баллы к рейтингу 3 и курс ДНО

Баллы к рейтингу. ( Доц. Рудась Н.К.) 2010-2011 учебный год

Практический курс  английского языка – 3 курс ДНО

1. Устные темы – каждая по 5 баллов:Ideal upbringing. Difficulties awaiting young teachers.  Choosing a career. Your idea of a happy childhood. The problem of deprived children in Russia and abroad. – 30 баллов
2. Индивидуальное чтение – 10 баллов.
3. Активность на занятиях и  творческие задания- 5 баллов.
4. Посещаемость- 5 баллов
5. Тесты, лексико-грамматические упражнения – 10 баллов.

Итого: 60 баллов

Практический курс английского языка – 5 курс ДНО                                                                                                                                               

1. Устные темы по 5 баллов каждая: O.Wilde and his novel “The Picture of Dorian Gray”. G.Green and what he says the qualities of a writer are.человека.Normal and abnormal behavior in different groups of people. Bringing up modern children is поt an easy task How to live to a hundred or more. Roots of war. -30 баллов.
2. Индивидуальное чтение – 10 баллов.
3. Творческие задания – 5 баллов.
4. Тесты, срезы – 10 баллов.
5. Активность на занятиях – 5 баллов.

Итого: 60 баллов

 Лингвострановедение – 5 курс (семинарские занятия) ДНО

1. Темы семинарских занятий по 4 балла каждая: 1.Великобритания и Северная Ирландия .2.Культура страны. 3.Особенности английского характера. 4.Образование. 5.Традиции и праздники.6.Великие люди страны.7.Средства массовой информации. 8.Парламент и политические партии. 9.История английской литературы. 10.История современной английской литературы. 11.Спортивная жизнь страны .- 44 балла

2.Рефераты – 10 баллов

3. Активность на занятиях- 6 баллов

New methods of bringing up children

Topic V. New  methods  of  bringing up  children    

Active  vocabulary that  must be used:

desire to  get knowledge

to feel a  strong necessity   to transfer knowledge  to smb

requirements of  society                                  

focus attention  on  the  child’s personality

good  school  must  fit a child, not a child  fit the school

to have  an opportunity not  only to  study but to  develop

to be concerned about  smth    

to inherent the  life

to  hold  dear some values

expectations  for  the  future

to become  a market force 

to be  bombarded by  smth      

advertisements on  television 

right  to be  entertained  every waking  moment 

to be  bored by  the lessons

to be irrelevant  to life

to perceive smth 

to be highly competitive

to be pushed by smb  to  achieve everything at all  costs

to  right all wrongs 

hollow hippy  phrases

to look at  smb regardless of  smth

to seek the  help of  psychiatrists 

to blame  smth/smb for smth

teenage  suicide 

to be  born a  reasonable  friendly  human  being

to  have obsessive  ambitions 

to  dedicate one’s  life to  smth

to intimidate smb

mature people

to multiply  smth 

individual genetic  potential

to  grow in  direct  proportion to  smth

proper stimulation 

to  write smth on flashcards

simultaneously  reciting the  words written  on the card

to treat  child’s  mind as a  sponge

to read  everything in  sight 

to perform  staggering  mathematical  stunts 

to  distinguish and  analyze works of  classical  composers

docile  uncreative children 

to fit the  civilization whose standard of success is  money

to  give smb  freedom to be  oneself

to live the  life  according to the  purpose of  educator

to produce the  generation of  robots

to  force  children to  learn 

purpose of educator

to be capable to do  smth / to  be  capable of   doing  smth

Approximate  /  average  topic:                    

New  methods of  bringing  up  children

          Schools have always  been  the life and sole of any educated and  cultured  society.  The desire to  get knowledge was  inherent even to  ancient  people. We can say  that at that very  historical  moment when  our ancient  ancestor  began  to  feel himself a part of a large world and  began to  investigate  this  immense  world  he  might have  felt a  strong necessity   to transfer his  knowledge to   future  generations.  As  the  centuries were  changing  one  another  schools  were  also  changing  due  to  the requirements of this or that society.  

