An optional lesson is what interests many parents of modern schoolchildren. Moreover, since the elementary grades. The thing is that more and more parents want their children to study at school as much as possible and receive the most complete education. For this purpose, electives were invented. But what should teachers and parents know before dealing with such activities? About all the features of the process below. In fact, there is nothing difficult, in any case for parents in the understanding of electives. This is a long-known term that is used in schools and universities.
Definition
An optional lesson is an optional lesson in educational institutions. Commonly used for optional optional items. For example, if the school has a subject "psychology", then it is optional.
Also, an optional lesson is an extra hour for certain subjects at school. Something like tutoring lessons. Their main advantage is an optional character. Usually, children and their parents themselves choose one or another elective (or several) from those proposed by the educational institution.
That is, an optional lesson is an additional, developing hours or individual subjects in schools and universities, visited at will. A kind of analogue to tutoring. In contrast to the indicated term, electives are held in group form, in the same way as regular school classes. Outside hours.
Item Definition
Now itβs clear that an optional lesson is an additional opportunity for the development of students in schools and universities. Parents and children, as already mentioned, are themselves able to choose one or another direction of education.
The main feature is that the electives of the school are determined independently. We are talking about a range of additional classes and hours in general subjects. It all depends on the particular institution. There is no precise indication of the variety of electives. Itβs glanced that these should be either additional lessons that go beyond the school curriculum, or generally new, extracurricular subjects.
Compulsory lessons
The first step is to understand what classes are included in the school curriculum by default. This fact alone will help to realize whether there are any electives in a particular educational institution.
At the moment, for all 11 years of schooling, students must attend the following classes:
- Russian language;
- literature;
- mathematics (in secondary and high school - algebra and geometry);
- foreign language;
- Fine arts;
- music;
- labor (usually for boys and girls separately);
- surrounding world / natural science;
- geography;
- physical education;
- OBZH (1 hour a week);
- MHC (1 school hour per week);
- history;
- Social Studies;
- chemistry;
- biology;
- physics;
- Informatics.
Depending on the school in which the child is studying, a certain number of hours is allocated for each subject. It is also worth noting that some lessons are intended only for secondary and high schools, and something exclusively for elementary grades.
Elective Options
An optional lesson is, as already mentioned, additional opportunities for development and training. It can be brought about as relatively general educational subjects, as well as as completely new subjects. How is it proposed to choose electives in certain cases?
In general, the following methods are being actively promoted in Russia:
- Personal choice of parent / child. A written statement is prepared, where children and parents choose certain optional classes that the child will attend. From the parallel of classes, a group is recruited with which the teacher is engaged in a specially allotted time. For example, immediately after the lessons. So the elective resembles a developmental circle.
- Admission to school / class with a certain bias. In this case, the children are "by default" rely on electives that they will attend. And without fail. Currently, classes with a mathematical, medical, linguistic or economic bias are common in Russia. At the same time, no one forbids additionally writing an application for attending certain optional classes.
Sometimes the parent committee in a particular school offers the organization of electives. But in practice, this alignment is rare. Therefore, it is almost not considered.
Pay or not
Optional classes (Belarus, the Russian Federation and a number of other countries are actively promoting this system of education) - this, as it has already become clear, is something that goes beyond the framework of the general education program. According to the laws, tuition at schools is free. That is, secondary education is guaranteed to everyone. But what about electives? They go beyond the limits of the program!
In this case, as a rule, parents pay extra hours for the child to study. Quite a normal practice. After all, teachers will teach students outside school hours. In fact, after the end of the working day. Therefore, elective classes in mathematics, the Russian language and other subjects (both school and additional) are paid.
If we are talking about a school with classes in a certain direction (mathematical, medical, economic, legal type), then it is possible that just those electives that go into the extended curriculum are not paid. But if you go to certain subjects over and above classes, you will have to pay for them.
