Well-known public figure Mikhail Kazinik is creating a school of the future in Chelyabinsk. He talks about the elite school “7 Keys”, which is one of the schools that is as close as possible to what Kazinik planned to do. The article provides information on how the lessons of the future go and what pupils and parents think about this.
What is a "boring" school?
The 7 Keys School in Chelyabinsk is an innovative general educational institution that opened in 2012 on the basis of the Russian-British Institute of Management. “7 Keys” is very different from similar institutions, but above all, it focuses on the personal development of students, providing them with as much freedom of action as possible and the desire to arouse a burning interest in learning in them. This reflects the school's motto: “We are all different, we are all talented!” At the same time, innovative pedagogical technologies make it possible to fully comply with state education standards.
The school has a lot of features, for example: children do not receive homework, but they are in school all day. At the same time, they are engaged there not only in general subjects, but also in occupations by interests: music, dancing, design, sports. At the same time, no one keeps the students all day, they choose additional classes for themselves, and so that the guys do not starve, a buffet is organized four times a day.
How do the “boring” lessons go?
The lessons themselves also differ from the usual ones: for example, you can move around freely during the assignment. Teachers believe that this is correct, all children are different - someone is comfortable thinking on the couch, and someone wants to go to the library to get a book. The staff of the school "7 keys" in Chelyabinsk is doing everything to create an atmosphere of complete acceptance and security for the child, understanding that only in such conditions will its potential be fully revealed.
The content of the lessons is project-oriented, students are engaged in “Interesting Things”, instead of just “going through” the material. For example, children publish a magazine, make an environmental map of the Chelyabinsk region, make a film or write a textbook.
There is a very special (even for such an unusual secondary school as “7 keys”) type of lesson - complex-wave. Teachers unite to conduct it, and at the same time as they like: literature with mathematics, music with physics, a pool with English. The author of the idea is Mikhail Kazinik, a famous musician, enlightener and art critic. He enjoys great authority around the world, holds a professorship in Stockholm and is an expert at the Nobel concert. The art historian has been collaborating with the 7 Keys school in Chelyabinsk since its opening. The complex-wave lesson, invented by him, is designed to awaken curiosity and interest in students, to demonstrate the relationship of “everything with everything” and to teach the object or topic being studied in a global and timeless context.
School "7 keys" inside and out
In order to create an atmosphere of creativity, safety and comfort, the leadership worked on the arrangement of the school. Children are swimming in the modern 25-meter pool, which opened right in the school building. The classes are equipped with the latest technology: flipcharts, magnetic boards, projection systems. In stylishly decorated rooms zoning is done, they are equipped with mobile furniture for convenient work in teams.
The school’s appearance is also “not boring”: a building constructed according to a unique design stands out favorably and looks like the younger brother of a building adjacent to it - the Russian-British Institute of Management. By the way, interaction and joint projects between schoolchildren and students is also part of the curriculum.
It should be noted that the geography of the school is not limited to Chelyabinsk. No wonder the school is called Russian-British, English is taught by native speakers, the leadership attaches special importance to this. And the exchange system (summer schools in the UK and regular trips to India, Japan and other countries) practically guarantee schoolchildren a wide outlook and fluency in English.
Reviews of children and parents about the school "7 keys"
The purpose of the leadership of an unusual educational institution to interest and orient schoolchildren in personal development is understandable and commendable. But what do the pupils themselves and their parents say about this? Reading reviews of the "7 Keys" school in Chelyabinsk, you can see that both of them say a lot about the fact that the freedom and a comfortable atmosphere contribute to unlocking creative potential and increase students' motivation.
Parents and schoolchildren themselves especially value the widest selection of sections and circles provided in the 7 Keys. For many, an important point is the quality of teaching the English language and student exchange programs, and some are glad that the child is busy all day and at the same time happy, so parents have time to build a career. Of course, not every family can afford to study in a “non-boring” school, but most of those who did this agree that it is worth it.