I’ve been meaning to write an article for a long time about how our home school is organized. We have been studying at home for the third year now, and during this time we have made great progress in the very structure of our educational process, excellent interaction has been established with our son, and we have begun to receive great mutual pleasure from our school. I hope that our experience will be interesting and useful to those who teach their children at home. Although, of course, that’s what homeschooling is for: it can be completely different depending on the specific temperament and character of the child, his hobbies and preferences, as well as on the parents themselves and their views, ideas and wishes.
In this article I want to talk about how our classes are conducted and how we create our curriculum.
Our initial data
We are attached to St. Petersburg school No. 277. Our form of education is called differently from year to year, but the meaning remains the same. 1-2 times a year we have to take written tests and send them to school by mail. Personal presence is not required until 9th grade. This imposes certain restrictions and obligations on us to master the program necessary to pass the tests.
But the good thing is that the program is quite adequate and basic, and this gives us a lot of scope for improvisation, our own developments and additional activities.
My student, my son, is a person who gets carried away easily, but just as quickly cools down. He always has a huge number of ideas and plans in his head. He is interested in a lot of things, but it is difficult for him to stick to one course and remember what he wanted to do yesterday) He grasps everything very quickly and quickly gets bored with monotony and routine. Sometimes it is difficult for him to even listen to the proposal of some explanations to the end, because he has already understood everything in the middle (or it seems to him that he has understood everything).
Therefore, through much observation, reflection, trial and error, we have developed a path of interaction that suits such a student. I realized that there can be no place for spontaneity and complete improvisation, otherwise our life will turn into complete chaos. Both the student and the teacher suffer from chaos))) Therefore, we have a clear basic plan and a clear basic program. We don’t necessarily adhere to it, but this is our foundation, which prevents us from flying off into unknown distances and getting lost there pointlessly))) A foundation that saves us time, effort and mental energy, and we can spend it on interesting projects, exciting extracurricular activities and personal development.
In addition, at the moment, for financial reasons, we attend only one club, drama school. This is a temporary measure, but now I need to be more creative and spend more time on home school so that my development is diversified)
Let's start creating a curriculum
Step No. 1. We receive the program from school No. 277. At the beginning of each semester, we receive a curriculum, a certain program on which we will rely and on the basis of which we will create our own. For example,
In 3rd grade we have 9 subjects for certification:
- mathematics
- Russian language
- literary reading
- English language
- the world
- technology
- music
- Physical Culture
In our permanent schedule, we have included 5 subjects from this list that we will study on an ongoing basis, regularly and systematically. This is mathematics. Russian, literature, English and the outside world.
Step No. 2. We evaluate our time resource. Next, I calculated how many weeks we have before we have access to assessment tests. Since this year our holidays were a little delayed, and we traveled and received guests until mid-October, it turned out to be only 8 weeks.
Step No. 3. We draw up a lesson plan for six months. The next step was to distribute the topics of the subjects that we needed to master before certification over 8 weeks. If some topics were already familiar to my child, I allocated a little time for them, just for repetition. If the topic is extensive and is still unknown to us, then more time was devoted to it in the plan. I also looked to see if it was possible to somehow connect topics from different subjects. If there was such an opportunity, I put them in one week.
Step No. 4. What about such subjects as fine arts, technology, physical education and music? As you can see from the plan, I postponed their development until the very, very end of the six months. And I planned to master the entire program in one week. But this does not mean that for the entire six months we will lead an absolutely uncultured and uncreative lifestyle.
In fact, I look through textbooks on these subjects and have a rough idea of what techniques children are supposed to learn during this time and what terms they should become familiar with. I keep all this in my head and use it as we integrate creative subjects harmoniously into our school life. I'll talk about this a little later.
And the week before the tests, my son and I leaf through textbooks and simply review the theory of these creative and practical subjects.
Our school everyday life
Visibility and a clear plan
Visibility and a clear plan are some of the important aspects of organizing our school life. The school's six-month programs are printed and hung on a board that is always visible. On the same board there is a plan for mastering the program by week. The child sees and clearly understands how much has already been completed and how much remains to be learned in this particular week and in general over these six months.
When a topic has been studied, the son himself marks it in the program and in the plan with markers to highlight the text.
Timetable of classes
We do not have a clear class schedule as such. We have a weekly plan - what we need to master this week in 5 subjects. But depending on the complexity of the topic and material, we may devote completely different amounts of time to different subjects in different weeks.
Regularly and every day (with rare exceptions) we study only Russian and English. Even if the Russian language has a very simple theoretical topic - the son rewrites texts, writes dictations or does some exercises.
Depending on what our plans are for the day, we study from 2 to 6 hours. If a topic is particularly interesting (and this also happens), my son can study almost the whole day.
Physical activity
In addition, we must have physical activity every day. Since we don’t attend sports sections yet, we have to be “active” on our own. Three times a week, at 8 am, we have physical education “lessons” with dad. Sometimes they go for a run, sometimes they do a set of exercises on the terrace. On weekends we have a mandatory long outdoor walk. If, of course, the weather permits. This could be a hike in the forest or mountains, a trip to the beach (there are active sports: football, volleyball or other ball games, and if the weather permits - swimming), just a walk in the park with a visit to the football field and a game of football.
