Diocesan courses as a space for spiritual and moral growth of the personality of the future mentor for children and youth

Abstract

Diocesan courses named after St. John of Kronstadt in St. Petersburg are an educational organization where training is accompanied by the formation of a special space for the spiritual growth of the teacher. The article reveals the features of training courses for Sunday school and Orthodox culture school teachers, taking into account modern requirements for the training of a mentor for children and youth, substantiates the expediency of general and special disciplines, describes some course traditions. The paper focuses on the acute lack of theological knowledge among those who teach the basics of Orthodox culture in a secular school and notes the insufficient level of proficiency in pedagogical technologies and methods among Sunday school teachers. The author touches upon the problems of training qualified teaching staff, where the common link is a student who simultaneously studies in both secular and Sunday schools. The conclusion is made about the expediency of joint teaching meetings and seminars held within the framework of the curriculum of Diocesan courses to discuss the problems of spiritual and moral education of the younger generation. The continuous development and improvement of the educational and methodological base of Diocesan courses presupposes the spiritual and moral growth of the teacher's personality, designed to convey the values of religious (Orthodox) culture.