Interview with Prof. Iulian Ichim: From Media and Advertising, Back to the Classroom

In 2020, at a moment when the world seemed more fragile than ever, Iulian Ichim made a professional change that, for many, seemed surprising, but for him felt deeply natural. After nearly 20 years in media and advertising, he chose to return to education—not out of nostalgia, but out of the conviction that real impact is built where the people of tomorrow are formed.

Returning to the lectern was not a step backward, but a conscious, deliberate choice to return to the space where his professional calling first took shape: the classroom. Today, Iulian Ichim is a primary school teacher and a geography teacher at Secondary School No. 1 in Buftea.

C&B: You had a solid career of nearly 20 years in media and advertising. How did you come to the decision to return to education?

Iulian Ichim: Yes, that’s right. I worked for almost 20 years in media and advertising—a dynamic, creative, interesting world, where results are clear, fast, and measurable. A world where success is measured in KPIs, visibility, and numbers.

But in life, there are moments that force you to stop and see clearly who you are and what truly matters. And one day, I realized that numbers and campaigns don’t build the future. The future is built in the middle of a classroom, in the eyes of a child who understands something for the first time. The future is 7, 10, or 14 years old and comes to school every morning with a backpack on their back, with emotions and with a dream.

That’s how I decided to return to education—right in the middle of the pandemic. It was a decision made not with my mind, but with my soul.

I returned to the place where my professional identity first came to life: school. Sometimes, returning doesn’t mean regression, but evolution. I feel that, in fact, I returned to myself.

C&B: You said you didn’t return “just anyhow,” but very well prepared. What does that mean concretely?

Iulian Ichim: I felt that if I were to return to education, I had a real responsibility—toward myself and toward my students—to be a better teacher than I had ever been. That’s why I invested very seriously in my own training.

I completed two master’s programs at the University of Bucharest: one in education, focused on educational management, and one in geography—Geodemography and socio-territorial vulnerabilities, a program deeply connected to today’s reality and to what I do in the classroom now.

I also took a series of professional development courses, including digital pedagogy, career counseling, and the use of technology in education, and starting in January I will begin a postgraduate course in Educational Leadership for Sustainable Transformations, also at the University of Bucharest.

I firmly believe that the teacher must be the first to learn. I cannot ask my students to grow if I stand still. I wanted to understand school not only from the perspective of the classroom, but also from the perspective of management, community, socio-territorial vulnerabilities, and leadership.

A teacher is not just a provider of information, but a leader of a community in formation.

“Students are the strongest argument for change”

C&B: How did you find today’s students after two decades away from the system?

Iulian Ichim: Wonderful. Curious, connected, visionary. Today’s students no longer accept an answer like “That’s what it says in the textbook.” They want to know “Why?”, “What does this mean for me?”, “How does it show up in real life?” And that is extraordinary.

They also force us, as teachers, to constantly evolve. You can no longer walk into a lesson with just a piece of chalk and a formula prepared in advance. You have to come with questions, challenges, examples, lessons that are directly connected to their lives. Students are, perhaps, the strongest argument for changing school.

C&B: Your students have achieved remarkable results in school competitions. What is the “secret” behind these performances?

Iulian Ichim: Before results comes the relationship. Before performance comes trust. I never start from “we have to win a prize,” but from “let’s see what you can truly do.”

At young ages, performance is not built through pressure, but through safety and confidence. I try to cultivate children’s curiosity, to nurture their joy of discovery, not just their desire to win.

We work a lot, yes—but we work through play, exploration, and enthusiasm. I encourage them to ask questions, to search on their own, to be proud of what they know and what they can do. Mistakes are steps forward, not reasons for fear.

When a child feels seen, appreciated, and taken seriously, performance becomes a natural consequence. The prizes are just the visible part of a much deeper process.

C&B: You moved from a private-sector salary to one five times smaller in education. How did you experience this change?

Iulian Ichim: I won’t idealize things: it wasn’t easy. It was a change that came with sacrifices, lifestyle adjustments, and many inner questions.

I gave up comfort, but I gained something money can’t buy: meaning.

Many people told me it was a step backward, that it made no sense to give up financial stability for a profession where the effort seems greater than the recognition.

Instead, over the past years I have received something that no salary can offer: children’s smiles, their successes, spontaneous hugs, little notes left on the desk, the sincere joy in their eyes when they achieve something that once seemed impossible. All of this has confirmed that my decision was the right one.

At the same time, I believe Romania must learn to pay teachers fairly. You cannot build a country’s future on the permanent financial sacrifice of those who shape future generations.

“What did I learn from media? That a lesson has to be interesting”

C&B: How did your experience in media and advertising help you in your work at the lectern?

Iulian Ichim: Enormously. In media, you learn to communicate clearly, to be creative, to capture attention. In education, the “audience” is infinitely more important: the students.

I brought structure, storytelling, technology, and project-based work into the classroom. We use digital maps, current affairs examples, comparisons, and diverse sources. I challenge them to think, to question, to observe the world with critical eyes.

In media, if you’re not interesting, the audience leaves. In education, if you’re not interesting, you lose the chance to reach a child’s mind and heart.

C&B: What is the greatest need of Romanian education today?

Iulian Ichim: Education needs, above all, courage—the courage to move from “we teach for the curriculum” to “we form people for reality.” We need more trust in teachers, real pedagogical freedom, less bureaucracy, and more authentic learning.

It is essential to have real support for the continuous training of teachers and an authentic partnership between school, family, and community. Our children are ready for the world. The question remains: is the world ready for them?

C&B: What directions and projects do you envision for the future?

Iulian Ichim: I want school to be a place of discovery and joy, not just of lessons and homework. I want to develop interdisciplinary projects that help students understand the connection between school and real life.

I want greater community involvement in school life and an environment in which every child can discover their passions and potential. For me, it is essential to form students with critical thinking, not just good results.

I strongly believe in teachers who become leaders in their communities and initiators of change in education.

The story of Iulian Ichim is about the courage to redefine success and about conscious choices in a world where comfort often seems more important than meaning. Beyond numbers, KPIs, and immediate results, he chose long-term impact—where the future is built, day by day, in the classroom.

A teacher doesn’t teach only their subject. A teacher teaches courage. A teacher teaches the future.