Each group has an “invisible helping hand” who informs about the cancellation or rescheduling of pairs, prepares the SCS for everyone at the beginning of the year and, if necessary, defends the group in front of the teachers. Yes, it's all about you, headman. Especially for The HSE, prefects from different faculties spoke about their troubles, worries and joys
Decision
Expectation: I wanted to be a headman for a very long time, and the whole group unanimously gave me such an honor.
Reality:
- I didn’t decide anything, my classmates chose me, and I thought “Okay, let it be”;
— I really love helping people, and this is the most unobtrusive way;
— I didn’t like the previous headman, and I wanted to change something;
Responsibilities
Expectation: I must inform the group in a timely manner about everything related to the educational process, communicate with educational part and coordinate the actions of the group with the actions of teachers, report absences.
Reality:
— the headman informs the group about everything related to the educational process, communicates with the educational part and coordinates the actions of the group with the actions of the teachers. Note: he must do this extremely quickly;
— the headman’s task is to convey information and search for an audience. Questions with teachers can be resolved by any student in the group. Plus, if asked, I always add those absent from lectures to the list;
— contacts the teachers, writes the group’s email address on a piece of paper. I also send my homework to the group on VK, where we choose the person of the month for the group;
— makes a list of those present, but I also write down those who are absent, because we don’t abandon our own;
— condemns truants.
Relationship
Expectation: My classmates will respect me, and my teachers will know me by sight. Studying in general will be a little easier, because... I have some authority.
Reality:
— my classmates listen to my opinion more, and as for the teachers, at least they remember you.
— in personal communication with third parties, many of my classmates (and maybe all) call me nothing more than “my headman.” Besides, if I want, it will be quite easy to play them with the transfer of classes, because in this regard they very easily take my words on faith. As for teachers, this fact has almost no effect on them.
— there is an air of respect from my classmates, but it is a “cold” feeling. No one joins friendships on purpose. Teachers usually label them as “the most responsible person in the group.” We have to conform.
Some things cannot be predicted in advance, because... we can understand them only in the process of work.
Emotions
- I feel in my place. All these seemingly little things add movement to my life, and I’m hooked on it;
- I like doing this. I become more responsible, unique leadership skills appear;
“It helps me always stay in the spotlight.
Time
— sometimes I spend a lot of time on organizational issues, but overall it’s not particularly annoying;
- this fits very organically into my lifestyle. All these chores are not even duties, they are part of studying;
— does not distract from the educational process at all, rather complements it.
Flaws
- constant need to sort out a bunch of routine tasks;
— teachers know your phone number (texts and calls after midnight are not uncommon);
— you often have to contact the academic department (some faculties are forced to travel to another building);
- sometimes it gets boring a large number of stupid questions.
Arsenal
- patience, kindness and most importantly - forbearance;
- a telephone with Internet access, a phone book with numbers of classmates, teachers and other prefects, as well as sufficient quantity money. The ability to treat problems with humor, otherwise you will go crazy;
— before, three years ago, it was a telephone, but now all classmates are almost always VK, and communication with teachers is by mail or Facebook. Now the “caller” telephone is almost not needed, the headman is left without any special attributes;
- a notebook with notes indicating who passed what and who needs to be shaken.
Destroying myths
Many people have a misconception about what the headman does and what efforts it takes him to do it. We will try to dispel the most popular rumors that exist among students.
No. 1 Elders should not inform about EVERYTHING and decide ALL issues. They are not omnipotent Gods, understand.
No. 2 Group leaders at HSE are NOT PAID an additional stipend for performing certain duties. Everything rests on altruism.
No. 3 Special attitude of teachers. Our academic performance, our desire to learn, our perseverance are much more important than the fact that you call them at night.
No. 4 Headmen are conservative pests. It's a lie! These are exactly the same students who simply decided to take on more responsibility.
