You need to start looking for a school for your beloved child much earlier than he turns 7 years old. Take care of this issue a year or even a year and a half before the cherished September 1st.

Start by collecting information: what schools are nearby, what roads, intersections are on the way. In such an important matter there are no trifles. Talk to parents and grandparents whose children attend this school. Word of mouth, as a rule, brings the most reliable information.

Find out what “bias” the school has: mathematical or humanitarian, is there an agreement with universities, what is the percentage of admissions to universities after graduating from this school.

Stop by the school during recess. This will give you an idea of ​​the atmosphere in the school. How students behave. Then decide where your child will be more comfortable, in cheerful ease, or in social restraint. Bring your child. Let him express his opinion.

Try to ask parents of fourth graders for details about their teachers. No matter what teachers come next, the first teacher is always the most important. And it largely depends on the first teacher whether your child will learn with pleasure.

Enroll your child in preparatory courses at school. As a rule, they begin about a year before admission, in September, October. But you need to sign up and find out half a year before the start of the course, especially if you want to send your child to a gymnasium.

Don’t be overwhelmed by the phrase “How can you help the school?”, it is already officially included in your child’s application for admission to school. You still have time to come up with the help you can...

When enrolling in school, be prepared for some financial expenses. The amount varies greatly and depends mainly on the number of parents and the courage of the school staff. Gymnasiums usually cost parents an order of magnitude more. In this regard, take into account that children are quite cruel people. Think about whether you can provide your child with such a level of equipment that he does not feel like a “poor relative.” The psychological comfort of the child is more important than the prestige of the school.

How it happened with me:

This year my child entered the first grade of school No. 6. Ulyanovsk.

To be honest, I couldn’t choose a school for him for a very long time. He had the last word. And I am very pleased that our opinions coincided.

Why I chose this school:

The courses were taught by the same teachers who enrolled the first classes. Thus, a year before admission, my child not only met his future classmates, but also knew his teacher. We could choose which teacher we would go to.

The school has a good level of education. The division into humanities and mathematics classes occurs only in high school, when the child can already really evaluate what is closer to him.

High level of graduates entering universities.

Classes are not overcrowded, which means more attention will be paid to each individual student.

Subjective reason: I was fascinated by the head teacher of the school, Tatyana Sergeevna Zorkina.

Why did my son choose this school:

I liked the atmosphere. There is no stiffness, tightness, fear. As he put it: “It’s cool here, like grandma’s.”

I liked the lessons on the courses. I went with great pleasure. I liked repeating at home what was done in class.

I liked the teacher Maria Petrovna, with whom he now studies.

(from myself: super teacher! Everyone I recommend!)

At the moment I am very happy with our choice.

I wish everyone good luck in this important matter!

// November 26, 2008 // Views: 7,667

It’s easy to decide whether to choose a school or a gymnasium, a teacher or a school. How does it work in practice?

School or gymnasium?

Typically, parents choose a place of education for their child based on the following main criteria:

• Location.
• Reputation.
• Teaching staff.

For each family, these criteria are in a different place in importance. For us, perhaps, the location was more important.

We have three schools within walking distance. Let's call them conditionally A, B and gymnasium. We belong to one of the schools (A). It is considered the most ordinary, it even seems that everyone who is not accepted into other schools ends up there. In addition, there is a class with children with cerebral palsy. That is, this school cannot be called elite.

The gymnasium somehow immediately disappeared due to its musical bias. This is not exactly our profile. My son goes to the taekwondo section, participates in competitions and brings medals from competitions, loves swimming, football and chess. In a word, dancing and music are not what we would like.

Well, school B, which is famous for its good primary school curriculum. This is the school we wanted to go to. To be fair, I note that this school is located right under my window, closer than all the others.

But I don’t know anyone who belongs to this school! All nearby and not so nearby houses belong to school A. The question arises: on what basis are houses assigned to schools?

School B, like the gymnasium, offers pre-school courses. Some mothers, since the beginning of the last school year, began to take their children to these courses in the hope that this would make it easier to get into the desired school.

