GRYGORIY SKOVORODA

G. S. Skovoroda, an outstanding Ukrainian enlightener, philosopher and poet was a spokesperson of the ideas of humanism and peasant enlightenment, a herald of new trends in philosophy and sociology in Ukraine in the second half of the 18th century.

Grygoriy Savych Skovoroda was born on the 22nd of November 1722 in the village of Ghernukha of the Kyiv province in the family of a land-starved Cossack. A gifted boy learned to read very early, liked folk music and singing, composed melodies himself and played the cow-flute. Having finished a village primary school, being a twenty-year old youth, G.S. Skovoroda entered the Kyiv Academy— the first higher school and cultural-enlightening center of Ukraine.

In 1745—1750 G.S. Skovoroda made a trip abroad, was in Hungary, travelled along Austria, Slovakia, and Poland, visited a number of cities of North Italy and Germany. Being abroad, he deepened his knowledge, made acquaintance with the mode of life, daily round habits and art of the peoples of Europe.

In 1751 the pedagogical activity of G.S. Skovoroda began. In Pereyaslav seminary he taught poetics. The peda­gogue-innovator tried to restore the teaching of poetics on a new progressive foundation.

In 1753 G.S. Skovoroda graduated from the Kyiv Academy and during almost six years was working as a home teacher at a landlord's in the village of Kovrae near Pereyaslav. It was during these years when G.S. Sko­voroda used to be among the people that his outlook of the philosopher-humanist and public figure was being formed and his poetic work began.

In 1759 G.S. Skovoroda accepted the invitation to teach poetics in the Kharkiv Collegium which in the 18th century was the centre of education of Slobidska Ukraine. There a young pedagogue was working with some intervals during ten years.

G.S. Skovoroda expounded his pedagogical views in a number of works. Vivid expressions of pedagogical convictions were found in his letters to his closest pupil-friend M. I. Kovalynsky. He expresses in them his profound, passionate thoughts about the upbringing of love to work, devotion to the Father­land in young people. The pedagogical inheritage of G.S. Sko­voroda entered the treasury of home pedagogy, his name is beside the names of the most famous pedagogues of the world.

G.S. Skovoroda entered the history of the Ukrainian culture first of all as an outstanding thinker. One of the first in the history of the Ukrainian philosophical and sociological thought G.S. Skovoroda sharply criticized the vices of feudal-serfdom society, parasitism of temporal and acclesiastical nobility, bravely and sharply protested against lifeless scholasticism and religious dogmatism.

8. Prepare a 3-minute talk on one of the great teachers of the past or today, give reasons for your choice:

9. Act out the dialogue "Choosing is not so easy as it looks".

10. Prove that the following proverbs (sayings) have sense:

1. Business before pleasure.

2. The work shows the workman.

3. Idleness is the mother of all evil.

4. Practice makes perfect.

5. A bad shearer never had a good sickle. (A bad worker quarrels with his tools).

6. Jack-of-all-trades is master of none.

7. The hardest work is to do nothing.

8. Ninety per cent of inspiration is perspiration.

9. Through hardship to stars.

10. What is worth doing at all is worth doing well.

11. He that would eat the fruit must climb the tree.

12. He that will not work shall not eat.

13. He'll eat till he sweats and work till he freezes.

14. Doing is better than saying.

15. Make the best of a bad job.

10. Translate into English:

1. Успіхи учнів значною мірою залежать від професійної майстерності вчителя.

2. Я працюю вчителем вже багато років і можу сказати, що немає більш благородної справи.

3. В його роботі немає різноманітності, але є і сильні сторони.

4. Вона вважала, що школярам буде нелегко зробити ті завдання.

5. Нажаль, не кожна людина, яка закінчує університет, може похвалитися глибокими знаннями.

6. Валентина провчилася вже два роки, коли зрозуміла, що не зможе працювати у школі.

7. Коли студенти завершать своє навчання, кожний із них отримає диплом.

8. Любов до музики та зацікавленість у педагогіці примусили дівчину обрати професію вчителя музики.

9. Схильність до навчання та велике бажання ділитися отриманими знаннями привели юнака до педагогічного університету.

10. Робота в школі потребує від вчителя не лише глибоких знань, але й тактовності та взаєморозуміння.

 

11. Make a report on the topic “My Profession”.