What have I seen that I wonder about within the school, classroom, etc.?

• I wonder why so much more time is given to General Studies subjects than Judaic and why of the Judaic time a majority is spent on Hebrew Language.
• I wonder how much a school resources (space, money, etc. ) affect the work environment and how that affects the students and teacher's creativity, morale, state of mind and overall attitude.
• I wonder how much of a range of Jewish attitudes and observances does a Community Jewish Day School offer?
• I wonder at the level of Judaism that a student with a limited background will get from a judaic education that focuses almost exclusive on Hebrew language.
• I wonder how extensive the male presence at the school's are?
• I wonder what the average age of the teacher at the schools are?
  

What have I learnt from the visit to the classroom?

The classrooms were being fully utilized to create a strong learning environement. Posters, school work and colorful presentation coverered the walls. The teachers attempted to enage all the children in interesting conversations that relied on their personal experiences. If a student answered a question with something totally off, both Ruth and Esther, would acknowledge the student, not dismiss, not say wrong, and just ask for another option. Morning meetings were awesome, a chance for each of the kids to establish themselves and take a breather. I like how in Sonya's class it was made into a game.

What questions does this visit raise for me as a new Jewish Day school teacher?

I realize that I feel much more comfortable in an environment where kippahs are worn at all times and at least some of the kids come from observent homes. I like a school with a very direct, distinct and explicit Jewish Ideology. I believe that a lot of the ideas and philosophies that we all wish could easily be put into the classroom are not always so easy because often the resources available to us, or the ideology or philosophy of the instituation, administration or school doesn't match up. I realize that most of the kids at Jewish Day schools come from somewhat priveleged homes, but often with limited Jewish knowledge.

Inside/Outside

So much time is spent in second grade working on classroom management issues. My mentor teacher told me before the year started what 2nd grade was all about was teaching kids responsibility. I have tried to keep this in mind in everything we do. The way we set up the classroom, to the way we deliver instructions to how we structure their learning, its all invested with a tremendous amount of teaching encouraging them to have self reliance and to be responsible for themselves.

COMMUNITY

To this end I have been asking myself question about the areas of their education in which I am currently intrinsically involved in, such as lining up, recess and monitoring independent work time. As each day passes I am asking myself what is the appropriate ways to keep the students in line while we are walking to and from the classroom? Is there such a thing as being too strict? If you become known as the strict teacher, can it hurt your relationship with the student enough to prevent your ability to reach them? Or if being strict without a framework of trust and honesty lead to a stronger connection.

OBSERVATION

As I observe my mentor teacher, I am wonder when giving instruction in math or grammar, how do you make sure to reach all learners? In what way does the schedule of the day and the order of subjects we are studying affect the students' behavior and their interaction with time and space?

MYSELF

For myself I am trying to figure out how to have time to stand back and observe when I am so involved with administrative duties? How do I assess exactly what is the best way to assist the students that are struggling for various reasons? At what point am I missing out on learning teaching because I am occupied with grading and filing?

VIRGIN WATERS

On Friday I got the first opportunity to "teach" the class. My mentor teacher had to go out of town and she provided for a lesson plan and a detailed timeline for me to go by on Friday. Thankfully the school asked the 3rd grade general studies teacher to be with me in the classroom. At first I wasn't sure how this would work out; would I go back to the role I have with my Mentor, or would this be an opportunity to try to facilitate learning on my own and was I even ready for that. When the 3rd grade teacher came in, she was amazing. She took on a lot of the administrative tasks and told me to go ahead and teach. As the day way on, she would whisper me ideas for how to better get all of their attention, or better routines for transitioning from subject to subject. It was really great having her there because for one she gave me ideas I had not heard of from the readings, the DeLeT teachers or even my mentor, and they really worked. I also appreciated having someone observe who isn't necessarily invested in my growth on a direct level. I am very excited about taking the opportunity to observe her in her classroom and see how she manages her class, institutes routines and guides her students through their learning. By the end of the day, I felt very positive about the experience. I did notice how different it interacting with the kids from the frontal center positioning, than from the side and roving around them.

ONE FINAL NOTE

This is such a tiring job. If the work wasn't so rewarding, inspiring and enjoyable, I don't know what I would do. You just always on your fault, always keeping all your senses alert and always, always thinking about what you are doing and self-reflecting on what you have done. It is truly amazing. Like being on a film set with the clock winding down and you are losing sun and you have ten shots left. WOW, what a rush. I got to go sleep now. Or write my inquiry.

Into the Deep

Having once felt flustered, nervous, threatened and anxious about actual classes would be like, it is amazing what have students walking through the doors of the classroom can do to make everything make sense. Suddenly all those weeks of classes, mounds of readings, days of preparation and the urge to teach become applicable, necessary and you thank g-d for the little ones. So far, I have mostly been with the second graders, and have only experienced the middle school as a whole in my role as a supervisor for tefillah. There is not much teaching as of yet that goes on in tefillah, it feel more like an experience with a framework, like lunch. This could be just because it is early in the year, and eventually the time will be used to teach, inspire and engage the students in Tefillah, but who knows. I know the teachers themselves don't. It is nice to see that certain students take on leadership roles in leading the Tefillah, but as a whole, barely 25% of the room is engaged.

In my second grade class, we have been most working on introductions to classroom management (marbles, stars, table points, etc.) and introduction to language arts, by doing writing and reading about who we are as individuals (what we did this summer, what are our favorite things). My role has mostly been to assist my Mentor is administrative functions (passing things out, collecting homework, putting things up on the bulletin board), but when the kids are doing projects on their own, I am equally involved in helping with spelling, making sure they did they work appropriately. I have found myself using a lot of the communication concepts that Ruth Sidney Charney discusses in how I address how they are behaving. I use the "I see" and I ask them questions about what they are doing, rather then telling them they are doing something wrong. I know that eventually my Mentor is going to create a classroom rules chart which will involve the students themselves. I have seen my Mentor use a slightly sharper and higher modulated voice with the students occasionally when they are misbehaving and I wonder if she is losing her patience or she simply understands that this is the best way to get their attention and make them understand.

I completely need to work on not getting more attached to some students than others. Some are just so darn cute, I can't help it. I also find myself drawn to the kids who need the most help. There are a few kids that are very shy or spacey, and I am finding I have to develop new techniques to reach them, especially at times of individual instruction (i.g. Explaining how to do their homework). Speaking of homework, holy cow, these kids have homework every night. WOWZERS. I understand the my mentor believes that homework is meant to reinforce what we are learning in class. But as far as I can tell, none of the homework that has been assigned so far has anything to do with anything we discussed in class.

Again, I have only been in classes for two days, so everything could change by next week. Either way, I am looking forward to what comes next. On Monday, I get my first taste of Middle School, and my mentor there is very encouraging about me taking an active role from the first day, and I hope to make the most of it. I hope to spend more energy next week focusing on my inquiry in a more formal way. I have been taking mental notes and a few digital pictures of the classroom, and will start to outline my approach on Monday.