        In our days schools   all over the  world focus their  attention  on  the  child’s personality. As  the  director of one  school said “a good  school  must  fit a child, not a child  fit the school”. During school years  children  must have  an opportunity not  only to  study but to  develop.  As adults  we are  concerned about the  life that the  children   inherent, the  values they  held dear  and  their  expectations  for  the  future.  Childhood  actually lasts only  for  a few  years until children  become  a market force  to be  bombarded by the  advertisements on  television.  Children  demand to have  all they  see and regard it  as their right  to be  entertained  every waking  moment. Most children are  bored by  the lessons which they see  as irrelevant  to life as they perceive it.  They  suppose  that life is about to  having fun and having  fun now.  On the  other  hand school is  highly competitive and  pupils  are pushed by the parents to  achieve everything at all  costs.

           The 1980s  were the  years  when  youth  thought  they could  right all wrongs.   But later all these ideas were viewed as hollow  hippy  phrases. It was  undoubtedly  a more selfish era  with the  individual to look  after himself, regardless of  the  effect this  might be having  on others.  In our  days  the  new  gods are     money and  materialism  and  teenagers  want  right now  what  it took  their  parents   half a generation to  achieve. No wonder there  is  drug abuse  in our days  on a scale never seem  before.  No wonder too  many young people  now  seek the  help  of psychiatrists.  Dr Benjamin Spock thinks that the world has gone to hell. He blames  competitiveness for the extraordinary rise in teenage  suicide over the  last  twenty years. 

           Speaking  about some new and progressive methods  of ubringing  children it is  worth mentioning some ideas of B. Spock who wrote that  “Every  baby is born to be a reasonable  friendly  human  being”. Now  a lot of  parents  have obsessive ambitions for  creating  better children,  they dedicate their  life to it.  Why have a  merely  normal baby  when you  can  have an  improved  model?

         During the previous centuries and in the  first half  of the 20^th century parents felt that they  had to intimidate their  children the way  they  were  intimidated.  Freud and Dewey  changed that  point  of view.  According to their theory – ‘not  by disciplining or by  intimidating the children  you can  make  your children  love you, but by  loving them’. Children want to be  worthy of their parents,  they  want to grow up to be  mature people.  Love  between children and  parents  make  children mature  and responsible. Parents  must  learn to have  more trust in their  children. Glen  Doman  founded a  Better  Baby Institute, which organizes  lectures and seminars for parents - the  course was  entitled “How to multiply your baby’s  intelligence?”. After studying  children for over forty years  Doman  had developed  a brilliant, consistent and idiosyncratic brand of science that combined  psychology, neurology and  anthropology. He worked out 89 Cardinal facts for  making  any baby into a  superb human being. Some of these  cardinal  points  read for  example: “Baby‘s individual  genetic potential  is that of  Leonardo da Vinci,  Mozart,  Michelangelo, Edison and  Einstein”. Until the age of six  when brain  growth slows, a child’s  intellectual and  physical  abilities  grow in  direct proportion  to stimulation and in case of proper stimulation  we can get another  Mozart, Michelangelo, Einstein.  Dorman was   also  sure that any child  would  rather  learn than  eat, he would also  rather  learn  Greek than  baby talk - since higher  orders  of complexity offer  more stimulation.  Any  child  learns  better than an adult.  Parents  must  treat their  babies  not so much with respect  as awe.  The question about  teaching technique is really important. For example  you want to  teach  a  six  month old baby to read. You  must write some familiar words  in large clear letters on  flashcards. Then show  the cards to the  baby five or six  times a day, simultaneously  reciting the word written  on the  card. Mrs  DiBattista, for example, printed 9000 flashcards for her  five-year-old son.  And  another mother Mrs Pereira took her time and made French and Spanish  flashcards for the eleven-year-old son. Later  both children showed great  progress, they were  socially excellent. The baby who  has  extraordinary  retentive  powers  soon  will  be learning  hundreds  of  words and then  phrases.   So we  must  treat  child’s  mind as a  sponge.  Dorman’s theory guarantees that by the  age of three a child will be entertaining  himself and  amazing  his  parent’s  friends  by reading everything  in sight. In the same  way  he   can learn Math and  perform  staggering  mathematical  stunts or distinguish and analyze  the  works of   the Great  Masters or the classical  composers.

