My First Steps in Pedagogy

Teaching a foreign language is a complex, enjoyable and intensive process.

Since I work in the junior school of the “Mkhitar Sebastatsi” Educational Complex, I constantly try to find and develop new methods to make the learning process even more interesting for students.

According to the author state alternative pedagogy of “Mkhitar Sebastatsi” EduComplex, we ourselves are the authors and organizers of our teaching methods.

My ideas about pedagogy were formed during my student years, when I first stepped into the classroom as a teacher, and I had to assume that role so skillfully that the learner would also believe and accept it. Entering the classroom, I realized what a great responsibility is placed on the shoulders of the teacher.

I surprisingly liked my job. The attention and responsibility that the students showed regarding the material I presented, were encouraging. Seeing the result of the work done, I realized that I loved my work, and that love was mutual. It’s nice to see the children’s faces trying to catch each new word, and during the break they practiced speaking English.

We did the translations of the fairy tales together, and also distributed the roles easily, because it was suggested by the students.

At first, we prepared the performance in English, then we decided to add some Armenian songs to the performance. The students were so excited by the performance that they themselves organized the rehearsals. Sometimes during the breaks, they performed their experiments so organized that it seemed as if they could do without a teacher.

We started the cooperation in May and had the desired result. The hero of the play “The Happy Biscuit Boy” was supposed to be a boy, but our happy Biscuit Boy was played by the mischievous and different Sara, who herself created the character. And, yes, it turned out to be so colorful and impressive, seasoned with Sara’s improvisations.

During each of the performances, the students showed unbridled enthusiasm, the greatest will to learn, understand and revise. The learners love this method because it frees them from commitment, fear of making mistakes, and psychological complexes. The theater-project is both a lesson and a unique therapy that helps to bring back the real human-nature connection and enjoy the joy of learning. It gives more than we can imagine, changes teacher-student relationships, increases responsibility for their own work.

The students looked forward to the preparatory rehearsals for each performance, and each time it was not the same, we added or changed an episode or speech. As a result, we got a beautiful composition-dialogue created in a simple and direct environment, where the students presented themselves with a unique fairy tale-message created by them, which they seasoned with Armenian songs.

School plays give students a very good opportunity to express their thoughts and ideas. They develop a number of important skills, including:

• Self-confidence: Through performances, students learn to express themselves confidently in public, which is an important skill in any field.
• Formulation skills: Presentations help students express their ideas in a clear and organized way, which is very important for written and oral communication.

• Research skills: during preparation, students learn to research their topic by collecting and analyzing data.
• Time management: Presentation time limits teach the students to manage time effectively and organize content.
• Development of taste and creative imagination: Performances often require a creative approach, through which students develop their creative abilities.
• Interest and involvement: a prepared presentation is often more interesting and engaging than a regular course, which can increase learner participation and interest in learning.
• Acceptance and adaptation skills. During the performance, students learn how to accept and deal with the reactions and opinions of the audience.
• Teamwork: because a performance is a team effort, students can develop teamwork skills by working toward a common goal.

All these skills are important not only in school, but also in later life, because they are useful in different environments: professional activities, social interactions, etc.

Another pleasant process was working with children during the “Happy foreign language” summer camp, where each learner manifests himself in a new way. The process, which seemed complicated to me, but pleasant, assured me once again that in every situation with every student I discover myself in a new way.

Passing this pleasant and responsible path of discoveries with such an inventive generation is nothing but the greatest gift.

I think that those working in the field of pedagogy should be patient and work hard , understand the needs of students and offer appropriate solutions in different situations.

A teacher must love students and his/her work in order to provide effective and purposeful education, as well as to achieve a number of important goals. When a teacher approaches his/her work with love, he/she pays more attention to the individual needs of students and is able to best support them in the process of their development.

Educators who work with love and interest respond more quickly and efficiently to the problems of students, stimulate the development of children’s self-confidence. The teacher’s enthusiasm and loving approach to work duties can contribute to the use of interesting and effective teaching methods, as a result of which students become more interested in the learning process. A loving and dedicated teacher can contribute to the social and psychological healthy formation of students, because they see that their work is appreciated and valued.

Thus, a teacher’s deep interest, care and love for his/her work can greatly improve the effectiveness of the educational process and the overall development of his/her students.