What's MISSING in frum education? (see details please)

seeker

Wed, Apr 11 2012, 11:45 pm

I am a teacher with experience and training in both general and special ed, in secular/general studies (I.e. I'm not a limudei kodesh person. Not yet, possibly not at all.) It has always been my dream to do something to make a real difference in the frum chinuch world, either professionally or as a chessed. However, from the time when I first started dreaming until I grew up, got through college, and gained some experience, B"H the world of educational services has exploded, particularly in special ed but even in general. It now seems that all my transformational ideas are already being done by even more than one person, business, or organization.

For example, one of my ideas was to promote resource rooms and other models of inclusion, however by now this is B"H already widespread. Another thing I wanted to do was create materials to teach about social skills and foster peer acceptance; this is still in my mind but it's no longer a gaping need, Rifka Schonfeld seems to have created some excellent materials for this, she is very well known and widely spread, and others have addressed the area as well. There doesn't seem to be much need for this either. Yet another area where I previously saw a need was for teacher training and coaching to update archaic and less-effective teaching practices that I saw in many frum schools a number of years ago, but it seems the administrations have gotten with the program on their own, and there are also some government-sponsored programs bringing updated methods and materials to yeshivas. They have opened special (and wonderful!) schools to specifically cater to a gamut of special needs.

In short, my mission has been accomplished by others before I even left the starting gate. I'm now a rebel without a cause. Blundering through an ordinary teaching job still wondering where I'm going to make my mark in the world.

So I'm turning to this community that includes many parents of current yeshiva students to ask you what YOU perceive to be the needs in our educational system. SERVICES ONLY, PLEASE! I am not offering piles of money, though I know the yeshivas need that more than anything! I also probably can't do anything to change the mindsets of people who annoy you. What I want to know is if there is any [b]service, product, or publication that you need or want as the parent of a yeshiva student, or would have wanted at some stage, but hasn't been available or accessible to you.[/b]

Thanks for sharing! I hope this will stimulate some meaningful discussion that will inspire others in addition to me.

amother

Thu, Apr 12 2012, 12:52 am

Agreeing with September June. We need middos training for the children AND their parents. So often I've found (as a teacher) that when a child misbehaves, they are repeating condoned behavior. IE - if the parents don't value limudei chol than neither will the children and they'll mouth off, b/c "it's only an English teacher."

They also don't talk very nicely to each other.

I guess I'd just like the old adage that my father used to use with me to be the prevailing attitude towards school. My father used to say that if we ever got suspended, the school suspension would be the easiest part of it. (Not that there was corporal punishment involved, just that our in home punishment would be SO much worse).

I heard a few weeks back from a parent in ds's class "He knows when he misbehaves, he'll tell me." To which my response should've been "then what do you DO about it?" Apparently it was the Rebbe's fault that their child misbehaves.

I just hate this attitude.

seeker

Thu, Apr 12 2012, 1:00 am

Thanks for your thoughts so far. I do think I could try to develop a character-building curriculum, though I don't know if I could do anything to get people to care... or fund it. I especially have little faith in the ability of anyone to change disturbing parent attitudes, it's one of my pet peeves as a teacher! But I do think influencing the kids is the place to start. And I do have a lot of thoughts and ideas about promoting mutual understanding, acceptance, and respect.

So, a good but very ambitious idea for a community service project! Still no ideas where to go professionally since I doubt there's any profit in this particular idea... I would definitely like to go for it just "lishma." But at the same time I'm fishing for career ideas since I am feeling blah with my current job not being at all what I envisioned.

8mom

Thu, Apr 12 2012, 4:12 am

ok, I live out of town so my views on education may be slightly off the mainstream, but from what I have seen
the mainstream heimishe education is failing our boys, big time. To be able to sit and learn has been made into the ideal, and for those who can do that - fantastic. But what about those who can't? Are we giving them the education they need to be able to succeed in the outside world? In many schools secular education is looked down on by parents and so of course by their children. I'm not talking about degree level stuff, I'm talking about basic maths, english and science education so that these boys can leave school and have at least something to start with so that they can take it further - that they should WANT to learn more and that yes, it is important.

