Station Rotation

How many channels do you have preset on your car radio? Most people (after all, I have extensive data to support this claim from years of gathering statistics), listen to several stations for different purposes. One may listen to WINS or WCBS for news, WABC for talk radio, and a host of FM or SiriusXM channels for music. While we may listen to traffic on the ones or eights, sports each half hour, and business report on one station, we rotate to various other shows at other times of the day. In short, we do a station rotation to learn and listen what we want when we need to.
When people hear the term station rotation as it relates to education, they often flip out (no connection to the flipped classroom). They believe that this revolutionary model will completely shift the way education has always been into something it should never be; from the way it always worked to the way it cannot succeed. Yet, however fast this model continues to envelope Secular Studies throughout the country, Judaic Studies does not seem to always share the same limelight. There is a certain tradition that apparently protects it from being the center of attention. Nonetheless, after a bit of examination, we may uncover some rather fascinating history that Judaic Studies and station rotation share.
For those who have had the opportunity of learning in a post-high school yeshiva setting, you may remember learning much of the day with a one chavrusa or another, studying in a chabura, sitting with the shoel u'meishiv, and only hearing a shiur on occasion (for some, this even occurred in high school). Depending upon the purpose or goal of the moment or task, you would rotate as needed to any of the above configurations. This, of course, only took place once you were taught to learn more independently. Only at such point did you have the capacity of utilizing inquiry (IBL?) to fuel your investigations.
Assessments? Well, there was the rebbi questioning students regularly as he moved about the room (formative assessment?), there was interaction, peer-questioning and debate with your chavrusa and others (peer assessment?), and then of course a written test at the end of the sugya (summative assessment?), an oral explanation or note submission to demonstrate understanding (alternative assessments?).
In short, a station rotation is seemingly strikingly familiar. Has it been over-simplified here? Perhaps. Yet one thing is for certain - we should be far more comfortable in participating in this discussion.
So with an open mind, let the discussion continue ...

Seven Steps to Successful Tefilah

With the first day of the new school year just days away, we have loaded three teacher in-service days with faculty and department meetings, digital content and software training, and curriculum discussions. However, one topic that always squeezes in there is Tefilah. Considering the fact that we daven three times a day, one can imagine that the topic surfaces regularly due to the collective passion we all share for it.
Whenever Jewish Day School principals gather, we always seem to come to this essential element of student growth. And while there are many perspectives and opinions on how to achieve the elusive goal of fully engaging students in meaningful, heart-felt and fulfilling Tefilah, we nonetheless exchange ideas and initiatives we have all employed over the years. This year is certainly no different.
On Tuesday morning, the Judaic Studies staff will gather for our initial Tefilah Talk, a series of group discussions that will continue throughout the year. What new factors are left to be deliberated upon? What new angle will be taken?
Enter the Seven Steps to Successful Tefilah, a custom-tailored program for Middle School students. Over the course of several months, a strategy based on both current and former student feedback, years of observation, and experience with several schools of and leaders in human thought (such as CBT, REBT, Reality Therapy and notables such as Dr. Aaron Beck, Dr. David Burns, and Dr. William Glasser), a system was crafted to utilize various forms and sources of inspiration, text-based instruction and a student-centered focus on age-appropriate interests and positive relationships. While the program is complete in structure, scope and sequence, the details are still in a development stage, and will be implemented over the course of the year.
Step One: Inspiration includes three facets - positive role modeling, audio and visual materials, and peer presentations, each with specific components that will be highlighted over the next three months. We anticipate heightened student engagement and interest as we forge forward in this vital initiative that will undoubtedly encourage a positive atmosphere in Tefilah.

Always In-Service

As we eagerly anticipate "opening day" in schools across the country this week, schools are engaged in spring training of sorts. For several days already, educators the world over have been engrossed in nearly non-stop workshops, pedagogical discussions, lesson planning and technology development in preparation for the new school year. We often call these sessions "teacher in-service."
From the perspective of many, the beauty of education is in the summer vacation. Oftentimes, people compare and contrast various professions, yet always marvel at this perk educators have. Although it is certainly true that the summer is an invaluable advantage, there is more than meets the eye. Enter the world of an educator. While many professionals frequently burn the midnight oil (and we certainly require the services of every profession), educators seem to be on-call all the time. During the year, class time is just the beginning. Between the weekend review and lesson planning, the early evening parent communications, the late night marking and grading, the mid and end semester reports, and the whirlwind of constant training and special evening events, educators fill their time with one common goal - enable their dear students to grow as learners, citizens and contributors to the world around them. In short, they are in-service all the time for the betterment of society.
As we kick-off the new school year and greet our precious students with a warm smile, we cannot help but be filled with a sense of deep appreciation and gratitude for educators who are now rejuvenated and ready to continue their art of inspiring the next generation of leaders. May their refreshed energy fuel the next ten months of unparalleled learning, while guiding our students to achieve the greatest results and reaching their potential. 

Found on Middle Ground

Middle Ground - "an area of compromise or possible agreement between two extreme positions"
Middle School - "a school which children attend between primary school and high school"

"When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years." (Mark Twain)

In the course of three short years, students progress from innocent young children to active young adults. Within this span of these three years, our children develop and solidify their learning styles and personalities, most of which will remain imprinted upon their very beings for the rest of their lives. The "extreme" and remarkably rapid progression from primary/elementary school and high school is a extraordinary experience, one that we must monitor, support and guide with the greatest of care.

This blog sets out to achieve these goals. I hope to share this journey through these exciting years of education together. You never know what may be found.