           So it is  very important not what  you  teach but the  way  you  do that.  The school that  makes active children  sit at  desks  studying  mostly useless subjects is a  bad  school.  It is  a  good  school only  for those  uncreative citizens who want  docile uncreative children who will fit into  a civilization   whose standard of  success is  money.   Children  must  be  given  freedom to  be themselves.  Teachers  must  believe in children as  good  not evil beings.   The function of a child  is to  live his own life – not the  life that  his  parents  want him to live, not the life according to  the purpose of educator who thinks  he  knows  what  is  best.  All the  interference and  guidance on the part of  adults can only  produce   a  generation of  robots.

          During the previous  centuries parents strongly believed that they  had to  intimidate, to scold their  children.  Freud and Dewey  changed that point of  view. Freud said that it was  not  by disciplining and  intimidating  but  by  loving children that children  love their parents, want to be worthy of them, want to  grow  up  becoming  mature and  responsible   people as their  parents are.   Dewey  said that  parents and  teachers  didn’t have to  force their children  to learn  because children   are  just  wild  to  learn.  Parents  must  thrust  themselves as parents on the one  hand and  trust  their  children on  the  other.

          So there  are so many  methods of  upbringing children  in our days (both  traditional and new ones) and I  strongly  believe that the  purpose of  any educator is to  try and  analyze  each new  and interesting  theory, taking all the  good it  provides to  parents and  teachers. It  will  help    to  bring  up  active and  smart  children  capable  of  thinking and  making  their  own  decisions. 

What is normal and abnormal behaviour of people?

Topic III.  What is  normal  and  abnormal  behaviour of  people?                         

Active  vocabulary that  must be used:

each person   is  a  unique personality

certain   norms  and  rules of  behavior

stereotype  of  behavior

normal and  abnormal  behaviour 

to lead      unusual life

to  afford   the  most  extraordinary  view  

to extend   northwards until  it  is  lost in sight  

to frequent  or  live  somewhere

to tell rumours or  legends

to spot  somebody  lurking  among the  branches  

to accommodate something

a  touching  tale

to be addicted to 

to be  a real misfortune for somebody

to be in  solitude,   away from everything                                    

to be   beyond description.

to   build     houses as  birds  build their  nests with   pieces  of  scrap-wood 

remarkable  agility  

to  conceal  the  tree houses

to camouflage something   with  branches and  green paint

a  set of rules

to give    rise to  rumours  of a tree-dwelling tribe

to hunt somebody for  years                                            

to make   a solemn  promise 

to be  the  land  of opportunity

to be far  beyond  the  limits of  normal  behaviour 

What  is  normal  and  abnormal  behavior  of many  people 

         There are   millions  of people  living in the world. They are  so  different,  each one is  a  unique personality.  And actually,  we  can’t   find two  totally identical people. People differ in their  behavior and  habits,  their likes and  dislikes.  If  all  people were  alike,  our life  would be  dull and  uninteresting. In any society there  exist  certain  norms  and  rules of  behavior,  certain  limits and  frames. We  all  have  in our  mind some  kind of  stereotype  of  behavior  -  normal  behavior;  and, on the other  hand,  behaviour    which  is  viewed  by  the  members of society as  abnormal.

