Yurii Haiduchenko

Location: Kyiv

School: Novopecherska School

Subject: Foreign literature, Ukrainian literature, Ukrainian language

Superpower: Even in his mother’s womb, while reciting poems by Franko and Shevchenko, he contracted a pedagogical virus. Eventually, he turned this chronic disease into a professional vocation. In Yurii’s lessons, students study Ukrainian by playing Minecraft, exploring human emotions based on the fairy tale “Huha Mokhovynka” and writing rap about adjectives.

21st Century Teacher: Who are they in a nutshell? 

Creative and open to change. Yurii is convinced that an experienced teacher builds strong interaction with students based on respect and trust. In his opinion, the emotional component of the educational process is no less important than the content. Thus, he strives to create a positive atmosphere in the classroom. Yurii’s students do not worry about points, instead, they get personalized feedback that motivates them to self-improvement.

What skills do Alpha generation students need? 

Ability to be citizens of the world. Yurii believes that now there are no problems that Ukrainians or Americans have to solve on their own. Everything is intertwined, so students need to know how to work with different people. It is also important to understand information technology, learn throughout life and maintain humanity.

Professional dreams: To make every teacher mega-modern and mega-interesting for his students. Yurii infects his colleagues with the virus of creative pedagogical strategies. He is an active member of the Club of Proactive Teachers, where teachers from the villages of Kherson and Chernihiv regions learn new skills and share professional chips. Together with the Club, the finalist organized 10 educational teaching weekends in different cities of Ukraine.

Source of inspiration: Daily challenges that the finalist receives from the children.