TSPU's Pedagogical Project Takes Flight: Spring Session Engages School Students
The Tomsk State Pedagogical University (TSPU) continues its educational project, "Open Pedagogical Class," which aims to foster pedagogical activities and develop the next generation of teachers. This spring, 50 school students interested in the profession attended a three-day professional orientation session.
Tatiana Innokentievna Pechenkina, Head of the Department of Professional Orientation and Career Development at the TSPU, welcomed the tenth-graders, expressing confidence in TSPU's ability to provide a quality education: "the Tomsk Pedagogical is the integration of traditions and innovations in the training of pedagogical personnel, carried out by a highly professional faculty. I am confident that in a few days within the walls of our university, you will be able to make a meaningful choice about your future path."
Participants first got to know each other and the Student Professional Orientation Team of TSPU through interactive activities. They shared their interests and motivations to become a teacher, with many citing the desire to continue the pedagogical dynasty within their families.
«I have been taking part in the educational sessions at the TSPU for several years now, because I know for sure this is where my future lies, — said Polina Chumachenko, a student at Klyukvinskaya Specialized Secondary School. — Everyone in my family is a teacher, and looking at my parents, I decided long ago that I will continue this great tradition and go to the Institue of foreign language and international coopertaion. There is an excellent teaching staff, which, I am sure, can help me gain all the necessary professional skills, and also I am now working in the media and know that the students at the TSPU have the opportunity to develop in this direction. So I'm already looking forward to becoming part of the university».
Experts from the Administration of the Tomsk region, educational organizations of the city, and public movements facilitated the session. They engaged students in an intellectual game and encouraged them to work together in a business meeting where they tackled real-world problems. Some of the issues covered included motivating senior school students to choose a profession, making Tomsk an attractive destination for foreign students, and increasing the number of applicants to pedagogical universities.
The session culminated in groups sharing their project proposals. For example, they suggested building admissions committees' work as a structured process, emphasizing the need to expand the target audience to include a broader range of grades. They also proposed raising the prestige of the teaching profession and increasing government support.
TSPU's "Open Pedagogical Class" is just one of the ways that the university is nurturing future generations of educators. By exposing students to the possibilities of the profession and providing opportunities for hands-on learning, TSPU is taking an active role in ensuring the education system's continued success.