No. 5 In senior years, a prefect is not needed. Yes, the range of his responsibilities is narrowing due to the fact that there are fewer students. However, contact with teachers is necessary until the end of training.
No. 6 The title of headman is not “lifelong”. If suddenly you are tired or tired of doing such routine work, then you have every right to remove yourself from the post of headman. Also, the group can independently change the headman if the latter does not fulfill his duties.
Text prepared by Natalya Pashentseva
Illustrations: Katya Gushchina
The role of the headman in the student body has been known since school. The head of a university or college group has similar responsibilities - he is the formal leader representing the group, a kind of link between students and the university administration.
It becomes clear who will become the headman at the first meeting of freshmen. The dean's office selects a suitable candidate based on the results of the entrance exams, taking into account the personal characteristics of the students. That is, the head of the group is assigned at random, but oddly enough, often this person is ideally suited for the role of the head of the group, successfully coping with his responsibilities.
How to become the head of a student group?
Anyone can become a prefect if their classmates vote for them. But do not rush to choose the first one you come across; over the course of several years of study, this person is entrusted with representing the interests of the group in the dean’s office and the administration of the university. The chosen one will be able to cope with new responsibilities if he has some necessary qualities: sociability, responsibility, activity, patience, perseverance. Fortunately, if the headman has chosen an informal leader of the group, it will not be difficult for him to help the trade unionist organize students during extracurricular time: participate in events, meetings, excursions, congratulate birthday people, make the lives of students fun and interesting. The headman can also become a squad commander, if...
Sometimes young people with experience in the armed forces are chosen as elders due to their organization, desire for discipline and experience in interacting with the team. By the way, you can read how to get a deferment from the army for studies.
What are the responsibilities of the group leader?
- The unpleasant duty of the prefect is filling out the register, checking the students' attendance. The main unpleasant disadvantage is that truants like to ask not to give a pass. It is very difficult to strike a balance between responsiveness and a sense of fairness. It is necessary to have sufficient flexibility and diplomacy to convey to fellow students that the presence of the entire group cannot be noted by meeting the teacher alone with a magazine under his arm. He might suspect something.
- Everything you need to know. IN literally- All. About transfers of classes, “tails” of students, or register title page, where and how the exam will be held, know the orders of the administration: rector, dean, teachers, etc., the schedule of official events. The necessary information should be provided to the students of the group in a timely manner.
- Know the schedule of meetings by attending them on time, for example, the prefect or the student council.
- Be a model of behavior and good study in the group
The headman can share his responsibilities with a deputy of his choice.. If for some reason the headman cannot fulfill his duties, then the powers described above are delegated to the deputy headman of the group.
What is the group leader's journal for?
The group leader's journal is received from the dean's office at the beginning of the academic year. The journal records student attendance, topics of seminars and lectures. It is necessary to ensure that the teacher leading the lesson signs the journal at the end of the lesson.
Once a month, it is necessary to make an extract from the journal, taking into account the number of excused and unexcused absences for each student. Excused absences are confirmed by a certificate, so certificates of illness of students are also transferred to the headman. All attendances and passes are issued on a special form under the heading “Attendance Sheet”.
The journal is submitted at the end of the academic year to the dean's office.
What privileges does a student group leader have?
What is all this for? Student group leaders perform their duties for a reason. Among the positive aspects of this work, we note:
- material compensation, that is, an increase in the scholarship;
- bonuses from the trade union committee. For example, this could be an interesting part-time job in the summer or discounted trips to a sanatorium;
- teachers often inflate exam grades;
- This experience will certainly be useful when applying for a job. It is imperative to indicate in your resume that you performed the duties of a group leader; this will tell the employer that you have experience in organizational and leadership work, about your responsibility and diligence.
So, despite the fact that the headman is a noticeable personality and all the big shots from the teachers and the dean’s office fall primarily on him, despite the wide range of responsibilities and difficulties of university life, the skills acquired will definitely be useful to you after graduating from university or college and will help you take your first steps in building your own career.
