The Development of Teacher’s Social Competence in Rural Mountain Elementary School

Abstract

This paper attempted to illuminate the importance of social competence for elementary
school teacher in rural mountain environment. The author analyzes the essential features, social
and pedagogical challenges in rural schools, sensible changes characteristic of the modern village.
Special attention is paid to the rural mountain school as a center of educational and social
activities, its peculiarities and factors causing them, including the effect of mountain environment,
climatic conditions, administration method, traditions, etc. It’s pointed out that teachers are also
exposed to the effect of mountain environment. They work under tough weather conditions, often
in a closed team, in the atmosphere of professional, social, economic and political information
scarcity, which leads to a rapid “aging”, gradual professional, social decline and social competence
development recession. The author proves the need to consider the environmental impact in the
design of modern school, the need for innovative processes while maintaining the national spirit
and the environment; the development of social competence of elementary school teacher in
constantly changing social rural mountain environment is in the focus of attention.