“I strongly believe that digital education is the key that can generate change.” – Teacher Talida Pop from Sebiș, Arad

Talida Pop is a human beauty both on the outside and on the inside. She is always concerned to help others, to say a good word to them. Empathy, learning, tenacity and a smile on her face helped her to be what she is today. Beloved as a mother and wife, beloved as a teacher and deputy director at the Theoretical High School in Sebiș, Arad, respected and consulted as a county councilor, Talida also has time to be a member of the committee for tourism and external relations in the county, responsible for business E.U. within the European Committee of the Regions, but also the representative of Arad county in the BELC network of the European Commission. Of course, he is also the Erasmus+ Romania Ambassador because he knows how to write, coordinate and work in Erasmus+ projects. Modern in thinking, dynamic and with a great organizational capacity, Talida Pop deserves to be known beyond the northwestern borders of the country. So we grabbed some of her precious free time and chatted about her personal and professional world.

M.N.: – What memory do you have of your first contact with the Erasmus+ program?

T.P.: – My Erasmus+ story begins more than ten years ago, somewhere in the spring of 2011 when, as a student, wandering the halls of the faculty, between two courses, I noticed on the UVT notice board something that, at the time, seemed to me something new: Erasmus scholarships. Internships were awarded at some of the best universities in Europe. That was the spark that ignited the flame of my departure on a new path, one unknown to me. So in August 2011, I was packing to enjoy the experience of a lifetime; the experience made me a new person and made me see things differently. I understood, better than ever, that the world is not limited to our little universe and that, beyond the reality I live, there are many other doors waiting to be opened to new experiences.

M.N.: – Is there a specific mobility or a favorite Erasmus+ project?

T.P.: – Tare mi-e greu să îți dau un răspuns la această întrebare deoarece fiecare proiect pe care l-am gândit, scris și implementat reprezintă o parte din sufletul meu, din valorile și convingerile mele, fie că vorbim despre educație non-formală sau cetățenie activă, fie despre protecția mediului sau digitalizare. De asemenea, fiecare mobilitate în care am participat și-a pus simțitor amprenta asupra mea: am întâlnit mereu oameni extraordinari, dornici să dea mai departe o parte din experiența lor, iar astăzi eu sunt o parte din tot ce-am găsit în drumul meu și nu pot decât să fiu recunoscătoare programului Erasmus+.

M.N.: – You were and are a manager in various digital education projects. Why about this?

T.P.: – The first Erasmus+ project that I thought and wrote on the topic of digital education was in 2018, two years before the Covid-19 pandemic that forced schools in Romania to put a greater emphasis on technology and on digital education. In my view, digital education is the future. The current generation needs technology, and one of the most important benefits that digital education brings to students is quick access to any kind of information. Of course, this can help or hurt, depending on how we educate children about checking sources, the authenticity of information, but also the emotional factor and context. Moreover, an adult or young person trained in the spirit of digital education will be much more aware of the impact their behavior has on the environment. And I’ll give you an example: paper is one of the most used tools by humans. In our school, 70 tons of waste are collected annually, of which approximately 17.5 tons are paper. For one ton of paper, 14 trees are needed.

If we do a simple calculation, we immediately realize that annually we cut 245 trees just to throw them away… And here I am only talking about what is collected by the operators. If we are talking about the tons of paper that are archived or used for current documents of the institution or school work, the figures would be much higher. The moment you become aware of what, through your choices, you leave behind and the fact that you have a way to do things in a different, better and healthier way, you definitely have a chance to change something! And I strongly believe that digital education is the key that can generate change.

What I would like to highlight is the fact that each of us guards a gate of change that can only be opened from within. Change can be generated anywhere as long as we want to and are willing to work for it. And when nothing can be done, because this is our system”, surely there are still many other things to do!

M.N.: – How do you reconcile your activity as a county councilor with that of project manager, teacher, mother and wife?

T.P.: – Maybe the story is the most beautiful part of human life and it’s when it makes you authentic, inspires and motivates you. Today, I decided to tell you mine… It’s true that professional responsibilities can become a burden when they merge with family ones if you don’t find a way to harmonize each role you take on in life and in society. To lead an institution, to coordinate projects worth tens of thousands of euros, to be a person involved civically and politically in the life of the community but, at the same time, mother and wife, can be an extremely difficult thing; it’s a balance that, if you fail to balance, can make you lose everything. I’ve had moments in my life when I said it’s too much, that I can’t do it anymore, but I realized that even then, however, I can do a little more. I have always believed in a concept that has guided me a lot in life: a real manager is also a good manager of his personal life. I have always sought to have a balanced life, both personally and professionally. Family life, my husband and my little girl make me feel complete. They give me the energy to come to the office well prepared, motivated to be a good manager, to have the involvement I assumed with all the responsibility towards the community in which I live.