I have no idea what can be done.... there are now schemes in places to re educate them and help them get a job when they leave yeshiva or kollel but, as many have pointed out, it's too little, too late when they already have a growing family to support...

granolamom

Thu, Apr 12 2012, 10:13 am

here's what I see..
the schools are getting with the program, they have lots of new ideas and programs and bells and whistles. and yet so many children are STILL falling between the cracks.
EACH child needs to be reached and unfortunately many are still going without. especially if they are 'just weak' or 'doing well' and dont qualify for services - either remedial or enrichment. maybe we need more aids in the classrooms or more time for the teachers to figure out the individual personality and need of each and every student. I'm not sure.
as far as middos, my experience has been when my kids have loving teachers who exemplify midos tovos, there are fewer bullying issues in the classroom. I dont know if this is something that can be taught to teachers, I think its innate and hard to find on a regular basis. and the kids who act up are, ime, apples not falling far from their trees, iykwim. not much the school can do about that unfortunately.

Thu, Apr 12 2012, 10:35 am

granolamom wrote:

the schools are getting with the program, they have lots of new ideas and programs and bells and whistles. and yet so many children are STILL falling between the cracks.
EACH child needs to be reached and unfortunately many are still going without. especially if they are 'just weak' or 'doing well' and dont qualify for services - either remedial or enrichment.

Agreed. Teacher and administrator training needs to be ramped up considerably, with a solid method to measure progress. "Differentiation" and "enrichment" are only buzzwords if they are not implemented properly.

Gifted-education training is a real need. A once-weekly pullout or an extra worksheet now and then doesn't make up for students' needs not being met the rest of the time. Academically advanced students benefit from appropriate instruction as much as any other students.

crl

Thu, Apr 12 2012, 10:40 am

Disclaimer: This is only my observations from doing a lot of kiruv/informal education for youth organizations and camps and giving loads of classes, but never really as a "classroom teacher".

A) I agree that middos should be emphasized. My elementary school (I'm 23 now) had a program called "Middos Make the Grade" which I believe they still do, and in all my experience, the girls from that school come out with far better middos than most. I don't remember specifics, but I believe every year had a particular midda as a theme, and each month we had an assembly to discuss practical applications, which usually came with an interactive school-wide game or activity. I think that some sort of derech eretz program implemented ACROSS THE BOARD, for both boys AND girls (though I believe the boys schools need it more, because middos are usually not emphasized as much) and it should be interactive, fun, and somewhat informal so it sticks better. The students should look forward to the assembly, as opposed to it being a speech or learning from a sefer. I think that basic interpersonal activities and games make these messages stick way better than lectures, especially if you make the students experience both ends of bad middos -- in addition to teachers being active role models and examples of good middos.

B)I don't know if this is so much of a service, but I've had this idea for a long time and if you think it's marketable, I'd love to help. Smile

A lot of my students from the youth organization I worked with responded very well to visual cues. We used to use just plain black and white source sheets just photocopied, but I once designed (I'm a graphic designer by trade) source sheets that were interactive and led the students along. It looked professional enough that they took it more seriously, and it made the sources look "cool" and it created a visual path (almost like an info graphic) that was easy on the eyes, simple to read and very to the point, while still covering a lot of material. I don't know how well this would translate to classrooms every day, but I think that how you present material (even if it's a story, a source, a picture, etc) makes a huge difference whether the child will remember it.

Even if it's just well-designed, kid-friendly "short lesson" brochures, or if it's an entire source book, I think that the effort it takes to re-format a lot of materials will make kids more inclined to read it, remember it, and keep it, as opposed to those black and white sheets that just end up thrown away or doodled on.

I'm just thinking out loud, but I can see this being useful if a teacher were to give out a lesson overview with key points and interesting sources pertaining to each part (just a one or two page thing) at the beginning of a class, so the kids know whats coming and can write down questions or things that interest them. Again, this is just a way that I've found makes it more interactive and interesting and it works really well with older kids as well as younger, who have visual learning anyway.

groisamomma

Thu, Apr 12 2012, 11:30 am

imamiri wrote:

I have a friend who reported her son came home using some less than appropriate words in regards to special needs people (they live in NY, not that it should matter). That's pretty common across the board, but I know it's being addressed in the public school systems so maybe they need to address in frum education too.

Autism Awareness Month and all that. My students flipped when I said "that's [crazy]" about a random thing some kid told me about. I joined their pledge not to use words like that about random things.