It cost 400-450 thousand per month depending on the school. I did not take my son to such courses. He can read and write. What's the point of paying that kind of money for education that should be given free of charge in first grade?

And I didn’t believe in the effectiveness of this method of getting into the desired school. And for good reason! From our group in kindergarten, three children attended these courses and... no one “passed the selection”. There weren't enough places.

In May we went to school B, we were immediately warned that there were no places. But! For some reason, they wrote down who the parents worked for, while specifying private or public companies... A month later (at the beginning of June) they called us and said the magic “there are no places.”

Apparently, we did not pass the “casting”, although we have managerial positions. Well no, no. My husband and I immediately decided that we would not buy televisions in order to enroll our children in school. Moreover, it is still unknown whether you will be lucky or unlucky with the teacher.

After being rejected by school B, we went to school A to apply. My husband and I decided not to leave our son in the after-school program, that is, except for lessons, the rest of the time, he will be under my supervision.

In other words, any negative impact (if there are children from disadvantaged families at school) will be minimized. I would like to draw your attention right away that by “dysfunctional” families I mean drinking families, of which, unfortunately, there are a lot in our area.

And then... let's try to enter a gymnasium with an English bias. She's two blocks away from us. It’s a long way to get there, and in primary school a child will not be able to return from there on his own.

This was the first reason why we did not try to get into this gymnasium right away. The second reason: all parents think that their child is a genius, but it may happen that after studying at the gymnasium in the primary grades, the child will have to transfer to a regular school. This can be very stressful for him. MORE than going from a regular school to a gymnasium.

Conclusion: My husband and I decided that in primary school, family plays an even greater role for a child. For our part, we will support our son and help. That’s why we chose the most ordinary school in our yard.

School or teacher?

Ways to choose a teacher:

• Ask your neighbors and friends.
• Meet at a meeting.
• Attend a lesson.
• Sign up for school preparation courses.

Unfortunately, we have only lived in this area for two years, and I don’t know any mothers whose children have graduated from primary school to ask more about the teachers. Besides, opinion is always subjective. And the teacher that some parents like is not always liked by others.

When we applied to school A, I asked the director about the teachers, to which I received the answer:“Normal, like everywhere else. There is no national significance; schools don’t have to choose now.” In meaning, this roughly means: What are the salaries, so are the teachers.

See a teacher at a meeting- this is one thing, but in reality everything may turn out to be completely different. I’m not sure that the school will allow you to come to class, and even if this is possible, then the teacher will probably behave unnaturally.

The parents who took their children to the gymnasium for courses formed certain opinions about the teachers during their meetings every week, but no one could say that because of this teacher they really needed to get into the gymnasium at all costs.

In addition, due to my duty, I have the opportunity to attend schools. And I visited school B for selfish purposes. I must admit that I came to a disappointing conclusion: out of seven primary school teachers, only two more or less love their children.

The rest hate their jobs, hate having to go to school every day, and as a result take it out on their children. A couple of times I have met teachers of retirement age (now we are not just talking about school B) who do not even allow the child to say a word or ask an extra question.

By no means am I saying that there are no good teachers. They exist, but they are very few. The work of a teacher is very difficult, but for some reason it is very low paid in our country. And until this issue is resolved at the state level, the situation will not change for the better.

Conclusion: The choice of teacher plays a big role. Without a doubt. But it is not always possible to accurately determine in advance whether this is THE teacher. And this, perhaps, is up to the child to decide, not the parents. We hope for luck and believe that we will be lucky!

Dear readers! How did you choose a school for your child? Do you prefer school or gymnasium? We are waiting for your comments!

10 reasons to choose our school!

1. Parents choose a better school, and it’s good if it is located near home and does not have to waste time on the road. We are located in the Western District of Moscow, our children mostly live in Davydkovo, Kuntsevo, Matveevsky, Mozhaisk districts, as well as in the Krylatskoye, Fili, Filyovsky Park districts. In addition, many people travel from the countryside along Mozhaiskoye, Skolkovskoye and Rublevskoye highways.

