We have devoted our new material in our section "Pedagogical dynasties" to Julia Selivanova, who adopted the experience of her parents and continued the pedagogical dynasty.
Julia Selivanova – Head of the Department of Correctional Pedagogy of SSU, Doctor of Sociological Sciences, Professor. In 1993, Yu.V. Selivanova graduated with honors from the Faculty of Defectology of the Saratov State Pedagogical Institute named after K.A. Fedin with a degree in Oligophrenopedagogy.
Julia Viktorovna remembers her student life with warmth: her first job with special children, practice in pioneer and sports camps, and new acquaintances:
"As a student, I fell in love with my specialty because there was a symbiosis of different directions in the learning process. Many medical subjects were necessary in order to further understand and take into account the characteristics of children. A large block of Russian language and literature gave an opportunity to plunge into children's, foreign, and domestic literature ... Psychology opened up horizons of knowledge of the inner world of a person, his psyche, and character traits ... It was interesting to do what brings pleasure."
After graduating from the university, Yulia Viktorovna worked as a teacher-defectologist and deputy director of the Center for In-depth Study of Children of the Saratov Regional Correctional and Diagnostic Institution. Since 2005, he has been the head of the Department of Correctional Pedagogy at SSU.
"In 1988, the faculty was opened, which prepared students to work with special children. It was really something new. At that time, there was only one department at the Faculty of Defectology – the Department of Defectology and at first only one specialty “Oligophrenopedagogy" was recruited. I am proud that our graduation in 1993 was the first at the faculty," the heroine emphasizes.
There were no fewer children with disabilities. Inclusion processes have actualized the need to take into account the special educational needs for each child individually, and the profession of a defectologist has become more in demand.
Now the department is engaged in training students in six profiles. For bachelors, these are "Oligophrenopedagogy" (work with children with intellectual disabilities and/or mental retardation), "Sign language pedagogy" (work with children with hearing impairments), "Special Psychology" (psychodiagnostics, psychocorrection and psychological support for people with disabilities), and "Typhlopedagogy" (work with children visually impaired). Two programs are offered for masters: "Defectology" and "Psychological and pedagogical support and rehabilitation of persons with disabilities". Graduates receive a modern and prestigious specialty of a speech pathologist, which still remains exotic for some, and someone with the help of our unique teachers finds salvation for a child with complex developmental disorders. Graduates of the Faculty of PPIS and not only apply for master's degree in order to replenish their knowledge and apply it in practice. Many parents with special children choose these programs for their education in order to learn how to work more effectively with such children, and later find themselves in the profession.
From generation to generation
Julia Viktorovna's mother, Valentina Mikhailovna, also graduated from the Saratov Pedagogical Institute.
V.M. Tonkoshkurova started as a biology teacher, then worked for 30 years in the regional Ministry of Education: supervised correctional schools and boarding schools in Saratov and the region.
Julia Viktorovna's dad, who unfortunately passed away, also graduated from the Pedagogical Institute. Viktor Semenovich Tonkoshkurov was a candidate of chemical Sciences, worked for more than forty years as an associate professor of the Department of Inorganic Chemistry at the Pedagogical Institute.
"He was a very friendly and groovy person. He always felt good about how to communicate with young people. He had an incredible positive energy. Dad said that working with young people, you can't be not young at heart yourself," recalls J.V. Selivanova.
Julia Viktorovna believes that pedagogy provides an opportunity to improve oneself and learn something new. The work of a teacher is based on his own experience. "You can give a fish, or you can give a fishing rod. In this case, I see the work of a teacher as a fishing rod, a tool for the further development of our students. They find themselves in a profession, help children, and for them it becomes their life's work. Therefore, each teacher should be burning with his own business, then a special relationship appears between the teacher and the student," says the heroine.
J.V. Selivanova pays special attention to improving her professional level by participating in scientific conferences on special education. In 2020, Yulia Viktorovna and her team won the RFBR competition with the project "Personal self-determination and adaptive readiness of students with disabilities in inclusive education." She is the author of more than forty scientific articles, five teaching aids and three monographs.
Mentors
Speaking about pedagogy and work, Yulia Viktorovna recalled her mentors. All of them have already passed away, but their cause will remain in their followers, will live forever. Among the teachers there is a Doctor of Philology, Professor, head of the Department of Speech Therapy and Psycholinguistics, Professor K.F. Sedov. Konstantin Fedorovich inspired others with his love of life, unique sense of humor and amazing charisma. "Another mentor is Vladimir Grigoryevich Pechersky, Doctor of Psychological Sciences, Professor, head of the Department of Counseling Psychology at the Faculty of Psychology, who invited me to work at the department in 1999, always fatherly supported and guided me in my professional development," recalls Yulia Viktorovna. The scientific supervisor of Yu.V. Selivanova is the founder of the Faculty of Sociology of SSU, Doctor of Philosophy, Professor Gennady Vasilyevich Dylnov.
"These are wonderful people who influenced the choice of my path," says Julia Viktorovna.
Mission of a ‘special’ teacher
Speaking about her mission, J.V. Selivanova recalls that the task of every teacher-defectologist is to find a special approach to children. The education of children with mental disorders and mental disorders is a particularly sensitive area. If you do not deal with these children, their condition deteriorates quickly. "We need to devote a lot of time to them so that children can adapt and not experience significant difficulties. It is important to give this information to students so that in practice they do not waste time and give children the opportunity to develop and study taking into account their special educational needs," says Julia Viktorovna.
"Our task is to find a certain approach to everyone. Each child is different in his own way. Children with multiple developmental disabilities, with severe autism spectrum disorders, did not study at all before, or were home-schooled, now they go to school. We have to prepare the students for this. To explain to them that children can not make contact, be “in their own world” and our task is to open our world to them, including through alternative communication. It is a great happiness for parents to see how their child develops and learns. For teachers, this is painstaking, in some ways even jewelry work, since each child needs a special approach and their own individual educational route."
Today, speech pathologists are needed both in the system of general preschool and school education, as well as in special correctional institutions and rehabilitation centers, in schools for students studying according to adapted programs, in psychological, medical and pedagogical consultations and support centers. The demand for graduates is increasing in the context of the development of inclusive practice in general education and specialized educational institutions. "I believe that we – teachers, students and graduates – have many interesting achievements, discoveries and fruitful cooperation ahead of us!" sums up Julia Viktorovna.
Victoria Amiraslanova, the photos from the interviewee’s archive
Translated by Lyudmila Yefremova
