Gennady Algashev: “Students Should Feel That the Teacher Is Sincerely Interested in Their Success”

In April, the 15th regional competition “Best Young University Teacher” was held, organized by the Samara Regional Organization of the Trade Union of Education and Science Workers of the Russian Federation. Samara University was represented at the competition by Gennady Algashev, an assistant lecturer from the Department of Information Systems and Technologies.

The competition was divided into two stages. Seven participants from six universities in the Samara region first presented their “introductory presentations” — sharing their journeys into science, educational work, and the role of mentors in their careers — followed by a creative contest.

The competition aimed to identify enthusiasts of pedagogical innovation. Judges evaluated candidates’ ability to clearly explain goals to students, align teaching materials with educational program requirements, emphasize practical applications of content, demonstrate subject expertise, exhibit teaching mastery, deliver articulate speech, and effectively utilize modern information technologies.

“My core principle is education rooted in trust and support. I believe students should feel that their teacher is genuinely invested in their success and ready to assist. That’s why building comfortable, open communication with them is my priority. In such an environment, students grasp material more easily, show greater engagement, and the teaching process becomes more productive,” explained Gennady Algashev.

The judges assessed a practical session titled “What Is a Web Application and What Does It Consist Of?”, conducted by Algachev alongside students from the Institute of Informatics and Cybernetics.

“The masterclass focused on web development basics. I aimed to show that web technologies are all around us and far simpler than they seem. The emphasis was on hands-on practice: I prepared a demo application for students to modify. During the session, they edited the code and immediately saw the impact on the app’s functionality. The final task was to independently create a simple timer using instructions. This approach makes learning more engaging than traditional code-heavy lectures,” the contestant elaborated.

After two rounds, Gennady Algashev secured second place.

Reflecting on his participation, the young instructor outlined key principles for effective teaching:

“Connecting with students early helps. Many meet me during university admissions campaigns, where I advise them on choosing programs. This builds trust, so when classes begin, they already see me as a familiar mentor. I tailor my teaching to the least prepared student, breaking down concepts so even those with no coding experience understand. I use analogies to simplify complex ideas.

While students often rely on AI tools to ease their workload, I balance technology with foundational programming skills. For example, I sometimes use ‘outdated’ methods like writing code on paper. This teaches them to design and implement code without relying on automated tools.”