        To  demonstrate  quite abnormal  behavior  of  people  I  would  like to  tell the  story  about  one  unusual  American  which  led  quite  unusual life. Anybody  visiting  New York for the  first time usually  tries to   take a room  high in one of  those over-priced  slightly  tacky  hotels  at the  southern  end of  Central Park.  The  park  affords  the  most  extraordinary  view. It   actually  extends  northwards until  it  is  lost in sight. You  can  see  a  sea  of  treetops flanked on each  side  by enormous  cliffs  of  stone and  cement. During   recent years  people  who  frequent  or  live near the  Central  Park   tell  rumours, legends of  people  living  among the  treetops. One story told that there was a  whole   tribe of  mysterious  tree-dwellers  in  the  park. People  said they  used to  play  tom-toms  by  night. Another story told  about a  young and a  handsome  man who  had  been spotted  from time to  time  lurking  among the  branches. It  is  not  surprising at all that such  rumours  arise. Central Park covers a  huge area  of about  850  acres.  It accommodates  a multitude of  strange and  sinister happenings. But  one  of the  rumors  turned  out to  be  true.

        One  young and  handsome  man  had been  living   among the  treetops for  8  years.  And  at last  after  8  years   he was  brought to  book  by city  authorities. A  lot of people  knew   a  touching  tale of  Bob Redman who  was 22.  This  young American had  always been  addicted to  trees.  But for   his  family it  was  a real misfortune because they lived  in a  tiny apartment  on  Manhattan’s  Upper West  Side. When  Bob was 14  he  went  into the  park and   built himself a  tree  house there. Later  he  built  more houses  and there  were 13  of them  altogether. Each  new  house was  more  elaborate  than  the  previous one. As he  had  explained  to the reporter  of  New York Times  he  loved to  be up,  in trees, away from everything. He liked  solitude but  most  of   all he   loved to be up  in his  tree  houses and  to look  at the  stars. He  said  that the  view  of the  city lights and  the stars at  night was  beyond description. Mr  Redman  built   his  houses as  birds  build their  nests with   pieces  of  scrap-wood  that he  managed   to scrounge. He carried  pieces  of wood  little  by little into the  park and then  hoisted them up  secretly  into the  tree tops. A lean and  muscular  young  man  he could scale tall  branchless  tree  trunks with remarkable  agility.  Entry to his  houses  was  often 40 feet above the  ground  with several levels  above that. He could climb up  the  trees  very  easily.

           His   final house  was the  grandest  of all. It was what any   real  estate agent would  describe it as a   five-room  split-level home commanding  spectacular  view   of the  city skyline and  of all  of  Central Park.   It included  ladders  and  rope  bridges, as well as  wooden benches  and  tables.  It  was   difficult to imagine  how  high the rent for  such  house  could be. Mr  Redman  went to  great  pains to  conceal  his  tree houses, building them  in neglected  corners of the park and  camouflaging  them  with  branches and  green paint. As a rule he  called   his  houses  after his   favourite  stars – Epsilon  Eridani,  for  example. Sometimes  friends  came to  visit him, sometimes as  many as  12  people at a  time, they brought   sandwiches,  books,   radios and  torches. All of them were  given a  set of rules, which among other things  prohibited  branch  breaking,  fires,  litter and  loud  noise. His  brother Bill sometimes  brought  a  set  of  Congo  drums to the  tree  houses and  played them very  late  at night,  giving  rise to  rumours  of a tree-dwelling tribe.                                                                      

          Park authorities  quickly  became aware of Mr Redman’s  activities. But  his  houses  often  stayed undetected  for a  long time.  Some lasted  as  long as  a year  before park authorities could  find them and  tear them  down -  Mr Redman  usually watched  mournfully  from the  distance.  His  final and the  most  magnificent  structure went  unnoticed for   four  months.  It had floors strong  enough to  hold a truck and  not one nail was  driven  into the tree. Unfortunately  one morning Mr Redman was  awoken by  the  voice of  Frank  Serpe, Director of  Central Park.  Frank Serpe   said that Bob’s    party was  over and asked  Mr Redman  to come  down.  Mr Redman  came  down  to  meet  Mr Serpe and  10 more  officers of the  Park  Enforcement  Patrol.  It was  a victory for  Mr Serpe who  had been  hunting   Mr Redman for  years. 

