The super-final of the "Teacher of the Year of Belarus" professional skills competition for educators is taking place in Minsk
The top finalists are vying for the title of the country's best educator. The super-final challenges consist of a "Conversations on What Matters Most" briefing and an on-stage mini-lesson.
Deputy Minister of Education Alexander Kadlubay emphasized that the contest allows participants to share their stories, present their professional practices, and showcase how work with educators is organized in their respective regions. "The country's young teachers will subsequently benefit from these best practices. Educational institutions—including those offering supplementary education—will be able to apply the experience and knowledge of the 'best of the best' when shaping their work with our youth," he added.
Galina Nikolaenko—a researcher at the Academy of National Education, a contest jury member, a Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, a professor, and an Honored Worker of Education of the Republic of Belarus—shared that selecting the winners is no easy task. "This year, the jury included winners and participants from previous professional excellence contests—people who have walked this path themselves. They are practicing teachers, and as the jury chair, I found it a great pleasure to work with them. While the contest is a competition, it is also a way to foster a professional community. The 'Teacher of the Year of Belarus' is not merely a winner; they are the face of Belarusian education—a benchmark and a role model," she emphasized.
The "Conversations on What Matters Most" briefing sought to answer the question: "Pedagogy is an eternal science, but do its core meanings change?" The organizers decided to bridge the vast experience of the past with the technologies of the future; consequently, questions were posed to the contestants via artificial intelligence by figures whose names are inscribed in golden letters in the history of global education—nine great educators whose works underpin the modern school system. The challenge questions were based on each participant's specific educational system but adapted to the realities of 2026. Each super-finalist received one question and had one minute to answer.
The second challenge of the super-final was an on-stage mini-lesson based on a topic revealed to the participants the day before the competition. Eight contestants who did not make the list of finalists acted as the students. Nine mini-lessons, all centered on a single theme, were conducted in succession within this improvised classroom setting. The organizers aimed to see how each contender highlighted their specific subject area.
The winner’s name will be announced on October 2 at the Palace of the Republic during a ceremony marking the professional holiday—Teacher's Day.