Also, every day we definitely go for a walk and somehow actively spend time outside (again, if the weather permits). We can walk together to the city center (it’s about 20 minutes), and there I walk with my friends, and my son walks with his. In the city center there is a large area for skateboarding, roller skating, biking, a children's playground with trampolines and a variety of climbing equipment, and there is just a street for running around and active pastime.
Creation
Although creative activities are not included in our main plan, we pay a lot of attention to them.
We try to harmoniously weave them into school activities and simply into everyday life. Most often, the son himself wants something creative - to sculpt a hero of some work of art, draw a picture based on a fairy tale, compose his own story, make a model of a mathematical problem, create a board game on a mathematical theme.
Therefore, my main tasks are simply not to be lazy and provide him with the necessary materials for creativity, not to push him when he wants to go deeper into some topic and sometimes help him finish his project. After all, he is an enthusiastic person and it is often difficult for him to bring his projects to completion, because new ideas come to his mind. Often, this simply requires my words of encouragement or a small motivational speech, and sometimes the process requires my personal participation.
We also try, where possible, to link “creativity” to the topics being taught. For example:
- While reading “The Tale of Tsar Saltan...” by A. S. Pushkin, we looked at paintings and illustrations by different artists, listened to excerpts from Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera, drew illustrations ourselves and composed a continuation of this story.
- When we explored the topic of rain in the world around us, we looked for how this phenomenon inspired writers and artists. We discussed what we ourselves see as beautiful in this phenomenon and again drew.
- When we studied hissing sounds in the Russian language, we composed our own tongue twisters with them and looked for poems or prose where, with the help of a large number of such sounds, the author conveyed certain ideas to the reader.
- Even mathematics turned out to be a very, very creative subject. This was a discovery for myself :))) The beauty of symmetry in nature, anamorphic drawings, mandalas. While studying math, we do a lot of crafts and have a lot of fun. This amazes me, because at school mathematics, physics, drawing and chemistry were my least favorite subjects)
Self-study day
Once a week we have a “Self Study Day”. Usually this is Monday or Tuesday. I give my son a plan of what he needs to read, listen, and watch today. Usually these are theoretical chapters of a textbook or video lessons on relevant topics on a training website.
We introduced this practice about a month ago and I am very pleased with the results. My son is studying:
- manage your time and manage to complete everything he is assigned to listen to in a day,
- understand the topic on your own. If he doesn’t understand something the first time, he listens to the lecture again, tries to reflect and think, and only as a last resort does he turn to me. And the next day. So that he has a reserve of time for insights. Every week he learns to think for himself and not immediately run to me for a ready-made answer, and in most cases he does not need my help at all.
- keep brief notes in a form convenient for him. In the following days, we do practical exercises on the topics that he has listened to and accordingly, I ask some concepts or terms that he has studied. At first he was confident that everything was very easy to remember and he didn’t need any notes. I didn't try to convince him. But when he was faced with the fact that something important flies out of his head for several days and he has to re-read the textbook or review lectures (I do not tell him ready-made terms and answers), he independently began to write down the basic concepts, make notes with which uses it successfully)
That’s all for today, but in the next article I’ll tell you:
- what kind of "extracurricular activities" do we have?
- that acquiring subject knowledge is not an end in itself at our school, and what we actually learn in the process of mastering the “school” program.
See you soon, friends! And of course, I am very, very interested in how classes are organized in your home schools. What is important to you? What challenges do you face and what do you enjoy most about this process?
Instructions
Set a triune task (goal) for the lesson. To do this, review the curriculum, re-read the explanatory note, and study the requirements of the standard on this topic. Formulate the goal and write it down in a plan so that it is clear to students. The educational component of the triune goal should equip students with a system of knowledge, skills and abilities.
Educational - to form in students a scientific worldview, moral personality traits, views and beliefs. Developmental - when teaching, to develop in students interest, creativity, will, emotions, speech, memory, attention, imagination, perception.
All elements of the lesson should contribute to achieving this goal.
Break the lesson down into its main components. Organizational - organization throughout the lesson, students’ readiness for, order and discipline. Target - setting learning goals for both the entire lesson and its individual stages. Motivational - the significance of the material being studied both in this course and and throughout the course. Communicative - the level of communication between the teacher and the teacher. Content - selection of material for study, consolidation, repetition, testing of knowledge. Technological - selection of forms, methods and teaching techniques that are optimal for a given type of lesson. Control and evaluation - use of assessment student activities. Analytical - summing up the lesson, analyzing the results.
Write a lesson plan. Please note its approximate content:
- The topic of the lesson, its goals and objectives, type, structure of the lesson, teaching methods and techniques, visual aids.
- Repetition at the beginning of the lesson of concepts, laws, checking homework, forms of knowledge control.
- Mastering new material: laws, concepts, solving problematic issues.
- Formation of specific skills and abilities in students, selection of types of oral and written work.
