Oleksandr Chuchaiev

Location: Blagovishchenske, Kirovohrad oblast

School: Blagovishchenske educational complex № 2 “Institution of general secondary education of I-III degrees — the institution of preschool education “Divotsvit” of Blagovishchenske district council”

Subject: World History, Civic Education, History of Ukraine, Ethics, Mythology

The first thing that Mr. Chuchaiev is proud of is the involvement of students from the rural areas of the country in all-Ukrainian projects. In 2017, Mr. Chuchaiev became one of the best 20 teachers according to the Global Teacher Prize Ukraine and became the head of the public organization, which included the finalists of the award. The organization held 4 large-scale educational festivals and attracted 200 educators. Mr. Chuchaiev encourages children to play sports in his own club “SKIF”.

What is your teaching superpower?

Strength! And it’s great. My superpower is that I move forward calmly, breaking stereotypes and not looking back. I never stop in the face of difficulties.

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

Innovator, manager, psychologist.

What phrase of your students gives you wings?

“Bollocks, it’s the end of the lesson… Let’s continue, we’ve already had lunch!”

Top skills you have acquired during distance learning.

Cognitive flexibility was my top skill, but during distance learning I became a multitasker like Caesar and at the same time learned to communicate with students from different classes about different projects. I also had time to drink coffee and call the accounting office!

Your professional dream.

I want to open a Center for Youth Opportunities — a multifaceted space focused on the physical, mental, creative, and intellectual development of children aged from 3 to 17 years. Within this space, I hope to have a gym, some peer learning clubs, zones of mental enrichment and financial stability, and a creative space with games.