On October 2, the winner of the national professional excellence contest for educators, “Teacher of the Year of the Republic of Belarus – 2026,” was announced at the Palace of the Republic. The title went to Denis Dubanevich, a mathematics teacher at Secondary School No. 5 in Smolevichi.

For Denis Dubanevich, teaching is a family calling. His mother worked as a mathematics teacher for nearly 50 years, and his older brother also works in the education sector. The teacher himself has been working in the education system for almost 18 years.

During his career, Denis Dubanevich served as the head of an educational institution but decided to return to the classroom.

“I believe this is my calling, and I have absolutely no regrets. I have no desire for any other positions. The most important thing for me is to see faith in their teacher reflected in the children's eyes,” the contest winner emphasized.

The teacher boasts numerous professional achievements among his students. Three of Denis Dubanevich’s graduates scored a perfect 100 points on the Centralized Exam and Centralized Testing. His students have been prize-winners at regional and national Olympiads and at scientific-practical conferences, including international ones.

Since 2010, he has been preparing teams for the regional Tournament of Young Mathematicians. Over the course of 16 tournaments, his teams have won 15 diplomas, and around 50 students have become prize-winners in regional competitions.

For this teacher, results and awards are not the only things that matter. He considers one of his primary goals to be creating a classroom atmosphere where a child is not afraid to make mistakes and learns to analyze situations and find solutions independently.

Winning the contest was the result not only of the teacher's personal preparation but also of extensive teamwork. He was assisted in his preparations by colleagues, specialists from the Academy of National Education and the Minsk Regional Institute for Education Development, representatives from various subject areas, and his family.

Denis Dubanevich himself acknowledges that the competition provided an opportunity for professional networking and the exchange of experience with educators from across the country. He now plans to continue working with students, preparing them for academic competitions, developing his pedagogical methods, and sharing his insights with colleagues.

Winning the competition marked a new stage in Denis Dubanevich’s professional journey and offered another opportunity to highlight the importance of the teaching profession and the teacher's role in a child's development and growth.