Student years are the most vibrant period in the life of any person. Every day is an unforgettable holiday, which is diluted from time to time with tests and exams. Student life is not only about studying, but also about life, filled with entertainment, which is very different from real life.
But even a carefree student life is accompanied by some problems. The greatest difficulties arise in the first year, when you get to know the group and get into character. Already on the first day of classes, the group must choose its leader, who will defend the interests of the team before the teachers. Being a headman is a very big responsibility, so several worthy candidates are selected for this position, and one is chosen among them by voting.
Responsibilities of the headman
It's no secret that the headman is the leader of the team. What are the responsibilities of the first person in the group? First of all, we note that the headman must show good academic performance and be an example for others. In addition, the headman is obliged to monitor the progress of his group, record absences and control persistent violators of discipline. The organization and control of almost everyone falls on the shoulders of the headman educational processes. For example, this is the distribution of textbooks. The headman must agree with the librarian, gather the entire group and organize the issuance of books. It sounds quite simple in words, but in reality it is very difficult.
The headman is required to attend weekly meetings at the university. Elders from all over the stream gather at them, discuss pressing problems and discuss upcoming work or events. The headman must convey all this information to the group.
The headman not only organizes all educational processes, but is also responsible for their results. The curator expresses his dissatisfaction not with the entire group, but only with its leader. At weekly meetings, the leader reports on all the successes and failures of the group. Since the headman was involved in organizing all processes in the group, he should be responsible for the final result.
Before the start of the session, the headman must familiarize the group with the schedule of tests and exams. And directly during the session itself, prepare audiences for upcoming training events. It is worth noting that the headman is responsible for all students in his group who did not appear for the exam.
The headman is an ordinary person who human factor also distributed. Family circumstances or a cold may prevent the headman from attending classes for some time. In this case, he must appoint his deputy. The deputy must be responsible and enjoy the same authority in the team as the headman. After going back to school, the headman again takes the reins of control into his own hands.
Benefits of being a prefect
The headman has a lot of responsibilities, but at the same time, he can count on some privileges. Teachers love such responsible students, so they often give them automatic grades and help them with exams. The dean's office loves executive elders, and if one comes with any request, they will never refuse him.
In addition, the headman receives monthly additional payments to the stipend, and in some cases even an incentive trip to the sea.
Competitions for the best headman are held regularly. The whole team comes to support him. The elders are respected and listened to, because not every person is ready to take on such great responsibility. One of the advantages of being a headman is that he has a whole group in his hands, and he has the opportunity to make it the best in the entire educational institution.
With a good and responsible headman, the entire team tries to maintain friendly relations, because you can always turn to this person for help, and he will always cover you at the right time.
Let's sum it up
It is very difficult to be a headman, because the fate of an entire group is in your hands. But at the same time, the headman has a lot of privileges and enjoys authority among students and teachers.
You hear so much from students about the headman. For some, the headman is a protector, an assistant, the face and voice of the group, and as a result, an honorary title. And for some, the headman is a topic for criticism and jokes. In one group, there are real debates for the title of the head of the group, and in another, when in the first year the question arises, “Who will take this position?” , there is only one person willing, and sometimes they are completely absent. To finally figure out who the head of the group is and what it’s like to hold this most interesting position, I decided to contact a student at the Faculty of Computer Design (FKP) of the Belarusian State University. state university computer science and radio electronics – Margarita Shekh.
How it all began:
Initially, the dean appointed one guy as headman, who refused this position. There was no leader in the group for about a week, because no one wanted to. At one point, I decided that this could not continue, given that the teachers did not like this situation in our group, I went to the dean and proposed my candidacy for this position.
At the very beginning, gaining authority in the group, given that the male gender predominated (there were 18 boys and only 3 girls in the group), was not entirely easy. A lot of guys didn't take me seriously. This was in the first semester. But after certain situations (for example, helping with teachers during a session, etc.) they began to respect me as a headman and carry out my instructions without unnecessary questions or indignation.