I do find, however, that most frum kids are taught to say Special rather than use derogatory terms.

imamiri

Thu, Apr 12 2012, 2:50 pm

groisamomma wrote:

imamiri wrote:

I'm glad your students corrected you! That's a good sign that they are realizing using phrases like, "That's [crazy]" or "You're [crazy]" are not appropriate!!

mommydiaries

Thu, Apr 12 2012, 4:31 pm

There are 3 things that I see as lacking..

1) in most schools children have no creative outlets.... Gym once a week or art class after school once a week doesn't cut it. I went to public school and we had a million ways to develop our interests and we were happier and more confident as a result! Creative outlets give you an opportunity to think in peace and quiet

2) children are not taught about the simcha in yidishket! They are taught to daven from a sidur, but not that they can talk to Hashem in their own words! (at least not enough). They rarely get to see chessed emphasized if not in the home or in their senior year when they need chessed hours to graduate!

3) you know how ncsy had/has public school clubs to answer any questions public school kids had about yidishket? Whatever was bothering them they could ask... Why don't we have this for our kids?

TranquilityAndPeace

Thu, Apr 12 2012, 4:45 pm

Seeker, what subjects do you teach?

I have been concerned about how little our adults know about finances. Many of my friends learned about finances many years after their marriage, after tens of thousands of dollars of accumulated credit card debt.

Why do our kids sit through years of math leassons, yet they are unable to compute: Which is cheaper over the long term: Buying or leasing a car?

Household budgeting would prevent loads of shalom bayis issues, and allow high-school age kids to make long-term decisions about finances based on facts, not just their imaginations.

amother

Thu, Apr 12 2012, 4:58 pm

I thought in a frum high school for many years. At times I would talk to my students about real life.

Another teacher in the school was once teaching the girls and realized they have no concept of how a credit card works.

In 12th grade we had a course where we chose a job, created a budget, etc. However, it was sooooooo unrealistic.

I feel like we graduate our boys and girls with no concept of real life. When I approached my principal suggesting to begin a course about this topic she said we cant that it crosses the line between the parents' and the schools' job.

I think during the second half of 12th grade, or even just from after pesach topics such as do you plan to be a SAHM or work out of the home? Who will support? where is money coming from? Do you know that if you make $100K between taxes, 2 or more tuitions, yom tov, etc you are possibly poor or just scraping by?

So I think a life lessons course is necessary for our 12th graders. I know it's also premature but I think a parenting course could be useful too. I had some sort of chinuch class in seminary but it didnt make an effect on me at all. It doesnt need to be a full course, but just some main ideas that are repeated over and over again. We are taught Taras Hamishpacha before we get married and we dont fully understand it when we learn it, but as the years pass we understand better what we are taught or we go to a refresher course which make our first class fall into place.

allrgymama

Thu, Apr 12 2012, 5:48 pm

I think that a curriculum that, in general, teaches are children to be more inclusive of those children who are born different (such as those diagnosed with Down's, spina bifida, cerebral palsy, etc) or have other medical issues would be fantastic.

Much in the way that chai lifeline sends out counselors to schools to help students deal with something after it happened, I think that 'prepping' the, beforehand would provide them with an important skill set.

For me personally, I would rather talk to my daughter's class about food allergies to stress the importance of not sharing foods she is allergic to rather than wait until something happens (god forbid) and have them be frozen in terror while it's happening and be too afraid to share anything with her ever again. Besides which, an educated classmate can certainly help in an emergency (depending on the age).

octopus

Thu, Apr 12 2012, 5:59 pm

art and gym class is once a week for the girls. there is NOTHING organized in the boys schools!!!! Why can't my 5 year old (pre1A) who has school on SUNDAY do something fun and creative (gym/art) instead of watching an uncle moishy video during the last 1/2 hour of school??!!!

I'm tired of the emphasis in the yeshivas is on the bad non jews this and the bad non jews that. yes, our jewish history is filled with persecution and their is a time and place to teach that. However, I feel that much more effort should be put in teaching the children that we need to make constant kiddush Hashem when we are in the park, in the store, on a trip. Show the world how Jewish children act.

Although this is a hot topic in both the secular and jewish world- not enough is being done in schools about bullying. Perhaps the yeshivas should get together and create an anti- bullying program that is across the board. Workshops should be given to principals, teachers, and students. every year.