- Analysis of homework. When drawing up notes, take into account the characteristics of the class: level of preparedness, pace of work, attitude to the subject, general discipline, type of nervous system, emotionality.
Prepare for lesson just before the call. To do this, mentally reproduce the main stages of the lesson, arrange the necessary material on the board, and think about the use of technical teaching aids. Decide which students you will interview. This work will allow you to save time during the lesson, make it more intense and clear.
To conduct a good lesson, fulfill the following important conditions. Study the lesson material well. If there are difficulties, sort them out before the lesson begins. Think through every detail and choose the right variety of teaching methods. Try to present the material in an entertaining way. Use non-traditional lessons: travel, investigations. Watch your speech: it should be emotional, rich in intonations. Your facial expressions should be expressive, and your gestures figurative. The pace of the lesson should be intense, but feasible for the student. If students cannot follow the presentation of the material, change the pace. The assignments are clear, concise, and require that students understand the requirements.
There are conditions that make it difficult to teach a good lesson and hinder the achievement of results. Lack of confidence in your knowledge and an indifferent attitude towards everything that happens in the lesson will lead to loss of attention and weaken discipline. Monotonous teaching methods and the inability to work with them will affect the result of the lesson. The material is poorly perceived if the teacher presents it dryly and monotonously. Never deviate from the topic of the lesson, do not get carried away by extraneous things that are not related to the objectives of the lesson. Do not insult students. Don't interrupt, let them finish while answering. Support their initiative, approve of their activity.
For an open lesson, any type of training session in any form of training can be used. It is recommended to limit the open lesson to a time frame (45-90 minutes). During this time, it is possible to demonstrate not only the structural elements of the lesson, but also the pedagogical findings of the teacher.
Preparing open events is not fundamentally different from preparing regular lessons. However, the need to achieve the methodological goal of an open lesson leaves an imprint on its structure, composition and combination of methodological techniques and teaching aids.
The teacher presenting an open lesson must ensure the achievement of the methodological goal through the fulfillment of the lesson’s objectives - students’ mastery of the knowledge, skills and abilities that are planned to be studied.
And self-analysis of the lesson is carried out in two aspects:
- from the point of view of achieving a methodological goal;
- from the point of view of students' mastery of educational material.
Open lessons are taught by teachers who have a high level of scientific and methodological training and ensure high efficiency of the educational process. Open lessons are devoted only to current problems of methodological science. An open lesson must be novel. An open lesson reflects the solution to a methodological problem that the teacher is working on. An open lesson should show (prove) the advantages (high efficiency) of the innovation.
When conducting an open lesson, all requirements for the educational process are met. An open lesson should not harm the system of knowledge, skills and abilities of students. A workplace must be prepared for those visiting. The number of visitors to open lessons cannot be unlimited. Open lessons and their content should not conflict with the curriculum. It is unacceptable to “rehearse” an open lesson with the same group. It is recommended to inform students about the open lesson (at least the day before). Open lessons are conducted in accordance with the college's methodological work plan. You cannot conduct several open lessons with one group on the same day. So, it should be understood that an open lesson, unlike a regular one, has a methodological goal, which reflects what the teacher wants to show to those attending this lesson.
The main criteria for assessing the effectiveness of an open lesson should be the quality of mastery of professional and general competencies, knowledge, skills and experience acquired by students under the guidance of a teacher.
There are a number of requirements for preparing and conducting open classes
Planning an open lesson
At the end of the academic year, at a meeting of the PCC, an analysis of mutual visits to classes by teachers is carried out, on the basis of which an interesting experience is identified that has proven itself in practice and can be shown in the next academic year. A plan for conducting open lessons is being drawn up.
Planning an open lesson is carried out in accordance with generally accepted requirements. Structurally, an open lesson does not differ from regular classes. An open lesson has a methodological goal, the achievement of which is subject to the content of the educational material and the form of organization of educational-cognitive, practical-research, interactive, etc. activities of students.
The methodological goal is set by the teacher when conducting an open lesson. It depends on the purpose of inviting colleagues to an open lesson, and in the case of work on testing new methods, means and forms of teaching, such a goal is set by oneself to improve the educational process and increase the level of pedagogical skills.
For example: The methodological goal of an open lesson is to show colleagues the methodology of a lecture-conversation using technical teaching aids (TST).
The ability to correctly determine the purpose of a lesson is one of the main signs of a teacher’s pedagogical skill, which can and should be improved in the course of self-education, comprehension of personal experience and the experience of colleagues.
Once the goal is determined, it becomes a guideline in the selection of the main content, methods, teaching aids and forms of organizing students’ cognitive independent activity.
To determine the main didactic goal of a lesson means to establish what it will mainly be devoted to - studying new material, consolidating, repeating, systematizing educational material, or checking and recording the assimilation of educational material.
Based on the general idea of modern scientific ideas about an educational lesson, its substantive goal is triune in nature and consists of three interrelated aspects:
Each type of lesson, depending on the nature of the activity of the teacher and students and the sources of knowledge used, is divided into lessons of various types. In this case, the type of lesson is determined by the main method of organizing the interrelated activities of the teacher and students and the prevailing source of knowledge in this lesson.