        But  actually the  story of  Mr  Redman  had a  happy  ending. After  his  last  house had been  dismantled  and  Mr Redman  had made  a  solemn  promise  to build no more  houses, the Park  offered  Mr Redman a  job. He  became  a  professional  pruner and  tree-climber  for the  Central Park. He  said  he  just couldn’t believe the  job  so perfect for  him  existed.   His  mother was also very  happy  because he got a job and  after  so  many  years  he was back  living at  home. It all  proves that  America  is really the land  of  opportunity in which  dreams  - even such  impossible  dreams -  can become  reality.  But  it also  shows  that  all  people are  unique  and behavior of  many  of them  is  far  beyond the  limits of  normal  behavior.  But  we  must  try  and  understand  all  people. We  also must  admit  that  people  with  abnormal  behavior  make  life around  us  more interesting  as far as  their behavior  does not  interfere with  the interests  of  other  people.

 

Topic VII. New  methods  of 

Topic II    Private  education  in Great  Britain and Russia                                                                                   

Active  vocabulary that  must be used:

the desire  to  get knowledge

requirements of the  society.                             

to  focus the    attention  on  the  child’s personality

a good  school  must  fit a child, not a child  fit the school

an opportunity not  only to  study but to  develop              

public schools

private schools

to be abolished

to be well organized and  structured

to  have  strict  rules and  long  traditions

to  make the  education available to all (to the  public)

to  pay fees

to  legislate to  give all the  children in the  land a state  education

to be  independent  of government  control  

to change   a  lot (very little)      during the last  hundred  years.

masters  teach in suits and wear  gowns  

to wear  motor boards and  raise  them  to the  boys as the  boys raise their hats to the  teachers  

traditional  formality                                

a  boarding house    

to change    at a  deeper  level  very  much indeed  

curriculum 

to be   changed fundamentally                     

to be   banned  by  smb                                                                  

to be run as a  little  village                      

to encourage  pupils     to treat  other people  as they would be treated   

to be physically punished at  school

to  encourage   to  do something  back for the  community

debating  (science,  philosophy) society                                                    

to abolish  the   system of private  education

commercial  education  

free education

to comprehend the    advantages

to improve  the quality of knowledge   

to feel responsibility

to admit that                    

to be properly  organized and  structured 

Approximate  /  average  topic:                    

Private  education in  Great  Britain and  Russia

        Schools  have always  been  the life and sole of any educated and  cultured  society.  The desire to  get knowledge was  inherent even to  ancient  people. We can say  that at that very  historical  moment when  our ancient  ancestor  began  to  feel himself a part of a large world and  began to  investigate  this  immense  world  he  might have  felt a  strong necessity   to transfer his  knowledge to   future  generations.  As  the  centuries were  changing  one  another  schools  were  also  changing  due  to  the requirements of the  society.                            

         Schools  all over the  world in our  days  focus their  attention  on  the  child’s personality. As  the  director of one  school said “a good  school  must  fit a child, not a child  fit the school”. During  the  school years  children  must have  an opportunity not  only to  study but to  develop.  There are so many  types pf schools in our  days -  public schools,  private schools, home schools which  are popular in the USA  in our days. There are so many  discussions about  private schools  in our  days.  Such schools were  very popular in  Russia in the  19^th century, then they  were  abolished. About 10  years ago  private schools  began to  be opened in Russia  again.  In all   the  western  countries  private  schools have a  very  long  history,  so  they  are  well organized and  structured,  have  strict  rules and  long  traditions.

        Private schools were  founded  before the government  made state  education  available to all. Before 1900  all the independent schools  were available to the  total  public.  They had to pay fees and that is where the  name  public  came from. Once the government  began to  legislate to  give all the  children in the  land a state  education then the  public schools  which were indeed  private  changed their  name to  being  ‘independent’, in other words independent  of government  control.

