Introduction. The early identification of pedagogical talent and the development of pedagogical skills in specialised classes are now considered an important factor in the intensification of the Russian system of pedagogical education. At present this task should be solved taking into account the digitalisation of all spheres of life of the Russian society. At present there are attempts to solve this problem in practice, but methodologically it is still poorly developed, which leads to unsatisfactory results both in terms of insufficient motivation and level of development of pedagogical skills of graduates of specialised classes, and in terms of low percentage of their admission to pedagogical universities. The purpose of the article is to determine the methodological approaches to the development of pedagogical abilities of schoolchildren studying in psychological and pedagogical classes, taking into account modern trends in the digitalization of Russian education. Methods: analysis, synthesis, abstraction, generalization, integration, classification, comparison, which together made it possible to achieve completeness and complexity in the study of the problem. As a result of the study, it was found that in the works of Russian scientists, the criteria for classifying pedagogical abilities were the conditions of the effectiveness of pedagogical activity, sensitivity to various components of pedagogical activity, the valence of the result of action, correlated with the psychophysiological characteristics of mental functions and states. Today, Russian researchers are trying to identify and substantiate new abilities that will allow teachers of the future to carry out the educational process in the high-tech world – this is the ability to metacognition, critical thinking, reflexivity, creativity, psychological flexibility, social and emotional intelligence, self-presentation skills, etc. If earlier morphological and sociological criteria were used in foreign classifications, then at present foreign scientists focus on the study of pedagogical talent and a number of qualities that are not directly related to the performance of pedagogical activity, but are associated with maintaining and stimulating the effectiveness of the process of its implementation and effectiveness. In light of the aforementioned considerations, we have identified a number of methodological approaches that facilitate a qualitative restructuring of specialised education in psychological and pedagogical classes, thereby enabling a transition to a new level of pre-professional training of teachers for the school of the future. These approaches include the systemic, competence-based, cultural, subjective, anthropological, personal-activity-based, and convergent approaches. Conclusion. The socio-cultural development of future teachers in the context of the convergence of the real and digital environment should bring education closer to the needs of the modern generation, the demands of practice, and at the same time contribute to their enriched professional and personal development and the formation of subjects of their own professional self-determination.