Types of lessons
Lesson in learning something new:
lecture, excursion, research work, practical lesson.
Goal: Study and primary consolidation of new knowledge.
Lesson to consolidate knowledge:
practical lesson, excursion, laboratory work, interview, consultation.
The goal is to develop skills in applying knowledge.
Lesson on the integrated application of knowledge:
practical lesson, laboratory work, seminar
The goal is to develop the ability to independently apply knowledge in a complex, under new conditions.
Lesson on generalization and systematization of knowledge:
seminar, conference, round table, etc.
The goal is to generalize individual knowledge into a system.
Lesson on control, assessment and correction of knowledge:
test, test, colloquium, knowledge review
Aims to determine the level of mastery of knowledge, skills and abilities.
Main stages of preparing and conducting an open lesson
Choosing a theme The teacher does an open lesson independently, taking into account the analysis of the material, on which he can better demonstrate the improvements he has developed, techniques and methods, and the organization of students’ educational activities at different stages of the lesson.
You need to start preparing with the wording methodological goal open lesson. Methodological goal reflects the basic methodology of the lesson. This will help to approach self-analysis and analysis of the lesson in the most constructive and objective manner, to evaluate the correctness of the selected methods and techniques and forms of organization.
When preparing for an open lesson, the teacher must use up-to-date information, select materials from pedagogical, scientific, technical and methodological literature, apply the results of visiting technical or methodological exhibitions, leading enterprises. All this will help make the lesson interesting and informative, allowing students to keep abreast of modern advances.
Material and technical equipment of the lesson must be prepared in advance. Instruments and equipment, computer technology, and TSO should be tested in action. Consider the sequence of their use in class.
Visual aids and audiovisual aids must be selected so that their use gives the optimal effect to achieve the goals. Too many visual aids distract students' attention, and an abundance of unused visual aids is unjustified in the lesson. Be modest and do not load the lesson with visuals as decoration. All illustrative materials of the lesson should work towards the educational goal of the lesson:
- demonstrate the use of computer technology in the classroom,
- demonstrate the use of visualization technologies,
- show the possibilities of using the dialectical method of teaching, etc.
Group selection
When a topic is chosen, you need to decide on the group where you will show your open lesson. It is clear that the group must be contact-oriented and thoughtful. When conducting an open lesson, the “audience” of the lesson should be taken into account.
Creating a Lesson Plan
The classic lesson plan consists of 3 parts:
Introductory, Main and Closing:
Introductory(or introductory) part is necessary to gain the attention of students.
From the very beginning of the lesson, you need to surprise, interest, delight, that is, motivate them for the upcoming work.
In the second Basic part of the lesson, the topic of the lesson is revealed and reinforced. The most complex activities are concentrated here. Pedagogical technologies, forms and methods of work selected by the teacher that allow solving the assigned tasks are shown.
The third part Final.
Serves as a generalization of the previous process. A task for independent work is given and the process of its implementation is commented on. Words of gratitude to the students are heard. Along the way, the work in the lesson is analyzed and grades are given (with justification).
For an open lesson, it is necessary to draw up a lesson plan - a technological map of the lesson with a clear and reasonable distribution of lesson time and an indication of what and how the teacher and students do (it is recommended to draw up several copies for those invited to the lesson).
The lesson plan should reflect all the main stages of the lesson, the main types of activities of both students and the teacher, types and forms of organizing work, types of exercises. Subsequently, the lesson plan should become the basis for self-reflection and analysis of the lesson.
Approximate form of a technological lesson map
No. Lesson stages Didactic goal Teaching method Methodological support Teacher activities Student activities
Open lesson dramaturgy
An open lesson is not a regular teaching session, but a public speaking event. And any public performance must obey the laws of drama.
When preparing an open lesson, the teacher must be able to organize everything in such a way that his lesson will be interesting for everyone. A good open lesson should have an initial intrigue, a well-calculated course of the lesson, small islands for improvisation, a moment of insight and emotional and intellectual release. And as many “highlights” as possible - moments that cause pleasant surprise among those present. (As Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov said - “To surprise means to win!”)
Design of open lesson materials
For an open lesson, the teacher prepares a full set of documents defining the methodological support of the lesson, which includes the following documents (can be supplemented depending on the type and type of lesson):
- calendar and thematic plan;
- lesson plan;
- lecture notes;
- a set of materials on various types of control;
- didactic, handouts;
- assignments for independent work;
- a set of video materials for TSO;
- options for assignments or questions for independent extracurricular work
The methodological development of an open lesson is drawn up.
The structure of the methodological development of an open lesson should contain:
- explanatory note,
- lesson structure,
- detailed outline (scenario) of the lesson,
- samples of didactic material,
- list of references used, etc.
The explanatory note must outline the meaning and role of the lesson, pedagogical goals, tasks facing the teacher, and the expected result. Particular attention in the explanatory note should be given to the pedagogical technology or methodology in which the lesson is conducted.
