What or who are teachers afraid of? What are directors and teachers afraid of? Don't take everything for granted

The last celebrations of graduates of pedagogical universities died down, and the most daring students, who chose the path of teaching, rushed to conquer the peaks of teaching. They are young, energetic, full of enthusiasm and maximalism that has not yet gone away. They gladly take on complex tasks, try to understand the features of the device of the chosen educational institution.

However, with the beginning of the new academic year, the course of work activity becomes more and more turbulent. In this difficult time, a young teacher can make mistakes that in the future can turn into quite big troubles.

1. No need to be afraid of children

Beginning teachers, as a rule, do not have experience in 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 look like in the eyes of students. No need to be shy or babble - speech should be clear with clear accents. You can not hide or look away - eye contact is necessary for more successful networking. It is not recommended to slouch, put your hands in your pockets, or exhibit other aspects of insecure behavior. If the students feel your fear from the first lessons, then this can serve as the beginning of a very difficult relationship between the students and the teacher.

When I arrived at the school, the head teacher for 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 got out of my head given name. But it was 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, lifted my head, took a deep breath, and launched the first batch of students into the classroom. They sat down and looked at me curiously.

Their eyes carefully scanned my every move. Children, by the way, are excellent, but very cruel psychologists.

I sighed and began to speak confidently. An analogy about a negotiator with terrorists stubbornly climbed into my head - I also politely, but adamantly put forward demands. We immediately set the rules: do not test my patience for strength. From three comments about their behavior - a diary on the table. Two more warnings - I'm writing a comment for parents. If the fun continues in the lesson, then I put a “couple” after the control question about the material told. And none of the students ever had any complaints if I carried out similar actions in the future - after all, at first they themselves agreed with them.

But I did not limit myself to only requirements - 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 resentments.

2. Don't be afraid to make mistakes

A teacher is not a robot or a machine. No need to immediately try to convince the students of their complete rightness and infallibility. At the time of getting to know each other in class and reading out the names, apologize in advance to the children for pronouncing them incorrectly. Also, you can’t take it “with hostility” if one of your wards makes a remark to you about teaching the material. Teach them to justify their point of view.

If you bend your line for a long time, you get a full parallelepiped.

A young teacher already has enough stress - there is no need to aggravate this by the fact that the reputation will be damaged by someone's offended recommendations, in the style of “what kind of teacher is she - she doesn’t know anything!”. No need to stubbornly show students that you are older and know more than they do. This will cause a negative and completely natural desire to prove the opposite.

If suddenly someone starts bullying 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 a desire for confrontation.

3. Show respect

You will not be respected if you behave disrespectfully. Do not show disdain or arrogance, do not scream until you are hoarse - you will not be heard. Only a clear polite and reasoned speech, as if you were talking to an adult. Don't forget wonderful words like "thank you" and "please." You should not clothe all your requests in an order form.

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 bigger 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 the remarks to throwing his classmates with his vomit.

The teachers put an end to him, Artyom's parents practically settled in the school, and his classmates more and more diligently avoided him. I confess that at first it was also difficult for me to talk to him in class and explain what to do and what not to do. On impulse, I broke into a scream. 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.”

Kindness really works wonders. The child obediently got up and moved.

"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 to ask something. I was the only teacher at the 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 the institute, as a rule, the age difference is small, especially for high school students. Remember that many of your actions and words can be altered and transferred to other teachers, administration or parents in a completely perverted form. You can not close with students in the office, it is better to keep the door open.

Avoiding students is also not worth it - it can alienate children. Know the measure and choose the golden mean.

Now the 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 the local church. The boy went to school with a Bible and instead of repeating the material, he preferred prayers, which his mother indulged in every possible way. As a result, Grisha consistently got 5-6 deuces in each quarter. But mom did not believe that prayers work worse than done homework Therefore, in her opinion, the teachers were to blame for everything.

I also got it for ... collarbones! I did not allow myself to wear too open things, but the boat neckline seemed too deep to Grisha's mother. She explained her son's assessments to the principal of the school as follows: "The smiles, jokes and collarbones of our new teacher 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 fairly.