         One of the  private schools  is  Harrow  School.   Harrow  School   is one of the  old  schools in  Britain and  if  a  foreigner  came  to  it  he would  think  this school  hadn’t  changed  indeed   during the last  hundred  years. The boys  wear straw  hats, they wear  old  what is called a  blazer,  a  kind of  garment  during a week; they wear  tails on a  Sunday, the senior  boys  wear  top  hats.  All the  masters  have  to teach  in suits and wear  gowns. Teachers  wear  motor boards and they  raise  them  to the  boys as they  the  boys raise their hats to the  teachers. There is a  traditional  formality  along the  High  Street.  Once you dive into the  classroom or into  a  boarding house or into the  study  you’ll be able to  see that  the place has  changed   at a  deeper  level  very  much indeed. But the curriculum  has   changed fundamentally of course.  For  example  Fox  Talboy  started  a  photography in  Britain and he  started  his  experiments  in that  very  school, but was  banned  by the  headmaster  as he did  not  want  chemistry to be taught.  In our  days  Latin and  Greek  is  taught in  this  school as they were  taught in 1570. Pupils also  study craft design technology, Russian,  computer sciences,  etc. This school  presents  a  village on the hill.   There are 770 boys  at school between the ages of 13 and 18.  Over 200 of  people are  employed in this school and they  all live  on the  hill with  their   families. The school is  really run as a  little  village.

          Teachers encourage  pupils   to treat  other people  as they would be treated. Boys  are  not  physically punished at  school,   they  are  encouraged to  do something  back for the  community. For example in the morning you can  see  one senior boy with a  group  of  naughty boys - they  are clearing  up all the  litter over the  main  public  building  and streets  of Harrow  School in order to  keep  the environment  clean  and  tidy. They feel  strongly  in Harrow  School that they  educate the  whole  man.  Boys are at school 24  hours a  day and  so teachers  have a  good  opportunity  to teach  children  in the classroom  in the  afternoon and  then in the  evening they  devote some time to such activities as  acting, music,  art, all kinds of  games, etc. There are  also  a lot  of  societies at  school – debating society, science society, philosophy society, etc.

          As it was  mentioned  earlier  many  traditions  of Russian  private school  were  lost during the  previous century. And  now  we  try to  restore  them or better to say to  build  anew. In the  18^th  century  children of  famous and  intelligent  people in  Russia  were  taught in private schools, gymnasiums and  lyceums. It was  really  popular and  prestigious  to  study  in  private  educational  institution. In the  20^th century the Bolsheviks came to the  power and the  system of private  education was  abolished. All     the  schools  became state  schools and  free. But in 1990 the  Soviet Union  fell  apart and a  lot of  reforms  in different  fields of human  activities  began.  All  the  changes and reforms  touched  upon  school education –  a  lot  of  private schools  have appeared.

          Unfortunately in our  country  there is still a  prejudice against  commercial  education. A lot of people think that  private  institutes give  very poor  knowledge. And children  studying in such  institutes don’t  have to make  any  effort at all. These  institutes are  not famous  yet and  people  are afraid that after  graduating from them they  will  have a  lot of difficulties in  finding a  place to work or to  study. 

           But  on the other hand some people   think that the  diploma  of a  prestigious  university is  much  more important than  knowledge.  They forget that  when you  apply to work  you should show  not  only  your ‘paper’ but  first of all  your good  knowledge.

In the  USA,  by the way,  there isn’t  such a  notion as ‘free education’. All the institutes are  paid for. Such  famous  Universities as  Cambridge and  Yale are  private. As for our country people  don’t  trust private Universities yet. It happens   partially  because  people  can’t  see and  comprehend their  advantages.  But there are some  advantages in  fact: small  groups, even at the  lectures  there are  not  more than 30  students.   This leads to  perfect discipline and  improves the quality of knowledge. And moreover,  when  students  understand that  parents have to  pay for their  education  they  fell responsibility and  begin to study better.