General requirements for the design of methodological development
- The total volume of methodological development of the lesson should be at least 10 sheets of computer text.
- Font for methodological development TimesNewRoman, font size – 14, spacing 1.5.
- The volume of applications is not limited, but they must correspond to the text (links to them in the text are required).
- The list of used sources should be in alphabetical order by the full name of the authors and contain the necessary bibliographic data.
- The number and volume of sections of methodological development is not limited.
The methodological development can be supplemented and partially reworked after an open lesson, so that everything valuable that is obtained during the lesson is reflected in it and can be used by other teachers.
The content and design of the methodological development must comply with the requirements of the recommendations.
Prepared and formalized methodological development of an open lesson after consideration at a meeting of the PCC and approval by the deputy. Director for SD (UPR, VR) is submitted to the methodological office.
Analysis of an open lesson
“Whoever looks at himself sees his own face,
He who sees his own face knows his worth,
He who knows the price is strict with himself,
He who is strict with himself is truly great!”
(Pierre Grengor)
Discussion of an open lesson is usually held on the day of its holding.
The discussion will be organized by the college methodologist.
Purpose of discussion– assessing the correctness of setting the goal of the lesson, the appropriateness of the chosen methods and means, assisting the teacher in focusing on the individual methodological techniques used, considering their effectiveness from the point of view of the assigned tasks.
When discussing a lesson, questions to the teacher who conducted the lesson should be specific (about individual techniques and methods of work, about specific phenomena of this lesson), and not divert the discussion from the goal.
It is recommended that the speeches of those present at the discussion of the lesson be carried out in the following sequence:
- the teacher who conducted the open lesson;
- visiting teachers;
- head of the PCC;
- Deputy Director for Sustainability, Management, HR, Methodologist.
The first word is given to the teacher who conducted the open lesson.
He must clearly give his assessment of the lesson, justify the choice of methods and means, the quality of their application, provide critical comments on the conduct of the training session and the content of the selected material.
The teacher’s speech should help those present understand his pedagogical intent, the features of the methods and techniques he uses, and the leading goals that underlie his work.
Speaking teachers should analyze the advantages and disadvantages of an open lesson, pay special attention to achieving the set goals of training, education and development, the effectiveness of the methods used, and the feasibility of using multimedia computer technology.
It is necessary to carefully evaluate the lesson from the standpoint of the implementation of didactic principles. During the discussions, shortcomings and mistakes made in the organization and content of the lesson should be noted, and advice should be given on how to improve the teacher’s future work.
In conclusion, the deputy director for sustainable development, management and control, VR and the methodologist speak. They summarize the discussion, note what was missed by the speakers, evaluate the techniques and methods used in the lesson, note the depth of disclosure of the stated methodological goal of the open educational lesson and draw conclusions about the advisability of further use of the presented experience. When analyzing, speakers must evaluate not only the educational, but also the educational role of the lesson, its significance for mastering the specialty.
The tone of the discussion should be businesslike and friendly. What is needed is a creative exchange of opinions, a discussion that will arouse a desire not only to critically evaluate the work of colleagues, but also to creatively use his experience in his work.
After the speech of those present, the floor is again given to the teacher who conducted the lesson. He notes which comments he accepts, what he disagrees with and why, and defends his point of view.
A well-organized discussion helps to come to a consensus on fundamental methodological issues and introduce the results of an open lesson into teaching practice.
The results of the open lesson are brought to the attention of the entire teaching staff.
Self-analysis of the lesson The teacher provides serious assistance to the expert. Self-analysis provides a unique opportunity to get acquainted with the teacher’s work system, with his creative laboratory, with the concept and plan of the lesson (without which a holistic analysis of the lesson attended is impossible).
Through self-analysis, it is easier to assimilate advice and recommendations for improving work that are given to the teacher; advanced pedagogical experience is learned and the achievements of pedagogical science and various innovations are introduced into the practice of educational activities.
Anatole France very accurately noted the importance of an unusual presentation of educational material, saying: “The knowledge that is absorbed with appetite is better absorbed.” Many experienced and novice teachers are wondering how to conduct an interesting lesson? Such that students would be afraid to be late for it, and after the bell would not rush to leave the classroom.
Secrets of preparing and conducting an interesting lesson
Each lesson should arouse student interest.
The concept of every interesting activity should have a creative beginning.
Impeccable mastery of the material and pedagogical improvisation will allow you to conduct the prepared lesson in an interesting way.
A great start to a lesson is the key to success! Start the lesson actively (maybe with a little surprise!), clearly formulate its objectives, check your homework using non-standard forms of work.
An interesting lesson is always divided into clear fragments with logical bridges between them. Each individual part of the lesson should not be lengthy (on average up to 12 minutes, with the exception of explanations of new material).
Use a variety of techniques to create an engaging lesson.
Be flexible! Equipment breakdown, student fatigue or unexpected questions are situations from which the teacher must be able to quickly and competently find a way out.
Don't be afraid to break stereotypes! Don't be afraid to experiment and improvise! Avoid templates!