5. Don't take everything for granted.

No matter how cute, sweet and innocent the students may be at first glance, you can’t take their word for it. Insure any of your actions with diary entries, duplicating them in an electronic journal. Especially when it comes to fixing grades. If you identify a problem with a particular child, immediately notify the parents about his "successes".

In the future, this will save you from all sorts of claims from parents and the school administration.

I had a sixth grade student Sashenka. A quiet shy girl who always shyly lowered her eyes when I asked her questions. For a long time I wrote off unintelligible answers about not done homework for 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 the notebook remained almost pristine.

By the end of the second quarter, Sashenka had a deuce. About three weeks before the end of the semester, I began to schedule time for retakes. Gave extra homework. Having received one four, Sashenka calmed down and continued to do nothing. Until the last, she dragged on with the assessment, believing that tomorrow she would definitely come by herself. So it didn't come. The couple's mother was very surprised.

The story had a continuation, so we move on to the next paragraph.

6. Keep records

Don't forget to hit all data in an electronic journal, put marks in a diary and a paper journal, do not give children their test and test papers. Get separate folders for each class and put leaflets with work there. Distribute them to parents at the parent meeting.

Sometimes it seems that compliance with points 5 and 6 borders on paranoia a little, because it is very difficult to combine sincerity, enthusiasm, seething energy and such bureaucratic control. But in our time, when the teacher is to blame for the most absurd situation, it is better to play it safe once again.

Let's return to the story about Sashenka. After my unsuccessful attempts to get the child to study at least somehow, talking with the class teacher and talking about the importance of making an effort, the girl still preferred to do nothing at home and write verification work transliteration (for example: instead of a simple English word"milk" spelled the ponderous "moloko"). When all the deadlines were up, I gave her a deuce in the quarter, not without regrets.

What started here ... The student's mother turned my third quarter into a complete hell. As it turned out, Sashenka stubbornly threw out all the "test" sheets, tore out the pages from the diary, always told her mother that everything was in order and she was coping with 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 the students personally.

In addition, it was possible to fill out the electronic journal once a week, because it had access only in the computer science room, where it was not always convenient to come. Now the school administration demanded a revision of the grade, fearing for statistics and reputation. Commissions from RONO 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 hand over to her for verification lesson plans, painted down to the smallest detail. I paid in full for my cool attitude towards bureaucracy.

I don’t remember how many valerian tablets were eaten, but it taught me how to scrupulously collect each leaflet with a vocabulary dictation, each notebook with control tests, put all marks in an electronic journal, even those that are in pencil in a journal. I had to develop immunity to the insults of students who had to explain to their parents why the "deuce in pencil" is in the electronic journal.

I finished Pedagogical University only 3 years ago and I have very fresh memories of my first year as a teacher. If someone told me about these simple rules I would have been able to avoid many problems, which would have made it much easier to start my teaching life.

For the observance of all these rules, I sincerely wish you not to overdo it and keep your love for teaching. Do not become stale with your soul 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!

What did he justify, who did he blame? I assume that I was exposed as the "villain". Based on this experience, I have come to the following conclusions:

1) The authorities of any rank welcome only materials of a laudatory nature.

2) It is not given to us to know who and in what will see criticism in his address.

I didn’t write excuses, but since then I’ve been asking every educator if it’s okay to mention their name, school, no matter what topic I’m interviewing. The answers are different, according to my observations, they partly depend on geography: the farther from the authorities, the freer one breathes. In response to my question, the director of a rural school laughed: “We have a muddy road from September to May, no one will get there, and by the summer everyone will be forgotten. Write what you want." The teachers of one of the city schools, who invited me to the meeting, asked for help, accusing the director of lawlessness. But when I explained that it was necessary to mention at least the name of the school, they literally turned pale and trembled with fear: “You can’t, she will fire us all!” I heard the same thing from teachers of various schools and universities.

Some bosses believe that the position gives them the right to threaten subordinates, and they do this even when the person no longer obeys them. A couple of years after the renovation story, I quit, but I continue to write. Published a purely positive interview with school librarians. The principal of the school called me at home and threatened that he would order me not to be allowed on the threshold of the school. Why? I should have asked him, he would have given more accurate information. Perhaps, but I had an assignment from the editor to interview the librarian. When I need to ask questions to the director or head of educational bodies, I go to them.