2. A child can be at our school from 8.15 to 19.00. This is very convenient for working parents. In addition, we are located in the Aminevo House of Creativity, where classes in various clubs, studios and sections begin in the afternoon. And after completing their homework (and this is a mandatory condition), our children enjoy the opportunity to study in hobby groups.

3. The child does his homework at school under the supervision of the class teacher. In the afternoon, the student has the opportunity to get answers to questions from the subject teacher and not sit over notebooks at home. In addition, children do not have to carry heavy backpacks: all notebooks, textbooks, along with a change of clothes, are kept in the students’ locker.

4. It is important for us that classes are small (up to 12-15 people). The teacher, asking each student at each lesson, knows perfectly well the individual characteristics of your child and takes them into account.

5. We do not have a school uniform, since it is better for the child to wear comfortable, practical and at the same time neat clothes. The first half of the day is quite strict, but in the second half the children not only do homework, but also go for walks and

6. The atmosphere in which our students find themselves is important to us. We try to create a friendly, homely environment in which good learning is possible.

7. We work according to approved state programs, but we have the opportunity to pay more attention to the main subjects: mathematics, Russian and English. Our teachers use additional tasks of increased complexity from various textbooks and teaching aids.

8. If you want your child to have “drawn” marks, then this is definitely not for us. The child will receive only the grade he deserves. Despite the fact that you cannot pay for an assessment without knowledge. Our children achieve good academic results when parents and teachers set the same expectations for the child.

9. All the time the child is under the supervision of qualified teachers, the main staff of whom remains unchanged for more than ten years. A strong, united team of professionals defines the face of our school.

10. We try to go on various excursions to the most interesting Moscow museums every month.

We will be glad to see you and your children at our school!

In one of the studies on the strategy for the development of education at the turn of the 20th – 21st centuries, made for UNESCO, scientists drew attention to the qualities that education should cultivate in the younger generation: the ability to learn; ability to do; ability to communicate; ability to live. Such strategic goals define school life differently. Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences Mikhail Epstein gives advice to parents on how to choose the right school for their child.

Deciding which school to attend for your child should be taken quite seriously. An unsuccessful choice will affect, first of all, the child, but very soon his unsuccessful school life will begin to influence the entire family atmosphere.

Reflecting on the question posed, I noticed that its very formulation, in part, laid the basis for searching for answers to it.

"I"
Choosing a school for a child (primarily first grade, first school) is my responsibility. It is not neighbors, not co-workers, not the state that decides which school my child should go to. I decide. (This means, of course, family, parents.) In my opinion, the child should also participate in the choice, but still, to a greater extent, it is my responsibility - to choose this or that school or not to choose any.

What does this mean? If suddenly something goes wrong later, because there are no ideal schools, don’t blame the school (you chose it yourself), but try to cooperate with it, look for possible ways out of the current situation. Do not leave the child alone with school, but help him live (or survive) in it.

Very often, the position of parents in relation to school, to teachers, to the child’s education significantly influences the process of the child’s life at school. Even in the most hopeless situations, when, for example, you cannot leave school for one reason or another, you can compensate for the unsuitable school life with a wonderful family atmosphere. And then school will become that necessary, forced stage that you just need to go through together, endure, but TOGETHER.

In addition, it is important to clearly formulate your position - what is important to me in a child’s education, what is my, pardon the high word, philosophy. Even if unconsciously, you choose a school in accordance with your life philosophy. This is not to say that our city schools provide us with a lot of variety here, but there is still some choice.

"TO KID"

It is important that you choose a school not for yourself, but for your child. That school where it will be good not for you (not only for you), but also for him. By the way, in this regard, it would be nice for the child to take part in the choice. And don't think that he doesn't understand anything. He still understands. If he is no longer in first grade, he already has experience and has something to compare with. If he is just starting first grade, you should still trust his opinion - after all, he has been living in this world for seven years. Or at least explain to him why you chose this particular school.