Encourage constant student activity. Make the most of every task.
Use group work: such activities are not only interesting, but also teach children to make collective decisions and develop a sense of partnership. This form of work is often used to conduct an interesting open lesson.
To teach interesting lessons, constantly search and find unusual and surprising facts about each topic. Surprise your students and never cease to be surprised with them!
Create and constantly replenish your own methodological collection of the most successful, interesting and exciting tasks and forms of work, use entertaining material in every lesson.
Thematic games will make the lesson interesting at any age. The game creates a relaxed and relaxed atmosphere in the lesson, in which new knowledge is well absorbed. For example, by passing a small ball along the rows, you can arrange an active blitz poll. And role-playing games will help you conduct an interesting English lesson.
The desire for personal and professional self-improvement is the basis for successful and effective teaching activities, the guarantee that each new lesson will be interesting.
S.A. Karagod, methodologist
The last celebrations of graduates of pedagogical universities have died down, and the bravest students who chose the path of teaching rushed to conquer the heights of teaching. They are young, energetic, full of enthusiasm and maximalism that has not yet gone away. They happily take on complex tasks and try to understand the specifics of the structure of the chosen educational institution.
However, with the beginning of the new school year, the flow of work activity becomes more and more stormy. During this difficult time, a young teacher may make mistakes that can turn into quite big troubles in the future.
1. No need to be afraid of children
Beginning teachers, as a rule, do not have experience communicating with students of different ages. Therefore, it is very important to choose a certain manner of behavior with children in advance. You need to have a clear idea of what kind of teacher you would like to appear in the eyes of your students. There is no need to be shy or babble - speech should be clear with clear accents. You can't hide or look away - eye contact is necessary for more successful networking. Slouching, putting your hands in your pockets, or exhibiting other insecure behavior is discouraged. If students sense your fear from the first lesson, this can be the beginning of a very difficult relationship between students and teacher.
When I came to school, the head teacher of educational work gave exactly this advice: “don’t let them feel your fear.” It sounds a little strange and exaggerated, but it was very useful to me. I clearly remember my first lessons: my heart was pounding, my voice was hoarse, my palms were wet with excitement. Even my own name slipped out of my head. But it was precisely the phrase of an experienced teacher about fear that did not allow me to shamefully desert from the office. I straightened my back, cleared my throat, raised my head, took a deep breath and let the first batch of students into the classroom. They sat down, staring at me with curiosity.
Their eyes carefully scanned my every movement. Children, by the way, are excellent, but very cruel psychologists.
I sighed and began to speak confidently. The analogy about a negotiator with terrorists kept popping into my head - I also politely but adamantly put forward demands. We immediately set the rules: do not test my patience. From three comments about their behavior - the diary is on the table. Two more warnings - I’m writing a comment for parents. If the fun continues in the lesson, then I give a “pair” after the control question about the material covered. And none of the students ever had any complaints if I carried out similar actions in the future - after all, they first agreed with them themselves.
But I didn’t limit myself only to demands - that would be destructive. We came to a compromise: they can always come to me and retake the material, correcting their grades. Moreover, I promised that at any time at school I could explain the material to them if they did not understand something. Demand increased significantly at the end of the quarter, but there were practically no hard feelings.
2. Don't be afraid to make mistakes
A teacher is not a robot or a machine. There is no need to immediately try to convince students that you are completely right and infallible. When introducing yourself in class and reading out the names, apologize to the children in advance for the fact that you may pronounce them incorrectly. Also, you should not take it with hostility if one of your students makes comments to you about teaching the material. Teach them to justify their point of view.
If you bend your line for a long time, you will get a complete parallelepiped.
A young teacher already has enough stress - there is no need to aggravate this by the fact that his reputation will be ruined by someone’s offended recommendations, in the style of “what kind of teacher is he - she doesn’t know anything!” There is no need to stubbornly show students that you are older and know more than them. This will cause a negative and completely natural desire to prove the opposite.
If suddenly someone starts to bully you during a lesson about the material, listen politely to him and ask him to defend his point of view. The child will feel that he is treated as an equal and will no longer have the desire for confrontation.
3. Show respect
You will not be respected if you behave disrespectfully. Do not show disdain or arrogance, do not shout until you are hoarse - you will not be heard. Only clear, polite and reasoned speech, as if you were talking to an adult. Don't forget about wonderful words like "thank you" and "please." You should not put all your requests in the form of an order.
I had Artyom, a fifth grade student. He was a new student who missed the first two weeks of school due to family reasons. Accordingly, when he came to school, it was stressful. For all. Artyom looked larger than his peers, but in mental development he was slightly inferior to the others. He desperately wanted to be accepted by his classmates and teachers. When this did not happen, the poor boy found very radical methods to attract attention to himself: from completely ignoring comments to throwing his vomit at his classmates.
The teachers gave up on him, Artyom’s parents practically settled in the school, and his classmates avoided him more and more diligently. I admit, at first it was also difficult for me to talk to him in class and explain what he could and could not do. Obeying an impulse, I started screaming. But I intuitively realized that this only strengthens the wall of misunderstanding. And I started talking to him like an adult: “Artyom, be so kind as to move to another seat, please.”
