The only Fulbright exchange teacher in North Dakota this year is at BSC. Stefka Atanasova of Bulgaria has spent this academic year teaching English here through the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program. BSC assistant professor of English Tom Stein is teaching in Pravets, Bulgaria, in her place.

For each, it has been a year of adjustments to different educational systems, expectations of students, and cultural differences.

Stein wrote for a campus newsletter that teaching in Bulgaria is an experience of “stark contrasts.” He said many of the students are highly intelligent, creative, personable and motivated, and that they have great facility with spoken English.

“Contrarily, the school buildings, especially and ironically the classrooms, are in a serious state of decay,” he wrote. Students sometimes sit two to a chair, resources are scarce, and he teaches literature without a textbook.

“Despite these drawbacks, the students never complain and their spirits and energy are generally high,” Stein wrote.

He is very enthusiastic about Bulgaria and encourages travelers to explore this undiscovered country. He wrote of “ancient ruins and cities of many civilizations, quaint museum towns that can transport you back to the 19th century, and the Black Sea, where you can find a seaside summer experience that rivals any I have seen in the world.”

Besides her own adjustments, Atanasova has her family to think of, as well. Her husband, Dimitar, and 13-year-old son, Ivan, moved to Mandan with her.

She said they have noticed differences in how people socialize. In Pravets, she said it often took two hours to get home from school each day because she would stop and visit with others out walking. She said people are more private in the U.S., though she and her family are beginning to feel more comfortable as they get to know people in the community.

Atanasova gives a lot of credit for the help and friendship extended by Dr. Janelle Masters, former chairperson of the Arts and Communications Department and now Dean of Faculty.

“She is the queen of everything,” Atanasova said. “I wish there were more like her around the world. She is great at promoting new ideas, especially diversity.” “I’m also grateful to all the teachers in the English department, who were a great help to me,” she said.

At home, Atanasova teaches at the Computer Technical School and the Language School of Pravets. The technical school, part of the Technical University of Sofia, is for students aged 13-18, with concentrated studies in computer software and hardware, and intensive English classes.

She has learned some different approaches to teaching used in community colleges, and plans to use them in Bulgaria.

“I have learned a lot about evaluation and how to get feedback from the students. Also, I’ve learned about classroom management and group editing and discussion groups.” She said she has enjoyed resources like “smart rooms” with up-to-date equipment and Internet connections that make teaching more efficient.

Atanasova will teach composition and grammar during June and then stay through July 4. “I’ve heard a lot happens in Mandan for the Fourth of July, so we want to see that, and then we’ll go back to Bulgaria.” She hopes this exchange will not be the end of the connections between BSC and her schools in Pravets. Student exchanges, including students coming here on basketball scholarships, or group tours could be arranged, she said.

And Tom Stein’s wish for others to see Bulgaria would be fulfilled.