ASTANA – Biology teacher Alexander Kintsel, one of Kazakhstan’s 100 New Faces, believes the most important quality every teacher should possess is love and passion for working with children. He has devoted the last 15 and a half years to Abai Kunanbaev school gymnasium No. 6 in Stepnogorsk. His research-based teaching techniques and trusting relationship draw students into the process and trigger their desire to learn.
Alexander Kintsel
“I think any teacher should have the only quality – love for children. A teacher can know his subject as nobody else knows it, but if he teaches a subject and does not see the children before him, nothing will work out. Children will not know this subject or will not love it. I often talk with my students. I try to help them solve problems with classmates. This also happens. I always explain to them that each child is the most precious creature on earth for his parents. Every teacher should react to any child this way,” he said in an interview for this story.
The dedicated teacher noted it took some time before he found himself in teaching. Kintsel worked as an agricultural scientist for 18 months and as akim (mayor) of the Zolotonivsky rural district of Magzhan Zhumabayev district of the North Kazakhstan region for more than nine years. Finally, almost 16 years ago, he decided to dramatically change careers and he and his family moved to the Akmola region town where he started teaching.
“I found myself in this profession. I use information and communication technologies. I was the very first in the school who started using electronic textbooks and now I use them in all lessons. I have published some articles, monographs and methodical guides where I offered a heuristic method for solving assignment problems. It is an innovative technology for applying a heuristic-type task in lessons. These tasks do not have a ready answer. No matter how many students answer the same task, everyone will have a completely different opinion. They themselves are the authors of their unique answer to this question. That is, it encourages children to think, develops imagination, mental abilities, etc.,” he added.
The inspiring educator participates in and brings his students to all kinds of contests, Olympiads and events. Many of his pupils choose biology as a major and receive grants at higher education institutions in countries such as the Czech Republic, Kazakhstan, Russia and the U.S.
“The lesson should be interesting for children. If they are not interested, then no technologies will help. I try not only to teach my lesson, but also to speak about some vital values. The spiritual component is very important. Therefore, I have good relations with students; I follow their path during and after school years,” he noted.
Kintsel believes the success of any creatively working teacher consists of his or her ability to work with students, give them knowledge that will help them in life and educate creative and critically thinking, successful and competitive individuals.
Last year was a significant one for Kintsel. In autumn, he received the Best Teacher of the Year award from Minister of Education and Science Yerlan Sagadiyev.
“My success is the success of my children. I am proud of my students, my school, city and homeland. I am proud of my work. The 100 New Faces project gives me the strength. I met with some of the project participants and I listened to many inspiring stories. The fate of these people is amazing. I told children about many of the participants. Well, it also imposes a certain responsibility. You have to work even harder and even better as much as possible,” he added.