Politeness really works wonders. The child obediently stood up and changed seats.
“Artyom, please be a little quieter, I’m very tired and my head hurts,” he nodded and fell silent. Then he began to give me his drawings, he was always polite and was not afraid to come up and ask something. I was the only teacher at school who never called his parents or complained about him to the head teacher or other teachers.
4. Keep your distance
Don't get too close to your students. Immediately after college, as a rule, the age difference is small, especially for high school students. Remember that many of your actions and words can be reinterpreted and passed on to other teachers, administration or parents in a completely distorted form. You cannot close yourself in the office with students; it is better to keep the door open.
Avoiding students is also not a good idea - it can alienate children. Know when to stop and choose the golden mean.
Nowadays, schools are attended by a variety of children from a variety of families. There are also very religious people among them who have their own perception of moral standards. Among my students was Grisha, who was the son of a parishioner of a local church. The boy went to school with a Bible and, instead of repeating material, preferred prayers, which his mother indulged in every possible way. As a result, Grisha consistently got 5-6 deuces in each quarter. But my mother did not believe that prayers worked worse than homework, so, in her opinion, the teachers were to blame for everything.
I also got it for... my collarbones! I didn’t allow myself to wear things that were too revealing, but the boat neckline seemed too deep to Grisha’s mother. She explained her assessment of her son to the school principal as follows: “our new teacher’s smiles, jokes and collarbones kindle a fire in her son’s loins and he cannot concentrate.” The conversation was passed from mouth to mouth, giving rise to a lot of gossip and not very adequate judgments, fraying the nerves considerably.
5. Don’t take everyone’s word for it.
No matter how cute, sweet and innocent the students may be at first glance, you cannot take their word for it. Secure any of your actions with entries in your diary, duplicating them in an electronic journal. Especially when it comes to grade correction. If you identify a problem with a particular child, immediately notify the parents about his “successes.”
In the future, this will protect you from various kinds of claims from parents and school administration.
I had a sixth grade student, Sashenka. A quiet, modest girl who always shyly lowered her eyes when I asked her. For a long time I wrote off unintelligible answers about unfinished homework as hyper-shyness, until my ward began to become impudent right before my eyes. Modesty did not prevent her from talking in class and writing notes, and her notebook remained almost pristinely clean.
By the end of the second quarter, Sashenka had a deuce. About three weeks before the end of the semester, I started scheduling her retakes. Gave additional homework assignments. Having received one B, Sashenka calmed down and continued to do nothing. I waited until the last minute to give the assessment, believing that tomorrow it would definitely come on its own. She never came. And the couple’s mother was very surprised.
The story continued, so we move on to the next point.
6. Keep records
Don't forget to type in All data in an electronic journal, put grades in a diary and a paper journal, do not give children their tests and tests. Keep separate folders for each class and put pieces of paper there. Give them to parents at a parent-teacher meeting.
Sometimes it seems that compliance with points 5 and 6 borders a little on paranoia, because it is very difficult to combine sincerity, enthusiasm, ebullient energy and such bureaucratic control. But in our time, when the teacher is to blame in the most absurd situation, it is better to play it safe once again.
Let's return to the story about Sasha. After my unsuccessful attempts to force the child to study somehow, communicating with the class teacher and talking about how important it is to make efforts, the girl still preferred to do nothing at home and write test papers in transliteration (for example: instead of a simple English word “ milk" wrote the ponderous "moloko"). When all the deadlines were over, I, not without regrets, gave her a D in the quarter.
What started here... The student’s mother turned my third quarter into a complete hell. As it turned out, Sashenka persistently threw out all the “test” papers, tore out pages from the diary, and always told her mother that everything was fine and she could handle everything. It was a complete surprise for the mother that her daughter had a couple in a quarter. With righteous indignation, she went to the director to demand a review of the assessment, my qualifications and consideration of the option of dismissal.
Due to my inexperience, I preferred not to solve problems only with parents, but to negotiate with students personally.
In addition, it was possible to fill out the electronic journal once a week, because it was accessible only in the computer science office, where it was not always convenient to come. Now the school administration demanded a revision of the assessment, fearing for statistics and reputation. Commissions from the Regional Educational Institution began to come to my lessons; the director decided to take control of the educational process. Before entering the school, in front of all the students, I had to submit my lesson plans, written down to the smallest detail, for her to check. I paid in full for my cool attitude towards the bureaucracy.
I don’t remember how many valerian tablets I took, but it taught me to scrupulously collect every piece of paper with a vocabulary dictation, every notebook with tests, and put all the marks in the electronic journal, even those written in pencil in the journal. I had to develop immunity to the insults of students who had to explain to their parents why the “2 in pencil” was in the electronic journal.
I graduated from the pedagogical university only 3 years ago and I have very fresh memories of my first year of teaching. If someone had told me about these simple rules, I would have been able to avoid many problems, which would have made the start of my teaching life much easier.