A constantly discussed topic is teachers' salaries. I hear the indignant voices of the old women at the bus stop: “Have you heard, again these teachers will be raised their salaries, they are completely overwhelmed!” I read the reports of the heads of departments of education at different levels, according to the data given in them, since the introduction of the NSOT, the wages of teachers in the city and region have increased significantly, the average figure is also steadily growing, in two or three years from twelve thousand to twenty to thirty thousand rubles a month. I talked with the directors of many schools - they are happy to show documents, estimates. Indeed, with skillful management and an honest approach, the salaries of teachers and staff have increased significantly. Unfortunately, there are other examples as well. Teachers speak on condition of complete anonymity: if they are gaining a load of 30 hours, the salary is very decent. If they stay at the rate, that is, 18-20 hours, then sometimes they get 5-7 thousand. Getting paid out of the stimulus fund is not easy. In some schools, everything depends on the favor of the director, head teacher, member of the distributing commission, that is, the division goes according to the principle “I give to whom I love”. In others, responsible persons shrug their shoulders to all questions: “There is no money.”

Family women complain most of all that with the introduction of the NSOT, it has become impossible to calculate the family budget. One month you get 7 thousand, another 10 (surcharges for olympiads, conferences). The surcharge is not a salary - today it is, tomorrow it is not. You need to look at simple numbers, namely base salary. It is he who determines the well-being of the teacher. An experienced teacher with full workload and class management receives 10-12 thousand per month, depending on the presence or absence of additional payments. She is in no way protected from unpleasant surprises: let's say the director gathered the class teachers and announced that the money for additional payments for the class teacher had run out. In March. And where do they go? In the spring, the class teacher of the senior classes practically spends the night at school, preparing documents for exams, for graduation.

Subject teachers, especially teachers of foreign languages, take private lessons and earn by tutoring. Their attitude towards work is gradually changing. “Before, the school didn’t bother me, but now I can’t wait until the lessons for which they pay me pennies end, and private traders come and immediately put money on the table.” Another important component has subtly changed: it used to be considered unethical to conduct private classes with your own students, now it is in the order of things. This means that in the lesson the teacher does not pay attention to the student, and the student is idle. Both know that after the lessons they will meet and, for an additional fee, from the pocket of their parents, they will improve their performance. I asked many colleagues if they would be engaged in tutoring, having a normal salary, not depending on the whims and favors of the authorities. The answer is simple: of course not. They also name a specific figure: 30 thousand rubles a month. I try to imagine that I took 6 lessons at school, and then another 4-6 lessons at home, for a total of 40 hours a week. What kind of preparation for lessons, what kind of professional growth can we talk about?

I ask why they do not protest, do not seek publicity in the distribution of funds. Some of the younger teachers give one answer: while their children are in school, they are afraid for the children. The director, the head teacher, has many levers of influence on any teacher. Inconvenient schedule, “windows”, two shifts, exorbitant workload ... Yes, it was the case, I angered the boss - and she planned eleven (!) Preparations per week for the academic year at a rate of 2-3. Having three children, never had a free Saturday. But all these are trifles compared to what our children can arrange at school, starting with underestimation of grades and ending with ridicule and humiliation. "Did you forget your child is going to a medal?" - with an affectionate smile they sometimes asked me. I assure you, having heard these words, any mother-teacher will salute and go in formation where ordered. And it's not about the medal, the veiled threats are many-sided.

Of course, there are other reasons why educators are silent, or will tell a guest correspondent how things are, but ask not to mention their names. Pensioners are afraid of losing their jobs, and with it an additional source of livelihood. You can’t live on one pension, but you can live on a pension and a salary. Talk to older teachers and they will give you two main reasons why they still work, hold on to their jobs. Many of them have grandchildren and even great-grandchildren. And everyone, so to speak, has a material incentive. The teacher sees poorly, hears poorly, does not remember the names of the students, but somehow leads the lessons. One teacher of advanced age in my presence innocently called her student Asya Vasya, that is, the name of her father, who many years ago studied in her class ...

