Vasily Sukhomlinsky: life path, books and advice to parents

Surely you have heard about Vasyl Sukhomlinsky, a Ukrainian teacher and writer. But not many people know what the essence of his pedagogical system is. In this article we will talk about this great man and the legacy he left. Biography of Sukhomlinsky

V. A. Sukhomlinsky was born in Vasilevka village (Kherson province) on 28.09.1918.

He graduated from a rural school, and then continued his education in Kremenchug at the rabfak. Then he entered the Poltava Pedagogical Institute and, in parallel with his studies, taught at a correspondence school in a small village near his small homeland.

After the institute he worked as a teacher, and in 1941 he went to war as a volunteer. After being wounded near Moscow and treated in the Urals, he returned to Ukraine — to the village of Pavlysh, Kirovograd region. There he got a job at a local school, where he worked as a director for the rest of his life.

Despite modest career achievements, Sukhomlinsky did not stop moving along the academic path, having defended his PhD thesis in 1955. And two years later he became a corresponding member of the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences. In 1958, he was awarded the title of Honored Teacher of the Ukrainian SSR, and 10 years later — the title of Hero of Socialist Labor. In the same year, he became a corresponding member of the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences already at the All-Union level. 

The life of the teacher and writer was cut short early — at the age of 52. But this short life was enough for him to leave the most valuable legacy for his contemporaries and descendants:

• 48 monographs;
• 600 articles;
• 1,500 children's stories and fairy tales.

About the pedagogical system Vasily Alexandrovich Sukhomlinsky is the author of an innovative pedagogical system based on the principle of humanism.

He advocated the recognition of the child's personality as the highest value. He believed that all educational and educational approaches should be focused on it. 

Studying should be perceived by children as a joyful work, in which, first of all, their worldview develops. It is important to cultivate in children a personal attitude to what is happening in the world. Starting with an understanding of their role in it and ending with an awareness of duty, responsibility to parents and society. 

Beauty educationThis is a comprehensive aesthetic program developed by Sukhomlinsky.

Her idea is outlined in the book "One hundred tips for a teacher": a child learns the world not only around him, but also in himself. And this knowledge comes both with the mind and with the heart. 

In the concept of beauty education, a special place is given to the teacher. The famous phrase of Vasily Alexandrovich Sukhomlinsky — "Only the teacher who presents a hundredth part of what he knows in class really loves his subject" - is just about this. The more diverse and richer the teacher's knowledge, the better he is able to teach.

Students need to be motivated to gain knowledge, to cause them to strive to be not only smart, but also a good person. To please parents, to protect nature, to cherish their pets, to help their elders, to truly be friends and love. 

Nurturing humanity in a child is the most difficult task, according to Sukhomlinsky. Because to do this, you need to involve the teacher in the student's life — together with his parents to engage in his upbringing.Also read: "Losers and excellent students: what is the difference and who is more successful".The principle of sensitivity and tact

Children should see and feel a kind and cordial attitude from the teacher.

This is the essence of the principle of sensitivity and tact, which Sukhomlinsky professed. In his opinion, every teacher should:

• possess high moral qualities;
• apply a creative approach in the process of education and upbringing;
• selflessly love your work;
• have a high qualification.

Evolution of views on punishmentAt the start of his career, Sukhomlinsky considered punishments an integral part of the educational process.

However, over time, he moved away from this belief and on the basis of the Pavlyshev school, where he was the director, created an experimental project — raising children without any punishments and penalties. The reward system was based on the evaluation of positive learning outcomes. 

After the experiment, the teacher finally came to the conclusion that there should be no reprimands, ridicule and censure of students within the walls of the school. Any form of humiliation is unacceptable. Only positive reinforcement and gratitude for the efforts.

Attitude to the beautifulAs Vasily Alexandrovich Sukhomlinsky wrote about his system of education, "there are not only necessary and useful things in the world, but also beautiful."

He considered nature to be a life-giving source for cultivating a person's personality. And he taught his students to notice the beauty of the surrounding world. But he also helped to find beauty in other people and in himself. 