          So in spite  of all the  prejudices  against  private  schools   we must  admit  that  private  education  when  properly  organized and  structured  has  a  lot of  advantages.  

Topic I. The teacher who influenced you a lot:

Topic I.   The  teacher who influenced   you a  lot:  

Active  vocabulary that  must be used:

it is  worth mentioning

the desire to  get knowledge

to be  inherent

to  feel a strong necessity

the requirements of the  society.                             

to focus the    attention  on 

a good  school  must  fit a child, not a child  fit the school

an  opportunity not  only to  study but to  develop

to  remember  vividly

to be in the  memory and in the  heart (forever)

to influence smb/smth a lot

the  choice of the  career

a school selected for the  education

to aim at  being (a  kind of)

smth (everything) provided by the  authorities

highly  qualified  specialists   

to wear  uniform (to be neatly  dressed)

to arrive at the  establishment 

to go with  mixed feeling (of joy and  some  hidden  fear)

to  smile  radiantly 

to converse in the  most easy  manner

to be  preoccupied with the  fear

to make a  bad start

to be  strongly convinced 

to have  smb to  trust to

to be (feel) miserable at the  idea of (being  left alone)

to be  all  lessons

departing steps of  smb

to die  away

to  produce smth  smb has in  his/her possession

to encourage smb

to praise smb

hate breeds  hate and   love breeds  love

to approve of smb

an essential quality  

to be  innately wise and  realistic

according to the  purpose of  the educator  

to determine smth

Approximate  /  average  topic:                    

The teacher who influenced  you a lot

         I would like to begin  my  topic with  a  little  meditation  about schools and  education  in  general. It is  worth mentioning that schools  have always  been  the life and sole of any educated and  cultured  society.  The desire to  get knowledge was  inherent even to  ancient  people. It is a  safe  assumption to  assume that at that very  historical  moment when  our ancient  ancestor  began  to  feel himself a part of a large world and  began to  investigate  this  immense  world  he  might have  felt a  strong necessity   to transfer his  knowledge to   future  generations. So  schools  as  places of  education and  culture  began to appear. And as  the  centuries were  changing  one  another  schools  were  also  changing  due  to  the requirements of the  society.                            

         Schools  all over the  world in our  days  focus their  attention  on  the  child’s personality. As  the  director of one  school said “a good  school  must  fit a child, not a child  fit the school”. During  the  school years  children  must have  an opportunity not  only to  study but to  develop.

         I  vividly  remember my  school  years. It seems to me  they’ll  be in my  memory and  my heart  forever. And I am sure that it wouldn’t be  surprising if   I say that   the  most vivid  pictures  I still  have in my memory  are  those of  my  first  days  at school and of my last school year. And  speaking about  the  teacher who influenced me I lot  I want to  say  that it was  my  first school  teacher.  My  be  her personality, professional qualities  and her love for children  influenced my choice of the career later.  Of course  being  a  schoolgirl  of  junior classes I  couldn’t understand  that,  but it  was  deep in  my  mind and  my  heart.

         The school  my parents  had  selected for  my  education  was  one of the best in our  district and  it  modeled itself  upon secondary schools  specialized in  foreign  languages  and aimed at being  preparatory for the University above all  others.  We had  only  twenty  pupils in  class – ten  boys and  ten girls, two  up-to-date computer classrooms (then a  wonder),  spacious  football  grounds and even  a swimming pool – everything was  provided by the authorities.  All the  teachers  were  highly  qualified specialists,  having  not  only  higher education but  even  scientific degrees. Teachers and  schoolchildren didn’t  have to  wear uniforms but they were  always  neatly  dressed.  Our school  was  a  place you  always  was  eager  to  go to,  you  just  rushed in the  morning and  didn’t  want to  leave  after  classes  looking for any reason to stay  just  for  a  little  longer.

