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Teach the way you've always wanted
Become part of the Academy of Great Works!
By doing so, you will help (not only) young people become a better version of themselves through the stories of great works.
This program helps
cultivate
character
In stories and works, participants discover values, reflect on them and build their attitudes.
think
critically
Participants respond to the ideas of the authors and other participants
and formulate their own arguments.
improve
concentration
Although the works are short, independent preparation for seminars requires concentrated work.c
enhance reading comprehension
Participants are guided to understand the text, film or picture without interpretation.
The academy has one big advantage over regular classes: students want to learn because they know they are learning for life.
They know that this way they get benefits that traditional teaching often cannot provide - they experience community, develop character, learn to think critically and argue.
They know (including the teacher) that they are there for each other, they try to approach communication as a loving struggle for another. It's a pity that time is so short.
Anežka, teacher, Prešov
How does it work?
The seminar teaching of the Academy of Great Works is based on working with a specific work (painting, music, film, text), engages the participant in the educational process and creates a confidential space for the development of the character of all participants.
The task of the teacher (lecturer) is not to lecture about the work, but to lead the participants to the important questions that the work raises by moderating the discussion.
Overview of practical information for those interested in opening the Academy of Great Works club:
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You can open the program in the next school year in primary schools and secondary schools for pupils, or for colleagues (more about the Academy for colleagues).
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All teachers can participate no matter the specification. A key factor is personal and professional motivation.
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A teacher can (with the permission of the principal) open an the Great Works Academy in a form of a club for 7-15 students.
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To open the club at school, it is necessary to complete the Academy's methodical training.
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Recruiting of students is executed from the end of June until the end of September. The Great Works Academy provides teachers with promotional materials, tools, and assistance to get enough students.
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Seminars in the Academy's clubs start at the beginning of the school year (the first seminars start in October) and end in early June.
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During the entire school year, the teacher leads 20 - 25 discussion seminars in high school
and 11 discussion seminars in elementary school.
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A seminar is held once a week and lasts 90 minutes. The length of preparation is individual for each teacher and can take 2-7 hours.
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The teacher has access to elaborated methodologies for each of the works covered: they contain all the tools necessary for moderating the seminar. An online library that contains all the works and supplementary materials is also available. After signing up for the program, the teacher also gets a Methodical Handbook, which serves as a manual for conducting seminars.
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Dates of seminars (day, time, place) is determined by the teacher together with the students/colleagues at the school by mutual agreement.
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Each teacher is assigned to a mentor from the methodology team of the Academy, who helps them in recruiting students and conducting seminars. Mentoring is 1 hour per month and 1 training weekend per year.
Students come to the Academy every Monday - in our case after seven lessons - from 3.30 to 5.00 p.m. voluntarily.
I will also come there voluntarily. We will come because we are looking forward to two hours of calm, focused, free, unclassified, exploratory work.
We all always learn something new about ourselves or the works. It is like a new world that we have created in our school.
Ivana, teacher, Žilina
Benefits for teachers
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classical education training - pedagogical approach used by the best educational institutions
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familiarization with the principles of character education through stories in practice
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symbolic financial reward
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constant support during the cooperation period
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mentoring
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a community of similarly motivated teachers
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the opportunity to participate in a unique project that answers some serious problems in Slovak education
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self-enrichment in the form and content of selected works
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an opportunity to get closer to students and experience stimulating discussions with them
How is the Academy beneficial for Slovak schools?
We are witnessing several negative trends in Slovak education:
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Young people cannot think critically on their own.
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The student's ability to read with comprehension is far below average compared to the results of OECD countries.
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Students have difficulty concentrating on educational activities.
The current education system does not offer solutions or remedies for this situation, on the contrary: students are required to memorize facts, but they are not taught how to think.
Our answer
We believe that the personal approach of the teacher to the student, discussions with classmates and content that shapes the mind and character are the best tools for the education of today's high school students.
With its content and form, the Great Works Academy mitigates the influence of unregulated Internet culture - it helps a young person to study focused, think independently, evaluate arguments and situations, and express himself at a level.
Through great works, students discover important ideas, train critical and analytical thinking, empathy, and work consistently with text, music, film, and artwork.
Thanks to the selected works, they learn to discover beauty and appreciate the cultural heritage of Western civilization.
For the first time, I experienced that dialogue can be discovered; that real dialogue is not just about exchanging replies, but is based on listening to one another. I find it very appealing that this method is rooted in an attitude of humility towards the text, which can thus shape the character of both the teacher and the student.
Lucia, teacher
I consider it most beneficial that it was truly a training session and not just theoretical lectures. At the same time, I believe the entire event organized by the team was perfectly prepared. A big thank you!
Peter, Bratislava