An optional lesson is what?

An optional lesson is something that interests many parents of modern schoolchildren. And even with the primary classes. The thing is that more and more parents want their children at school to study as much as possible and get the most complete education. For this purpose, electives have been invented. But what should teachers and parents know about before engaging in such activities? About all the features of the process further. In fact, there is nothing difficult, at least 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. Usually used for additional, 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 in the school. Something like tutoring lessons. Their main advantage is an optional character. Usually, children and their parents choose one or the other elective (or several) of those offered by the educational institution.

That is, an optional occupation is an additional, developing hours or individual items in schools and universities, attended at will. A kind of analogue to tutoring. Unlike the term mentioned, electives are held in group form, just like ordinary school classes. Conducted in after-hours.

Definition of objects

Now it is clear that the optional occupation is an additional opportunity for the development of pupils in schools and universities. Parents and children, as already mentioned, are able to choose this or that direction of study.

The main feature is that the electives of the school are determined on their own. We are talking about the spectrum of additional classes and hours in general subjects. It all depends on the particular institution. There are no precise instructions on the variety of electives. The main thing is that it should be either extra lessons that go beyond the school curriculum, or in general new, extracurricular subjects.

Mandatory lessons

The first step is to understand which classes are included in the school curriculum by default. Already this fact will help to realize whether there are any electives in this or that educational institution.

At the moment, for all 11 years of schooling, students must attend the following classes:

• Russian language;
• literature;
• Mathematics (in middle and high school - algebra and geometry);
• foreign language;
• ISO;
• music;
• Work (usually for boys and girls separately);
• The surrounding world / natural history;
• geography;
• Physical Culture;
• OBZh (1 hour per week);
• MHK (1 school hour per week);
• history;
• Social Studies;
• chemistry;
• biology;
• physics;
• computer science.

Depending on which school the child is attending, a certain number of hours are allocated for each subject. Also worth noting is that some lessons are only for middle and high schools, and something for the primary classes only.

Options for choosing electives

The optional occupation is, as already mentioned, additional opportunities for development and learning. It can be conducted both in relation to general educational subjects, and in as absolutely new subjects. How is it proposed to choose electives in certain cases?

In general, the following methods are actively promoted in Russia:

1. Personal choice of parent / child. A statement is made in writing, where children and parents choose certain elective classes that the child will attend. From the parallel of classes, a group is recruited, with which the teacher is engaged in a specially designated time. For example, right after graduation. So the elective is like a developing circle.
2. Admission to school / class with a certain bias. In this case, the children "by default" are entitled to electives that they will attend. And without fail. At the moment, classes in Russia with mathematical, medical, linguistic or economic bias are common. At the same time, no one forbids additionally to write an application for visiting certain elective classes.

Sometimes a parent committee in a school offers the organization of electives. But in practice such a situation is rare. Therefore, it is hardly considered.

To pay or not

Optional classes (RB, RF and a number of other countries are actively promoting this system of education) is, as has become clear, what goes beyond the general educational program. According to the established laws, schooling is free of charge. That is, secondary education is guaranteed to all. But what about faculties? They are beyond the limits of the program!

In this case, as a rule, parents pay extra hours of the child's study. Quite normal practice. After all, teachers will train schoolchildren during after-hours. Actually after the end of the working day. Therefore, optional classes in mathematics, the Russian language and other subjects (both school and optional) are paid.

If it is a school with classes of a certain direction (mathematical, medical, economic, legal type), then it is possible that just those electives that go into the extended training program are not paid. But if you are still in excess of classes to attend those or other items, then you will have to pay for them.

In any case, elective classes in the Russian language, psychology and other subjects are not a free opportunity. It is quite fair that extra fees for children are required to be paid. After all, electives are something like group tutoring.

Features of the development

Special attention should be paid to the development of elective classes. After all, they are held together with ordinary training. Only in after-hours. Therefore, many features must be taken into account.

The curriculum of elective classes contains something that is not in the school curriculum. Usually teachers use in such cases special ready pourochnye developments for those or other additional occupations. They help, taking into account the specifics of specific children, to prepare the most useful and interesting activities.

Quite often teachers find out what would be interesting to learn about children in relation to a particular subject. And taking into account the information received, is preparing for the next additional lesson. The main thing is that the elective is aimed at developing and improving skills.

Algorithm of planning

Planning for elective classes is not a simple process. There are many factors to consider. It is important that all activities develop children, interest them. Otherwise, successful additional training will not be successful.

Planning can be divided into several stages. Regardless of the subject, the teacher must:

1. To study the school curriculum for this or that subject. If it is a completely new lesson, you can skip the step.
2. Collect information about the desires of the students as to what to study on the faculty.
3. To study didactic materials on various optional subjects. Such developments can be found in bookstores. For each class - their examples.
4. Draw up a lesson plan that would be of interest to children, and also go beyond what is being studied at school. You can rely on purchased ready didactic materials for teachers. They very often help.

If you think about it, it's quite easy to draw up a summary of an optional lesson. Especially if the teacher is well versed in a particular subject, and also knows a lot of interesting things that are not part of the general education program.

Tips for appointing electives

It should be noted that elective classes are an additional burden for schoolchildren. Even if they are interested in doing it. 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 assigned immediately after the main lessons, without breaking the day;
• Electives are best placed when the load on children is the least;
• Do not assign a lot of extra lessons in one day;
• Homework is given, but bad marks for them are not put, instead, all the questions are sorted out;
• Between the elective and the main occupations a break of 45 minutes is mandatory.

Conflict situations

The program of elective classes, as already mentioned, is an additional education. That is why schools often have controversial situations. How to act to parents and children in those or other cases?

Here are the most common problems and answers that solve these or those situations:

1. Does the teacher have the right to force children to attend electives? No. This, as already mentioned, is a form of supplementary education. It is not included in the compulsory visit, it is carried out on a voluntary basis. Threats and coercion of teachers are illegal.
2. Can the child require compulsory attendance at the elective, if the student signed up for a visit? Yes. In spite of the fact that additional classes are voluntary, after recording you will have to attend them in the same way as regular school lessons.
3. Do elective courses require payment? It depends on when and how the classes are conducted. If they are organized at the expense of general education hours, then the procedure is free. Otherwise, you will have to pay.

Perhaps there are no other problems. All problems are solved in the shortest possible time.

Example of elective class 1

How can an additional occupation look like? It all depends on the school and the class of instruction. For example, elective classes (class 1) are built according to some simple algorithm.

For example, an additional lesson is devoted to the development of logic. On it, the teacher must, in a playful form, set logical tasks and solve them with children. For example, using slides. On each - a separate task and illustration. In the end, there is a hidden answer. Each task is dealt with by the teacher. In Class 1, logical questions can look like:

1. Petya has 3 dice, Masha has 2. On the table there is a box in which 8 cubes are placed. Will children's toys fit into the box? Why?
2. The spider has 4 pairs of legs. How many legs does the insect have?
3. The box is full of puppies. They have 4 pairs of ears. How many puppies are in the box?
4. Sparrows are jumping around the yard. Tanya counted 6 pairs of legs among all the sparrows. How many birds are on the street?
5. Christina has 5 pairs of gloves. How many gloves does the girl have on her right arm?

In this vein, electives for primary classes are organized. The game form is the best option for additional classes. In the middle and high school, the analysis of difficult tasks outside the school curriculum with full explanation of decisions is required.