Younger teachers are clearly aware of the concept of "social insecurity". The geography teacher tells how she tried to get the due payments and did not, all her attempts crashed against the familiar phrase “the money ran out.” She believes that teachers foreign language easier, they live by tutoring. She does not argue with her superiors, she is afraid that she will be fired, where will she go? Previously, there were always instances where one could turn for help, now they actually do not exist. They tell how teachers and parents write letters, complaints, but the situation does not change. And people come to the conclusion that you need to endure, adapt to the existing situation. Parents will write a complaint against the teacher, the authorities will talk to them, explain that there is no way to replace them, or offer a replacement, which scares the parents even more. Teachers complain about the headmaster, an audit is carried out, and nothing changes.

I repeat once again: this situation is far from being everywhere. Where the headmaster skillfully manages in the new conditions, where the distribution of funds is open, where work is carried out to attract young people, where they actively cooperate with parents, take care of the welfare of children, the positive effect of reforms is immediately visible. People are not afraid to talk to a correspondent, proudly show achievements, talk about problems, share plans for the future. There is normal work, normal school life. I wonder how things are in other regions. Does a teacher have the right to his own opinion, to criticize the existing state of affairs, to freedom of speech?

Nina KOPTYUG, Novosibirsk

Photo by Maria Golubeva

What are teachers afraid of? Many questions are asked in the works of world art: “For whom does the bell toll?”, “Do Russians want wars?”, “Why do birches make such a noise in Russia?” But no one has ever thought about what teachers are really afraid of. But the question is interesting, ticklish. On the one hand, you look - ordinary people and their fears are ordinary, human: mice, for example, or fear of heights. And on the other? I had one friend, a former "teacher", all of herself (now she works on television, by the way). So she was very afraid to admit someone else's superiority in knowledge. No matter how they proved to her that she was wrong, she did not want to admit her own miscalculations in any way. But mistakes in the work of a teacher can break more than one life - already at its very beginning ... They say that the world is ruled by "triples": they are practical, active, cold-blooded. They do not need to reason, because life, most often, provides only one option. It turns out that a person has no real choice. This points us to one of the teachers' fears - the fear of uselessness. Remember for yourself: how many times in your life did you come in handy with the periodic table or hard-to-remember logarithms with which you so stubbornly hammered your head at school? How often do you think about how voltage affects resistance? If an adult cannot understand why he needs this knowledge, then a child even more so ... An equally common fear of a teacher is a cross on his personal life. No matter how much I remember teachers / teachers, only a few are truly happy in marriage. It is not entirely clear to me what factors prevent representatives of the teaching profession from having a normal family, warmth and home comfort. Perhaps it is the fear of being judged by colleagues, and perhaps even by students. Or the fear of getting another bad experience… Unfortunately, we will never know about it. I would like to dwell on computer fear. It's no secret that there are many such teachers who not only do not know how to use a computer, but also do not know how to turn it on. And the strangest thing is that some do not even want to learn it. It is clear that it is not easy to master technologies that are rapidly advancing. But the basic programs can be studied, especially since now a million training courses and seminars are being held for teachers. In extreme cases, the students themselves can help in the development of some programs. But here we run into another fear - the fear of losing authority. How - eggs teach chicken! For some reason, some teachers believe that authority lies in wearing a crown on your own head. And God forbid she, this crown, stagger!.. All of the above is very reminiscent of the "golden" rules of life: do not kill, do not steal, do not lie, etc. In my opinion, a teacher should have not only an individual approach to children, but and an individual approach to oneself. This approach consists in the desire to learn new things, the ability to recognize talent, the desire to show the necessity and practical significance of the subject, and sometimes admit defeat. Unfortunately, sometimes one gets the feeling that the teacher is sitting not in the classroom, but in a glass box and does not want to get out of it. Only selected teachers, despite the dissatisfaction and condemnation from the students, parents and management, manage to move forward. The rest will forever remain something like the protagonist of Franz Kafka's novel The Trial! Author: Chervyak Yaroslav Viktorovich -