Activities of the headman:
On the one hand, for many students, the headman is an ordinary student, maybe a little more responsible than the general mass of the student fraternity. But we must not forget that the head of the group is also an informant who must tell students about everything that is happening at the university, thereby carrying out “communication” between the dean’s office and the group (again, these are mainly announcements).
Also, certain responsibilities are imposed on the headman. For example, signing the magazine.. Almost every student does not like to go to class. However, few people want to see themselves in the circle of malicious truants. Therefore, many of the students want to establish “brotherly” relations with the headman only so that he will turn a blind eye to their absences and I have met such guys. But from the very beginning, I positioned myself in such a way that the students understood: I can sometimes meet them halfway (anything can happen in life: driving school, illness) and turn a blind eye to missing one or two classes, no more. In my group, all students are treated the same.
The headman is also a participant in such an event as the Headman, during which all the headmen of a certain course gather in the dean’s office for discussion organizational issues. The headman has the opportunity to ask all the students of his group any questions about their studies or session.
You shouldn’t forget about something pleasant either: the headman receives a small bonus. In addition, I consider the respect of the group to be one of my personal achievements - this is my main achievement.
I would like to advise students/applicants who just want to become a headman or have all the qualities for this, but still doubt it, to cast aside their doubts. If you want, then go. Believe in yourself, then others will believe in you. And most importantly, peace of mind. Don’t let the “provocateurs” drive you crazy.
It is worth concluding that the activities of the headman are associated with solving pressing problems of university life. However, according to the great law of compensation, any activity aimed at solving social problems will bring you 10 times more benefits than you expend effort.
In general, being a group leader is a responsible task that is only suitable for those who have a certain set of qualities inherent in a leader. If you want to hone your skills while studying at university leadership skills, then the position of headman was simply created for you.
The life of any class group is a model of relations in society with its own rights, responsibilities and structure. As for the latter, in each class there is a person whose duties include exercising local leadership of the team entrusted to him - the headman. Let's try to figure out what qualities a child applying for this position should have, as well as what are the features of the procedure for choosing a public leader.
Rights and responsibilities of the class leader
The class leader is a responsible and disciplined person
A prefect is a student who is responsible for leading the social life of the class. In each school, the institution’s charter adopts a procedure for selecting a headman, including a clause stating who the student leader is elected by. Most often this is a team of everyone specific class, but in some cases it could be:
- classroom teacher;
- administration of the educational institution.
The responsibilities of the headman include:
- organization of duty in the classroom;
- monitoring the progress of classmates;
- informing about school and extracurricular activities related to class students;
- control of self-government bodies in the student team.
The headman has the following rights:
- organize class meetings to discuss and solve team problems or discuss together with other students the concept of participation in certain events;
- give instructions to members of the class team, monitor their implementation and demand a report on them;
- organize class participation in school and extracurricular activities;
- make decisions regarding economic issues of class life;
- control the duty of students;
- represent the interests of the class team in school public organizations;
- participate in the final discussion of the class’s successes in the current school year.
What should one be and what qualities should one have?
A class leader must combine studies and social workload
The class leader is, of course, a leader in the team. That is, a person who enjoys well-deserved authority. Naturally, not everyone can become one. But if you feel the strength to take care not only of your personal comfort in the classroom, but are also ready to take responsibility for social life classmates, that is, it makes sense to compete for this post. And start, first of all, by developing the following qualities in yourself:
- Discipline. Agree, it is unlikely that the headman can be late for classes or miss classes without a good reason. Moreover, prefects have to find leverage over classmates who are late (for example, waking them up by phone or picking them up before school if you are on the way);
- Responsibility. Teachers and students should feel in you a reasonable and rational assistant who is able not only to listen to a problem, but also to quickly make a decision or help with advice (for example, if they urgently need to organize volunteer help or clean up the area);
- Responsiveness. A good prefect, if he sees that someone in the class needs help, will offer it himself, and will not wait until he is asked.