While observing all these rules, I sincerely wish you not to overdo it and maintain your love for teaching. Do not become hard-hearted ahead of time; children at all times need those who can instill a love of knowledge and teach them the basic skills of ethical behavior. Good luck!
A successful organizational moment focuses attention on the teacher, then on the subject, topic and objectives of the lesson. No matter how much we talk about the objectification of the learning process (and any pedagogical educational technology aims at the fact that the learning process is not so much an art as a craft, accessible to everyone after appropriate training), children perceive educational material through the teacher, indirectly, and to the extent and from the point of view that the teacher owns.
The whole variety of possible scenarios of behavior and words of the teacher at the beginning of the lesson can be reduced to two conditionally distinguished groups: organization of student concentration at the level of voluntary and involuntary interest. Psychologists talk about voluntary attention when a person realizes the importance of an event, the need for a specific action, independently forms a script for his behavior, it is formed both independently and through external instructions: read p. 34, do exercise 35, look at the picture, what is shown?... The involuntary arises spontaneously when a difficult but feasible task is solved, the teacher shares his life experience, a vivid, emotional description of the events in the story, access to objects or events directly familiar to the student that concern his life...
The organizational moment of a lesson based on voluntary attention can be mediated by the phrases: “Okay, people, everyone sat down, shut up, let’s listen to a new topic”; “let’s all sit down, my dears”; “Okay, let’s sit down and show you your homework” (walk around the class, look); “sit down, let’s start listening and recording”;” let’s sit down and start the lesson”... if the teacher focuses, first of all, on a conscious and responsible attitude towards learning. In a highly motivated class this is enough, but not always...
There are many ways to conduct an organizational moment effectively based on involuntary interest. But the teacher must skillfully “make” the conditions for the emergence of involuntary attention.
The time-tested Soviet method is to loudly slam the magazine on the table and order something in a commanding voice: “Stand up!”, “Shut your mouths!”, “Stop chatting!”, “Get ready for the lesson!” In fact, any of these phrases, pronounced with the appropriate attitude, will suffice. But partnerships in the lesson are excluded in this case. Another way, dictatorial, but very successful: entering the classroom, immediately (from the door) in a very loud “hard” voice, from the middle of a sentence, announce the topic of the lesson. The children have instant paralysis - the lesson has already started, but they are not ready... everyone quickly takes their places and concentrates on what the teacher is saying. And he repeats what was said again - this time calmly, sets the goals of the lesson, and then repeats the material covered. The method is expensive, requiring a lot of effort and time, but it pays off handsomely: we start the lesson with a poem (it can be on the topic, but simply beautiful, sonorous poems will do). The teacher reads the text with expression, the children are familiar with this form of work, they know how difficult it is sometimes to learn poetry. You achieve at least three results: primary attention is focused on you, surprised and respectful interest indicates that your authority (here and now) has increased, and it is easier to involve students in creative extracurricular activities (participation in a play, excursion, newspaper competition, preparing a school holiday ). The fourth method on the list is more suitable for humanities students (or class teachers): start the lesson with an emotionally rich description of an incident, a scene from life. The students, gradually understanding it, listen warily and are perplexed: it looks like a story, but we’re talking about a train ride... A feeling of contradiction arises - “there must be a story. Let it be!" Attention is collected, the goal is achieved. You can translate the story to the topic of the lesson. If you start the lesson with the announcement of grades for the previous test, with a “debriefing”, then do not count on the children’s voluntary attention: momentary interest - like mine? - is replaced by dispersal and an involuntary switch to something more pleasant: spit on a neighbor with a chewed piece of paper from a straw - continue to live the change.
The child’s psyche is such that unconscious passion (even among high school students) gives greater results than arbitrary, conscious concentration under the slogans “I must”, “I need”. If a teacher knows how to switch students’ attention from voluntary to involuntary and back, his lesson will always achieve its goals.
The article names the most common methods of organizing primary attention for high school students. Primary and secondary schools are more willing to “buy” into the usual words “let’s start our lesson with...” (checking the homework, written survey, report, presentation...) Here the children are captivated by the words and intonation of association with the teacher “our lesson, our topic, our test". And there are teacher-artists who ask in the voice of a wizard: “Do you know what topic we will study today? No? Oh, she is very interesting and important...”
It is better to change the methods of constructing an organizational moment without repeating them often in the same class. An experienced teacher “feels” the class at the beginning of the lesson almost immediately, but preparations never hurt. And a successful start to the lesson is already half the success.
Extensive experience in teaching “at the bench” allows us to formulate another pedagogical commandment in relations with students: “what has happened and has passed”, “who will remember the old...” Remember that every day, every lesson is a new page in the life of you and your students . Memory for evil antics, inappropriate behavior, deliberate violation of academic discipline - plays a cruel joke, setting up the teacher to continue the conflict (at the level of a glance, a gesture, negative information comes from you to the student and returns a hundredfold). Knowing about the basic ones, you can (and should) adjust your own and your student’s behavior, preventing the psychologically traumatic situation from prolonging.