time is that children are deeply influenced by their teacher’s emotional state. That is why she makes a conscious effort not to bring her personal emotional baggage into the classroom. She has learned that in order to truly see her students and connect with them, she needs to be joyful, open-hearted, and present. Only then do the students open up and share in return.

She recalls one of her students, a shy girl who would linger near the teacher’s desk at the end of lessons just to say, “Teacher, I felt wonderful at school today.” She did this almost every day. Because of moments like these, Florentina strongly believes that no matter how much academic content children learn, they will always remember how they made them feel.

For Florentina, improvisation means constantly adapting to the situation in front of her. Once, during a break, she overheard a student telling a classmate, “Go away, you smell bad.” The next lesson was Personal Development, and although she had planned a different topic, she chose instead to address hygiene and self-care. She discussed with the students how to take care of themselves and their bodies, and the most engaged child was the one who had been insulted. By the end of the lesson, the classmate realized he had been wrong and apologized. This is one of the challenges of rural and multi-grade education: how to address sensitive topics without making children feel ashamed or singled out.

“Future in Multi-Grade Classrooms”

Florentina Cogălniceanu teaches at Școala Primară Ciorani, in Vrancea County. She began her teaching journey at the age of 21 in Scoruș, a village in Reghiu where, until 1998, there was no electricity. There, she taught in a multi-grade system across four classes, even though no one had prepared her for it. She learned, as she still does today, by doing. She learned from mistakes, but also from those around her, such as headteacher Ana Hanu, who supported her in her early years. Over time, she had opportunities to move to more prestigious schools, but chose to stay where her students needed her most. One of her defining qualities is perseverance, regardless of the challenge.

Florentina Cogălniceanu is one of the 25 teachers involved in the “Future in Multi-Grade Classrooms” project, implemented by AllGrow Association with the support of Fundația Dacia pentru România. The project aims to bring design thinking — a methodology that AllGrow has been using for more than eight years in Romanian schools — into multi-grade education, where its use can significantly improve classroom learning experiences.

For the teacher from Ciorani, participating in the project was a challenge at first, as she was not familiar with the design thinking method and initially found it difficult to apply. She joined the project together with her colleague Alissa, a trusted and professional presence in any school-related situation. Together, things became much easier. The most difficult part was helping students understand the concept of community. Here again, improvisation and creativity proved essential, along with a solid understanding of the design thinking approach. When she received feedback from her students, she realized she was on the right path. After all, life itself is a lesson in improvisation, and constant adaptation is the key to success.