"TO OWN"

It is my deep conviction that there are no bad schools. Well, it almost never happens. There may be schools that are not suitable for your child. In order to determine which school is right for you, try to understand what makes your child special. And the fact that yours is special, different from others - I personally have no doubt about that. Remember the company's advertising: "Excellent!" – “Different from others”? A very correct idea regarding children. It is important to understand that what I want for a child is not always what he actually needs or is able to do or is healthy... You need to correlate your ambitions and claims with his capabilities and desires.

"CHOOSE"

Choosing is not just about going and “passing” your child to the nearest school or, say, the “coolest” one, judging by the advertising. Choosing a school means thinking, spending some time, devoting part of your energy to this process... What should you do in order to choose a school?

For example, find out from a local neurologist which school at the end of the first school year receives the most complaints from children about lack of sleep, neuroses and other problems. In my opinion, it is not worth going to such a school.

Or find out which teachers take the first grades, and find out the opinions of parents of high school students about elementary school.

You can try walking along the corridors of schools in your area (in my opinion, it is better for a child to study in an elementary school close to home) and listen to whether the teachers there shout at the children or not.

Other options are also possible. For example, choosing a school using reference books. In my opinion, it is worth getting to know them, but the information there is most often official and brief, so it does not give a real picture.

"SCHOOL"

One of the important points is to understand what I expect from the school, what it should give to my child. Any important knowledge? Ability to learn? Develop a worldview? Good comrades for life? Is it possible to avoid spoiling your health? Preserve your natural curiosity and interest in life and new knowledge? Diverse experience of communicating with people of different ages, a diverse world around you?

The school, at least the mass one, believes (based on the fact that this is what is tested in various exams and tests) that it should provide a huge amount of varied information. Despite the fact that many scientists, educators, sociologists, public figures and teachers have been saying for a long time that at the end of the 20th and beginning of the 21st centuries the main task of the school is changing. A lot of information is not as important as the ability to obtain it and apply it at the right time. This is what is required to live in an ever-changing world.

In one of the studies on the strategy for the development of education at the end of the 20th and beginning of the 21st centuries, made for UNESCO, scientists drew attention to four most important qualities that education should cultivate in the young generation: this is not a set of standard, permanently fixed knowledge, but the ability to learn; ability to do; ability to communicate; ability to live. It is clear that such strategic goals define school life itself differently than, say, the task of getting acquainted with as much different information as possible from as many sciences available today.

Another important question for parents: what is more important for a child in elementary school: long hours of hard work through strength at school and at home, or preserved health, cheerfulness, curiosity, spontaneity? I'm afraid there won't be a clear answer to this question. This again is more a question of choosing your own life philosophy.

Doctors say that the stress that children bear in modern so-called gymnasiums is harmful to their health. But many teachers, and most importantly parents, believe that the more hours of study a child receives in elementary school, the more likely he is to enroll in a university. This “folk belief” also includes the need to educate children as early as possible in specialized classes. Although many reputable scientists argue that early specialization is harmful.

I don’t know if anyone has conducted studies that would confirm that children who studied a lot of subjects they didn’t like in elementary school were later more successful in life. But there are studies confirming that in high school the difference in some acquired knowledge disappears.

"HOW"

I think that when answering the question “how”, it is important to determine the criteria by which we understand whether a given school is suitable for us or not. They are based on your life philosophy, personal experience at school, and available information. The criteria that I will propose are based on my understanding of what a school should do, at least for the first few years of study. If necessary, I am ready to cite the opinions of authoritative scientists and practical teachers confirming my position.

I will list the key words that reflect the fundamental moments in the first years of a child’s school life: respect, experience, independence, responsibility, choice, creativity, business, project, communication, dialogue, play, interest. If the text about a school contains such words, it is already worthy of attention.

I am sincerely convinced that the experience of respectful relationships in school, including elementary school, is very important for a child. And so that he is taught to respect the rights of others, and his rights are respected: to be himself, the right to his own opinion, to make mistakes... It is clear that many things are difficult to check before starting school, but by some points one can judge the school’s desire to develop in this direction. For example, if at school: children are assessed not in comparison with others, but according to their own achievements; allow children to try and make mistakes; do not shout at children; they try to create conditions for joint learning of different children, with them advancing through the material at different paces and methods; in classes it is customary, at least once a week, to discuss the lived “piece” of life and share opinions; there is a real children's newspaper - all this indicates that this is a good school.