The beauty of people is expressed in their actions — this thesis is revealed in the book "How to raise a real person".

It is best to form an attitude to the beautiful through:

• positive emotions received during contemplation of the object of study;
• trusting relationships with parents, because it is the family that opens up the world of beauty for the child.

Learn how to raise a child so that he develops correctly and does not have psychological problems — at Dmitry Karpachev's free online master class "What every parent should know". Literary works

Vasily Sukhomlinsky's books will find their readers among both children's and adult audiences.

Here is a list of his publications that parents should read:

1. "How to raise a real person" is a collection of conversations about moral values. If you discard the passages about communist ideology (there are very few of them there), then you can get a practical guide for instilling in children such concepts as decency, dignity, honor, justice and sensitivity.
2. "Parental pedagogy" — stories about good and evil, conscience and love. The book will help you understand your child and raise a parent in yourself. The author reveals pedagogical techniques from the standpoint of universal values and teaches the upbringing of children in an atmosphere of mutual support and sincere dialogue.
3. "I give my heart to children" is a trilogy of related works on a psychological and pedagogical topic. The book reveals to us the practical side of Vasily Alexandrovich Sukhomlinsky's concept: how he treated the pupils, how he revealed their potential, introduced them to the beauty of the surrounding world and instilled moral and ethical norms.

A huge part of Vasily Sukhomlinsky's creative heritage is occupied by works for children. Here are some collections that will be of interest to preschoolers and younger schoolchildren:

1. "Flower of the Sun" is a collection of short stories from the life of children. Each of them has a deep meaning, a moral, a call to reflect on the consequences of their actions. Some stories are so touching that they cause tears. It is useful to read together with children to discuss the plot afterwards.
2. "I'll tell you a fairy tale ..." — philosophical stories for children. They open up endless scope for imagination, reflection and correct conclusions. The subtle artistic style masterfully cuts off the powerful moral background of each story. The book is more suitable for schoolchildren who are already familiar with the basic concepts of morality, honor, dignity and justice.
3. Ognegrivy Konek — collection for preschool children: fairy tales, wise parables and short stories. The plots are uncomplicated, but expressively depict the beauty of the surrounding world, the all-encompassing power of goodness and the importance of sincere relationships between people.

The precepts of Sukhomlinsky: 5 rules of education The ability to educate

1. . The family creates the foundation on which the child relies in the process of his formation. The father needs to constantly improve himself, not to allow laziness, indifference towards children. After all, it is from dads that they adopt value orientations. Mom is responsible for the formation of personal qualities. Her task is not only to set a good example, but also to maintain trust in the relationship with the child in order to truly know him.
2. The statement of the student's failure. The school should not celebrate the low academic performance of students (especially publicly). Her task is to find and develop those abilities that will allow the child to be as effective as possible in his role and demonstrate high results of work / efforts. As Vasily Alexandrovich wrote, addressing the teachers, "no child should feel and realize: I am a loser, nothing works out for me, nothing worthwhile will come out of me."
3. Punishments. If there was a need for them, then there were gaps in education. But even if you have to punish a child, the form of this educational measure should be correct: without intimidation, pressure, humiliation. All excessive methods of punishment have a detrimental effect on the child's psyche.
4. Curiosity. Teach children the skill to observe the phenomena and objects of the surrounding world, find cause-and-effect relationships, analyze them and draw conclusions. Such activity forms new neural connections in the brain and has a beneficial effect on the ability to learn, develop critical thinking.
5. Freedom and independence. It is necessary to give the child enough freedom to make their own decisions and realize their consequences. But before that, evaluate his readiness for independence. Be guided by the wishes of the child: if he can't take responsibility yet, postpone this issue for a while.

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V. A. Sukhomlinsky's pedagogical ideas and valuable practical experience still attract the attention of the scientific community. The powerful theoretical basis and innovative approaches of the teacher find a response in many modern educational programs. And his parenting advice has helped several generations of parents to raise kind, intelligent and happy children. July 5, 2021 2022-11-26 2021-07-05 Rate the article on a 5-point scale Did you like the article?