11.3. Methods of organizing and conducting a class hour

In a number of schools for each class work on one of the days of the week, the time is determined, which is usually called the class hour and held in various forms: a) as a classroom student assembly; b) as the hour of the class teacher (educational hour); c) as a combination of various forms (student's meeting and parents' meeting, classroom hour and student's meeting).

The hour of the class teacher and the class meeting have different tasks, content, organizational forms and methods of conducting, determine the role, functions, position of the teacher and his relationship with children in different ways. The hour of the class teacher is a form of educational work of teachers with students outside school hours. In contrast to the classroom student assembly, the educational hour does not imply making decisions on the issues discussed in the life of the collective.

The class teacher’s hour is a form of educational work in which schoolchildren under the guidance of a teacher are included in specially organized activities that contribute to the formation of a system of attitudes towards the world around them. The following educational functions of the class hour are distinguished: enlightening, orienting, directing and formative (N. E. Shchurkova).

The method of organizing a class hour involves determining its content, which depends on the goals, objectives, age characteristics of children, and their experience.

Various topics of class hours can be offered, for example, man and human relations, science and knowledge, beautiful in life, art, man, issues of state and law, hygiene, sexual education, vocational guidance, psychological education, economic and environmental education, etc. d.

The class teacher determines the themes and content of classroom hours when he studies the level of education of schoolchildren, their moral ideas, attitudes, interests, desires, judgments (using questionnaires, conversations), identifies problems of upbringing and teamwork. The teacher can involve children and their parents in identifying the most important topics to be addressed in the classroom hour.

Preparation of the class teacher for the educational hour involves the following actions:

1) the definition of the theme of the class hour, the formulation of its purpose based on the tasks of educational work with the team;

2) careful selection of material taking into account the goals and objectives set on the basis of the requirements for the content of the class hour (relevance, connection with the life, experience of students, compliance with their age characteristics, imagery and emotionality, consistency and consistency);

3) drawing up a plan for preparing and conducting a class hour;

4) attracting schoolchildren to active activities during the preparation period and during the class hour, using a variety of methods and techniques that affect the minds, feelings and behavior of students, increase interest and attention to the problem under discussion;

5) selection of visual aids, musical arrangement, preparation of the room, creation of an environment conducive to frank, spontaneous conversation;

6) determining the feasibility of participation in the class hour of students and their parents, friends, senior and junior comrades, school employees, specialists on the topic of classroom hours;

7) determining their role and position in the process of preparing and conducting an educational hour;

8) identifying opportunities to consolidate the information received at the classroom hour in the future practical activities of children.

In the preparation and conduct of classroom hours, various methods are used: a) story, reading newspaper and magazine materials followed by discussion, reviews of periodicals; b) lectures by invited experts; c) questioning and analysis of its results; c) round table discussions, discussion of specific events; d) familiarity with works of art, elements of the artistic and creative activities of the students themselves (when they sing, draw, compose during the classroom hour); e) appeal to the statements of prominent people, followed by discussion; f) brainstorming, work in creative groups.

Practice shows that the most effective and interesting for children are the techniques and elements of the method of collective creative activity.

Educational hour can be spent outside the school. Thus, it is best to organize a class hour devoted to nature conservation in the forest, and it is advisable to consider the problem of respect for the book in the library.

Depending on the method of conducting class hours are divided into three types. The first type includes classroom hours, preparation for which requires a broad knowledge of the teacher, life and teaching experience. In the course of their conduct, children are only involved in the discussion of certain issues, the presentation of facts and examples. Such are, for example, class hours on the themes: “What is self-education?”, “How to develop memory?”, “On individuality and individualism”, etc. It is advisable to spend some class hours of this kind, involving specialists - a doctor, a psychologist, a lawyer. The task of the class teacher is to assist them in preparing a conversation or a speech.

The second type of classroom hours is characterized by the joint activities of teachers and students. The definition of the main ideas and content, as a rule, belongs to the teacher, and the teacher develops the ways and methods of their implementation together with the children. Under the guidance of a teacher, schoolchildren prepare individual fragments of an educational hour, a teacher leads a class hour, engaging children to discuss the problem, uniting the speeches of schoolchildren and individual groups into a single whole. Approximate topics of such class hours are: “On the culture of appearance”, “On the beauty of the internal and external”, “Do good for the sake of good” and others.

The third type of classroom hours involves the active independent work of the students themselves. Responsibility for their preparation and conduct lies with a group of schoolchildren. The class teacher, together with the students, thinks out only the ideas, the overall composition of the class hour, helps the microcollectives to create creative tasks. When self-training in groups, students show creativity, a lot of fiction, fantasy, a competition spirit arises between the groups. The students themselves conduct the educational hour, the teacher only occasionally directs them. After conducting class hours of this type, it is advisable to take stock and assess the work of the groups.

We emphasize that the choice of classroom hours depends on the topic, the content of the material, the age of the students, their level of knowledge on the issue, the experience of collective activities, as well as the pedagogical skills and individual characteristics of the class teacher, the nature of his relationship with the students.

Of particular note are the class hours at which invited guests or parents appear before the students. Meetings with interesting people play an important role in upbringing, but they succeed only when they satisfy the interests of the children and realize the pedagogical plans of the educator. In preparing the meeting, the class teacher creates the desired educational situation: first talks with the guests, tells them about the purpose of the event and its ideological orientation, about the features of the class team, gives some tips on the content and form of the performance. At the same time, the teacher prepares the students themselves for the meeting, arousing their interest in the upcoming communication, talking about the merits of the guests. He, along with the asset distributes assignments between students. Microcollections prepare surprises for guests, decorate the room, think over how to invite guests, complete the meeting, show respect and attention to those invited.