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PEDAGOGY

BACK TO THE ROOTS OF THE BULGARIAN PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATION

PhD Georgieva-Hristozova V.

Bulgaria, Stara Zagora, Trakia University

Abstract. The current article is dedicated to the 117th anniversary of the birth of Penka

Kassabova – one of the founders of the pre-school education in Bulgaria. This is a short theoretical presentation that refers to the life of the Bulgarian pedagogue in a tabular presentation of the main elements of her biography, publication activity and educational attitude. The article deals generally with kindergarten educators and students on pedagogical subjects, studying "History of Education" and "Pre-school Pedagogy". Revising Penka Kassabova’s educational views and pedagogical understandings will help Bulgarian students to get aware and advance with basic and pre-school educational matters.

Keywords: Penka Kassabova, pre-school, pedagogy, education, kindergarten.

“Моят личен живот беше детската градина.” (My private life was the kindergarten.)

Penka Kassabova The idea of the theoretical review of life, educational beliefs and writings of the Bulgarian

pedagogue Penka Kassabova is dedicated to the 117th anniversary of her birth. This is a little known person with a high contribution to Bulgarian pedagogical science. (Figure №1)

The significance of Penka Kassabova's pedagogical activities and her influence on Bulgarian pre-school education is unquestioned. This is the first Bulgarian female graduate in pre-school pedagogical education. The importance of current theoretical construction refers to the training of students in "History of Education" and "Pre-school Pedagogy" and adds to the cognitive horizons of the kindergarten teachers.

Life trails and biographic details. The interest in the first graduate in pre-school education in Bulgaria is not distinctly reflected by Bulgarian scientists in the field of pedagogy. This encourages the author to collect, summarize, systemize and promote the following data in the current publication.

Penka Mileva Kassabova was born in 1901 in a Bulgarian town located in the Upper Thracian Lowland named "The city of the poets" – Stara Zagora. Her origin is a famous family of teachers and bookstores. Her father is Milyu Kasabov, and her mother is Anastasia Boneva. Penka has three sisters and two brothers; one is the huge symbol of Bulgarian metrical composition Geo Milev. Table №1 gives a chronological and distinctive

expression of Kassabova's life in moments and highlights through them.

Fig. 1. Penka Kassabova (1901-2000)

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Table 1. Main biographical elements of Penka Kassabova life

12.08.1901 She was born in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria in a family of well-known teachers. 1919 She signs up in Elisaveta Clark's kindergarten teacher course. 1925 She moves to Chicago and studies pre-school education. 1928 She graduates in National College for Education in Evanston, Chicago. 1929-1942 She is a director and kindergarten teacher at the American Kindergarten in Sofia. 1934-1936 She organizes summer kindergartens in Bulgarian villages. 1934-1945 She starts the first preschool education journal „Първи стъпки“(First Steps). 30.09.1937 She acquainted herself with her single deep affection Boris Hristov. 1945 She creates a shelter for children without parents after World War II. 06.04.1990 She makes a last phone call with Boris Hristov. 12.08.1999 She has an emotional verbal expression addressed to the today’s children and the

contemporary problems in today’s education. 12.09.2000 She ends her physical existence at the age of 99 in Sofia, Bulgaria.

At the age of 18, Penka Kassabova has been doing pedagogues and desires to devote her life to

it with the very special feeling for inner vocation. Lighting on the private life of the Bulgarian pedagogue is the moment to mention the opera singer Boris Hristov - 13 years younger than her. According to Н. Пигулева (2014), Penka Kassabova is "the muse of the great Bulgarian bass, who has directed him to his star way in the art". The unlimited affection between them is sealed in 300 pages verbally painted by Penka in her book "Love and Talent", printed by her niece, on the condition that it should happen after all the people named in have completed their earthly time. Kassabova tells of an extraodinary and endless love lasting more than 53 years, regardless of physical separation between the two of them for 22 years.

Educational comprehensions and pedagogical publications. Penka Kassabova is one of the Bulgarian names, who received little attention and popularity compared to other Bulgarian pedagogues. Inspired by Elisaveta Clarke and the education received in the USA, Penka Kassabova's pedagogical work is formed on basic pedagogical conceptions visualized by Figure №2. Kassabova is convinced by the importance of creating an intensive, strong and deep partnership between child, parents, teachers, society and state. She insists that the kindergarten should not be a precocious school and underlines a solid stand against the presence of didactic components in the children's organized habitat. According to her, the child must be cultured in values, humane and respectful relationships. Kassabova trusts in the absolute effect of the natural world and the developing moving in it. For the main elements in the kindergarten she notes the music and the play dramatization. The Bulgarian pedagogue believes that the preschool educators should be an inventors of the children's talents and gifts. And after relying on the individual capasity spout, orientates the child on the appropriate occupation while his fragile and delicate age. Kassabova emphasizes such pedagogical work with children in the kindergarten leading to a very smooth and unnoticeable transition to school.