           So it  was a bright September morning when my parents and I arrived at the  establishment.  I  had a  nice  dress on and  carried  a beautiful bag  my  parents had  bought to me  just recently.   Besides,  my  parents  explained  to me  beforehand that  I  was to  meet  a person who’ll  become  the  most important in my  life during the  next few  years – my  first  teacher. And on  the way  to school we  bought a  beautiful bunch of  flowers for her. I  was  going to  school  with  mixed  feelings of  joy and  some  hidden  fear -  fear of something  new and  unknown  waiting  for me  ahead.  And  then  there we  were………I saw  a  very  nice  lady  smiling  radiantly to  us,  it was  my first  teacher.  I  knew at  once that  I  loved her, she was so  nice!!!  So we  met  my first  teacher with  whom my parents  conversed in the  most easy manner. I  kept  silent  as I was preoccupied with  a fear of saying something  wrong  and  so making a  bad start – all I dreamt about at  that  time was to  produce the  best  influence  on  the  teacher, to show  my   best  qualities and  abilities.  Some  years  later we  talked to  her about  that  day and  she  laughed  saying  that  I really  did my best and  she also  loved  me  and  we immediately  became  great    friends!  I am strongly convinced that  the  first  teacher must be  not only a  teacher but  the  best  friend  for  a  child, as  junior  children  only  begin their  school life, are  afraid of  so many things and  need somebody to  trust to. And it  is  really good when  they  trust  their teacher as  she  spends a  lot  of time with  children,  sometimes  more than  parents do.

        Going to  school for  the  first time  I was  miserable at the  idea of  being  left alone in  that new and  unknown  place  among all the strangers.  I was  so happy at  home among all my toys;  I had so  many wonderful toys -  a lot of  dolls, balls,  games, etc.   Then  it was  to be  all lessons – four or  five  lessons  every day, except week ends and  four  holidays a year and  some school  treats  in addition. 

         When the first school holiday was over and  the  departing  steps  of my parents  had died away  our  form teacher showed  us into  our  classroom which  actually  had  become our real home for the  first  three   years.  It was a  large and very  light  room with  four  windows  and  a  lot of  flowers on  the  walls and  on the  window-sills.  Our  teacher  tried to decorate  it  for  us – her  new  children -   there  were  balloons  and  pictures  everywhere. So our  school  life began!

        Without  any  doubt we  were still very  young and could not comprehend all the seriousness of the  moment.  Many  boys  and  girls  carried their  favourite toys to  school – they  were  just  kids in  their hearts,  kids who  had  recently been  so  happy in their  nurseries.   The teacher at  once  asked us to   produce all the  toys  we had in our  possession -  she showed  us  a little  table  in  the back  corner  of the classroom  and   told us to  put  all  our  toys  there for  a  day. She explained that  our  dolls and  soldiers,  teddy bears and  toy dogs would be waiting for  us there  till we  studied.

         Our teacher was  really  a   nice and  a  kind  lady.  She had  become  a  real mother to all of  us.  She was  tender and  strict  enough when that quality  was  necessary.  She was broad-minded,   really  knew  a  lot and  taught us a lot.   She was very  active  and energetic and  we  organized a  lot of  parties and  activities.  But  on the other hand  she was  gentle  and  kind as real  mother is.  She  always  encouraged  us  when we  could not  do something and  praised when she saw that  we  did  our best.  She  was  proud of us. She loved us:  “Hate  breeds hate and love breeds love”. Love  means approving of  children and  that was  an essential quality of  our  first teacher.

       She really believed that  every  child was  innately  wise and  realistic.  She allowed everybody to  develop  his  or her abilities and did everything to  help. She was  sure that the  function of the  child was    to live his own  life – not the  life that anxious  teachers or parents  want  him to  life,  nor the  life according to the  purpose of  the  educator

        So summing  up  everything I said above I  want to say that  that  person really did a lot  for  me,      produced a great  influence on me   and  determined my  future life and  my choice of the  career.  It was  mostly for  her that I  decided to enter the University choosing    the career of  the teacher.