After 13 Years Away, Norbert Returns to Alytus and Takes an Unexpected Career Path

Norbertas Baltuška never planned to become a schoolteacher. After 13 years spent in other Lithuanian cities and Canada, he has returned to Alytus, the city where he grew up, to teach biology at Putinai Gymnasium.

Baltuška studied at schools in Alytus before moving to Kaunas, where he completed medical and veterinary genetics studies at the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences. He later earned a master’s degree in business management at Vytautas Magnus University. Encouraged by an acquaintance who taught history, he then completed professional pedagogy studies in Kaunas.

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I never thought about working at a school; I always thought it was not for me. Still, during my studies I realized that I could manage an audience and present various topics clearly, interestingly and engagingly.

Biology had appealed to him since his school days. He says the subject focuses on people, life and the world around us, while also allowing students to discuss issues, ask questions and seek answers. He considers biology a particularly dynamic field because scientific knowledge continues to change.

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I chose Alytus because it is my hometown, a place that is always very good to return to. I am happy that after 13 years spent in other Lithuanian cities and Canada, I am returning to my native region.

His path toward teaching developed unexpectedly during his studies, when he realized he could manage an audience and present topics clearly, engagingly and with interest. Before entering the classroom, he spent three years working in the education department of the Tadas Ivanauskas Zoology Museum in Kaunas. Leading educational sessions and tours confirmed that he enjoyed working with children and young people. A teaching placement at Maironis University Gymnasium in Kaunas convinced him that he wanted to work with older students in a gymnasium.

Alytus offered both personal and practical reasons for the move. Baltuška said it was his hometown and a place he was always happy to return to. His wife also found work there, allowing the family to spend more time on household matters and avoid long daily commutes. He says the city’s greenery and calm especially attract him, adding that most places can be reached by bicycle without the traffic and constant rush of larger cities.

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In biology, a great deal of attention is devoted to people, life and the whole world around us. It also allows us to discuss, raise questions and look for answers.