Penka Kassabova's pedagogical views are materialized in books, publications, papers and correspondence. According to the National Academic Library and Information System, some of them are: "Скици по пътя на живота" (Sketches on the Way of Life) (2001); "Коледни приказки" (Christmas Tails) (1994); "Как се организира детската градина" (How to organize the Kindergarten) (1945); "Детската градина трябва да бъде разсадник на новости" (Kindergarten should be a Nursery for Innovations) (1999); "Коледа в гората" (Christmas in the Forest) (1995) In addition to her own theoretical work, Kassabova writes pedagogical guides and books on preschool education in co-authorship and is the editor-in-chief of others.

Pedagogical activity and contribution to the Bulgarian educational treasury. In Sofia Penka Kassabova establishes a school for kindergarten teachers and a school for parents. Many women from different Bulgarian locations complete Kassabova's courses and return to their birthplaces where they start working in kindergartens. Besides these courses Kassabova also organizes two-week refreshing courses for preschool educators from all over Bulgaria. Several years later she became a director of the American Kindergarten in Sofia and worked with advanced and original methods for the time learned in the United States and inherited by Elisaveta Clark.

With direct pedagogic work as educator, director and lecturer Penka Kassabova spends much of her personal time in non-regulated activities centered on children as entertainment events with a marked educational tendency. For example, she and her followers produce handmade dolls and unusual items that they sell at a bazaar and from incomes they buy gifts for ill children. The National

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Museum of Education in Gabrovo keeps her individual photo album, where Kassabova reserves her memories of educational and out-of-school activities with her students from the American Kindergarten. Some of them can be viewed on Figure №3.

Fig. 2. Kassabova’s pedagogical views

Fig. 3. Part of Penka Kassabova’s private photo album Penka Kassabova's contribution to the Bulgarian pedagogical treasury is still topical in the

present days – visualized by Figure №4.

the relation: child - parent - teacher - community - country

the kindergarten is not a school

education in values and attitude

education with music

a smooth transition from the kindergarten to the school

the kindergarten teacher as a discoverer of children's gifts and a navigator to a suitable profession

dramatization play

nature and movement

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To kindergartens To kindergartens’

teachers To children To students on pre-school education

Intensive construction of a deep partnership and collaboration between children - parents - kindergarten - state.

Constructive looking for professional development and career growth.

Education with love and responsibility in kindness, morality, virtue, altruism and generosity.

Efficient pedagogical praxis in kindergar-tens.

Avoiding, separating and keeping distance from didacticism in the kindergarten.

Shaping and recognizing perception for finding and exploring children's talents and abilities.

Active presence of play, music and physical movement in the nature.

Constancy in reading pedagogical theories.

Fig. 4. Penka Kassabova’s ideas for the Bulgarian pedagogic treasury

Penka Kassabova today. In the current educational context of persistent violence in

kindergartens, it is time to turn back to the founders and originators of the "paidogogos" (child leading) and to treat the concepts of humanity, nobility, devotion, values and morality. An excellent example of this is Penka Kassabova, who has dedicated 58 years of her life to the literary advance of the Bulgarian public and to all who work with children and who are responsible for their education. Her preschool educational understandings refer to kindergarten teachers and young students in pedagogical area.

In 2012 Rayna Zaharieva outlines 206 pages of bibliographic work where she keeps Kassabova's pedagogical vision and all biographical information about her. Twelve years after Penka Kassabova’s death, an association on her name was founded in her hometown - an initiative of two directors of kindergartens Natasha Novachkova and Boyka Lyutskanova. At the Faculty of Education at Trakia University one of the rooms is named "Penka Kassabova" and many scientific conferences are dedicated to the Bulgarian pedagogue who gave her life to the pre-school pedagogy.

REFERENCES

1. Безовска, А. (2017). „Отдаденост“ – изложба посветена на Пенка Касабова. In:

http://bnr.bg/post/100804689/otdadenost-izlojba-posvetena-na-penka-kasabova. 2. Въчева, С. (2015). Подготовката на детски учителки в България през периода между

двете световни войни. In: Bulgarian Journal of Education, vol. 2 http://www.elbook.eu/images/7_SnejinaVachkova.pdf

3. Захариева, Р. (2012). Пенка Милева Касабова. Био-библиография. Изкуства. С. 4. Касабова,П. (2001). Скици по пътя на живота. Булвест 2000. 5. Начева-Петкова, В. (1999). Из история на предучилищното възпитание в България. София. 6. Пигулева, Н. (2014). Последният ученик на Борис Христов никога не е мислил да

става оперен певец. In: http://utroruse.com/article/51830. 7. Янкова, Кр. (2015). Пенка Милева Касабова е не само „сестрата на Гео Милев“. In:

http://www.zarata.info/penka-mileva-kasabova-ne-e-samo-sestra/. 8. National Academic Library and Information System

http://unicat.nalis.bg/Search/Results?lookfor= %D0 %BF %D0 %B5 %D0 %BD %D0 %BA %D0 %B0+ %D0 %BA %D0 %B0 %D1 %81 %D0 %B0 %D0 %B1 %D0 %BE %D0 %B2 %D0 %B0&type=AllFields.

9. National Museum of Education http://www.nmogabrovo.com.