The child should gain experience of independent work in various areas of human life, including studies. And if the educational process is structured in such a way that children have time to work independently, they set their own goals for the day or lesson, plan, carry out and evaluate their work - this is a plus.
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In elementary school and especially in grades 5, 6, 7, it is important to gain experience in various areas of human activity. If in the lessons there is an opportunity to do creative work, imagination and authorship are encouraged, there are various clubs and studios, and there is a school theater - that’s great.

For students in grades 5, 6, 7, experience, testing, and research should become the main activity. Systematic training is contraindicated for most children at this age. This is also why, year after year, the well-known 5th-6th grade effect works, when suddenly children who have just come from elementary school lose the sparkle in their eyes, everything becomes uninteresting to them. They begin to study significantly worse, especially boys. Remember Tom Sawyer! In this regard, if you know that in the school you choose, the children not only study systematic subject courses, but also conduct research on them, carry out creative projects, participate in excursions, other forms of communication with the surrounding life, go hiking, make crafts - This is another plus in favor of this school.

There is another important criterion that indicates that your child’s education is on the right path - the child must be interested. Those who say that children are interested in what is simple and does not require tension are wrong. This is wrong. They are interested in what really develops. In situations of unjustified simplicity, as in cases of excessive complexity, it really becomes uninteresting. Interest is an excellent criterion for competently organized cognitive activity of children.

I could continue to describe the criteria for the school I choose, but these are enough to form an idea of ​​the school I would choose for my child. Of course, there is no ideal school. The ideal is unattainable and acts only as a guide; it is not easy to fully realize these “dreams,” but striving in this direction often leads to good results.

Once again, I will make a reservation that the proposed criteria are my criteria, close to me, important to me and, as I believe, important to my child. If they suit you, I will be glad. But they may not be suitable, which is quite natural, because you choose for yourself and your child.

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Every business school's admissions committee wants to know why you chose them, what's special about their school that isn't found at other schools of the same caliber. Many people stumble on this essay. How should one answer the question “why our business school”?

In fact, everything is quite simple. In order to write a good essay on this topic, you need to make your arguments compelling.

What does it mean? For example, you write: “I like Stanford for its reputation, its outstanding faculty, prestige, variety of courses offered, etc.”. This is indeed true, the only thing is that these words can describe any other school of the same rank. So while you've written the Stanford admissions committee with many compliments, you haven't made any strides toward building a compelling, meaningful argument.

Now imagine that the question says: “Let's say our school has the same books, professors, clubs, and activities as schools X, Y, and Z. Why do you still want to study with us?”

Let's take another typical argument: “Harvard can give me the knowledge and skills I need to achieve real success.”. Maybe so, but don't Stanford and a dozen other top schools provide the same opportunity?

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To more clearly illustrate the essence of the issue, let's give a stupid example. “One day I arrived on the Harvard campus and saw a bright yellow tree in the very center of it. I was in awe. No other school has colored trees, much less bright yellow ones! I've always wanted to go to a school with a tree in the center of campus, and yellow is my favorite color, and Harvard really struck a chord with me. That's why I want to study at Harvard and nowhere else.".

The example is absurd, but it has one important feature: no matter how hard you try, you cannot argue with it: firstly, the person likes the trees on campus; secondly, I like the color yellow; and finally, only the Harvard campus has a yellow tree. Conclusion: he wants to go to Harvard! Logical and undeniable.

So, when answering a question about a business school, always define what you want from it: find the “yellow tree” around which you will build your argument. Chat with people on forums, do a little research, find out what features, even if not significant at first glance, the school has. This is also called “homework” before writing an essay. Sincerely love something (specific) in this school - after all, sincere feelings are very easy to show, but almost impossible to refute.

Don’t write about what you were able to get from the Internet - anyone can do this (and many do). Find something special for yourself. Revise your argument until you discover that it has become completely impenetrable. And it will be stronger the more specific (and unique) your desires and preferences are.