- If you see that a classmate’s current grades will inevitably lead him to a final D, you should organize mentorship for him, or take on this yourself.
- Activities. You must be aware of all the affairs of the school, know about upcoming events, participate in the development of scenarios, requirements for participants, and inform your class in a timely manner. Of course, for this you need to be in close contact with the educational service of the school. Communication skills. You certainly understand that due to the nature of your work you will have to communicate a lot with people. And unfortunately, not all of them are pleasant. So learn to find mutual language with everyone: students, teachers, administration.
To do this, it would be good to read special literature on the rules of communication, for example, “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie.
How elections are held at school and how interesting it is to make them
Objectivity should be the basis for the election of the headman If the school charter assumes that each class elects a head teacher by voting, then the task of the class teacher is to make this procedure interesting and memorable. In rare cases, the class team unanimously names one candidate for this position. This happens more often in the lower grades, when the strongest argument in favor of a candidate is a successful report card. But the older children get, the more demands they place on their leader.
- This means that opinions about candidates may differ. From an organizational point of view, the easiest way to choose a headman is to vote (open or closed) for the candidates proposed by the teacher. But there are several more complex, but interesting ways. Group discussion. The class is divided into groups (in rows it is best to include children with different interests in each group, academic achievements
- ), each group proposes its own candidate (or several) and proves why he (they) is (are) worthy of this position. After this, an expert council is selected from an equal number of representatives of each group, including the class teacher, a representative of the administration or school government, who select the best. A vote is taken for the selected candidates. Election campaign. Based on the results of the campaign, elections are organized, which is more interesting.
- Questioning. The class teacher prepares a questionnaire (for example, the head boy should be a boy or a girl, what qualities should a good head boy have, etc.). After the survey, the teacher proposes candidates for suitable students.
The ideal election option is a combination of all the proposed methods.
Memo: candidate's election program and speech
You should definitely come up with a memorable slogan for your election campaign.
If you are determined to run for the post of headman, then you need to develop your own election program. She must be:
- adequate (you should not propose projects that are beyond the students’ ability to implement: by proposing to arrange the school grounds and plant flowers or replace the furniture in the classrooms, you understand whose side the reality of execution is on);
- goal-oriented (set clear goals, and divide them into long-term and short-term - make mentorship mandatory for those lagging behind and carry out a general cleaning in the office);
- versatile (your proposals should affect not only the academic, but also the sports and cultural aspects of class life).
The best way to present your program to voters is to give a speech. Before speaking, it would be good to read articles about the art of speaking, for example, by the same Carnegie. They will help you compose a competent and, most importantly, effective speech. In general, the performance should be:
- short, but not short (optimally 5-7 minutes), so that listeners can appreciate your ideas, but also not get bored;
- meaningful (from the speech the team should get an impression not only of your organizational abilities, but also of your human qualities);
- interesting (diversify your speech with a presentation, video or audio supplement, or photographs and drawings);
- memorable (if there are several candidates, then you need to find your own zest that will draw attention specifically to your program - see the previous paragraph).
Using our guide, you can make your performance more vivid.
Negative aspects of the position
Even in the most difficult moments, do not despair
Like any leadership position, the post of headman, unfortunately, is not without its negative nuances. They are due to the fact that not all team members love the leaders. Moreover, if for some of them you were a competitor in the election fight. “Pockets” of rebellion may arise, organized by former rivals. In addition to these manifestations of envy, you may encounter outright hatred and hostility. In this case, your “wards” will not only allow themselves insubordination, but also arbitrariness. In any case, your task is to adhere to the chosen line of behavior based on honesty and a sincere desire to do your job well.
In some cases, when the verbal admonitions of the rebels do not help, it is better to seek help from a teacher or representatives of the school government. The main thing is not to give up.