In any case, optional classes in the Russian language, psychology and other subjects are not a free opportunity. It is true that additional classes with children are required to pay. After all, electives are something like group tutoring.
Development Features
Special attention must be paid to the development of elective classes. After all, they are held along with regular training. Out of class hours only. Therefore, you have to consider many features.
Curricula of elective classes contain what is not in the school curriculum. Typically, teachers in such cases use special ready-made classroom workouts for certain additional classes. They help, taking into account the characteristics of specific children, prepare the most useful and interesting activities.
Quite often, teachers find out what would be interesting for children to learn about a particular subject. And taking into account the information received, he is preparing for the next additional lesson. The main thing is that the elective should be aimed at developing and improving skills.
Scheduling algorithm
Planning extracurricular activities is not so simple. Many factors need to be considered. It is important that all classes develop children, interest them. Otherwise, successful additional training will not work.
Planning can be divided into several stages. Regardless of the subject, the teacher should:
- To study the school curriculum in a particular subject. If this is a completely new lesson, you can skip the step.
- Gather information about the desires of students regarding what to study at the faculty.
- To study didactic materials in one or another optional subject. Such developments can be found in bookstores. Each class has its own examples.
- Make a lesson plan that would be interesting to children, and also went beyond the boundaries of the school. You can rely on purchased ready-made didactic materials for teachers. They very often help.
If you think about it, compiling an optional lesson is pretty easy. Especially if the teacher is well versed in a particular subject, and also he knows a lot of interesting things that are not included in the general educational curriculum.
Elective Tips
It is worth noting that elective classes are an additional burden for students. Even if they are interested in doing. Therefore, there are several tips that will help schools and teachers to organize additional training as conveniently as possible.
Among the most common recommendations are:
- additional classes should be appointed immediately after the main lessons, without breaking the day;
- electives are best put when the load on children is the least;
- Do not prescribe a lot of additional classes in one day;
- homework is given, but bad grades are not put for them, instead, all questions that arise are sorted out;
- a break of 45 minutes is required between the elective and the main classes.
Conflict situations
Programs of elective classes, as already mentioned, are an additional education. That is why controversial situations often arise in schools. How to act for parents and children in certain cases?
Here are the most common problems and answers that solve certain situations:
- Does the teacher have the right to force children to attend electives? No. This, as already mentioned, is a form of additional education. It is not included in the mandatory visit, carried out on a voluntary basis. Threats and coercion of a teacher are illegal.
- Can a child be required to attend an elective if the student signs up for a visit? Yes. Despite the fact that additional classes are voluntary, after recording you will have to attend them in the same way as regular school lessons.
- Do electives require payment? It depends on when and how classes are held. If they are organized at the expense of educational hours, then the procedure is free. Otherwise, you have to pay.
Perhaps no other problems are encountered. All problems are resolved as soon as possible.
Grade 1 elective example
What might an extra lesson look like? It all depends on the school and classroom. For example, elective classes (1 class) are arranged according to some simple algorithm.
For example, an additional lesson is conducted on the development of logic. On it, the teacher should set logical tasks in a playful way and solve them with children. For example, using slides. Each has a separate task and illustration. At the end is a hidden answer. Each task is disassembled by the teacher. In Grade 1, logical questions may look like:
- Petya has 3 cubes, Masha has 2. On the table is a box in which 8 cubes are placed. Will the children's toys fit in the box? Why?
- The spider has 4 pairs of legs. How many legs does an insect have?
- Puppies are sitting in the box. They have 4 pairs of ears. How many puppies are there in the box?
- Sparrows are jumping around the yard. Tanya counted 6 pairs of legs for all sparrows. How many birds are on the street?
- Christina has 5 pairs of gloves. How many gloves does the girl have on her right hand?
In this vein, electives of elementary classes are organized. The game form is the best option for additional classes. In secondary and high schools, an analysis of difficult tasks outside the school curriculum is required with a full explanation of the solutions.