Praises Anton S. Makarenko's work and pedagogical theories. Calls for research into applying Makarenko's theories to the Soviet Union's current educational reform. Highlights Makarenko's success at unifying theory and practice at his labor collective school. These theories focus on democratizing school relations, promoting individual development,…

A Soviet teacher recognizes the difficulty of transforming educational systems and the tendency to revert to dogmatism. Cautions against teachers uncritically adopting current pedagogical fashions. Insists the individual teacher's personality remains the primary instructional influence. Applauds efforts to democratize teacher-student relations.…

Presents seven Soviet educators' experiences with cooperation in the classroom. Emphasizes building student confidence and esteem to develop students' intrinsic motivation to learn. Examines teacher-student relationships, student evaluation, and creative teaching methods that envision teachers and students as equal partners in the educational…

Presents profiles of Soviet elementary and secondary students, grades one through 10, based on the author's teaching experiences and informal discussions with other veteran teachers. Compares the contemporary profile with students from 20 years ago. Considers family, mass media, peer, and teacher influences. (CH)