– What topics do you teach students?
Before I joined the PortaOne Education Center, I had been giving classes on operating systems, computer networks, designing user and Web interfaces. In the Education Center I added databases and IP telephony .
– Which is your favourite? Why?
I think if you don’t like a topic, don’t teach it. It will affect the process and the result will be lower than average . This is the best case scenario. In general, I believe that understanding principles is more important than memorizing facts, and the best way to do it is to put it into your own words. So I try to organize the lesson the way which makes the students find the right answers themselves. My task is to make sure that the principles they have chosen match reality.
– How did you become a lecturer at the PortaOne Education Center?
In 2008 I taught at the State Technological University in Chernihiv (the name of our Polytechnic) at the department of Information and Computer Systems.At the same time I conducted optional courses for the students who wanted more that university curriculum could offer. We were setting up FreeBSD on old servers, which couldn’t perform network university tasks. I learned from my colleagues that a new educational project on IP telephony was opening in the city, and I was offered to join it. Actually, I was asked to teach the same optional course but in much better conditions, a new laboratory with modern equipment.
– What would you advise to your students?
Never give up, even when it’s difficult. Difficulty is a sign that you are growing above yourself. As one of our students said: “No pain – no gain.”
Don’t compare yourself to others. It’s better to compare yourself to your yesterday’s self. People are different, they have different starting points. Someone might think, ” It’s not my thing” ” I am helpless “, “Sergei can solve a problem in no time, whereas it takes me forever! It is discouraging, of course. But how about looking at it from a different perspective? So, this topic is more difficult for you than for Sergei, but remember how it felt a few months ago! Back then entering a virtual machine was a challenge and today you are finishing your fourth script. And even if that script is “a little bit buggy”, it doesn’t matter. Take your time. Imagine your progress in some months.
– Is there anything you learn from your students?
Lots of things, any training is an exchange of information. Students get knowledge from me, I get knowledge from them. So, I learn about new books and interesting resources, about trends.
– Why is there a cat in the photo?
I chose a photo of a cat, because cats rule the Internet. The kids found him in the street three years ago, I was honored to give him a name. So I called him Bash after the shell of Linux systems. The version is neither good nor bad.This bash can hardly perform commands , eats a lot, and sometimes “hangs” and sleeps for hours.
