HOW AN ADDITIONAL EMPLOYMENT CAN STIMULATE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF YOUNG TEACHERS

In this article, we study a problem of gaining a second profession by young teachers in secondary schools – a profession of guide.
First, we focus on the pragmatic aspect of this problem: how a teacher can combine two professions in order to enhance his professional potential in his work with kids and to get some profit during the crisis in Russian economics, using his new gained ability.

Second, we focus on the academic aspect of this problem – spread of additional professional employment among specialists of higher education level in contemporary Russian society. This tendency usually involves professions with a set of quite different competencies to combine. In our case we talk about combining such competencies as pedagogical with managerial, or with scientific and esthetical.
The material of article came from real practice: we analyze the experience of implementation of federal program “Live Classes” (Zhivie Uroki) in one of industrially developed regions of Russia – Sverdlovsk oblast. “Live Classes” program oriented on the study of homeland and adoption of its ethnic, historical and cultural values what must guarantee intellectual, moral and artistic development of kids.

In Sverdlovsk oblast as part of this program proceeding a project “Tours for Kids” (Detskie Puteshestviya). According to this project, a teacher of secondary school in age less than 35 have an ability to gain an additional education and a profession of guide absolutely free, and after that conduct sightseeing and cultural tours for kids in Sverdlovsk oblast.

First, we were curious in how young teachers evaluate this ability and whether they ready to master new competence or not, because the very success of program depends on attitude of it participants.

To study this attitude, we used a method of sociological survey. We polled teachers (n=366) of secondary schools in Sverdlovsk oblast, which participated in this project.

According to results, only a minor part (less than one third) of young teachers evaluate an ability to master new competence and combine work of a teacher with work of guide in a positive way. This part of teachers regards it not only as a chance to improve their financial state, but also as way of their professional development and accumulation of their professional capital.

Meanwhile, the majority of teachers have a negative attitude to participation in this program. They afraid that this program is just a waste of time. Besides, the main reason of negative attitude of teachers is their “exhaustion” of never ending reforming taking place in Russian education for the last three decades. That’s why they regard gaining additional professional competency not as an ability for further professional development, but as a norm that came from “above” to master something “again”, and it will never bring any formidable results for teachers themselves.

It is quite clear, that such attitude of teachers compromises not only this very program or project but any attempt to bring innovation in study process and in the system of school education in whole. That’s why this attitude need a correction through the continuous informing and establishing a feedback between authorities and pedagogical community.