is the bais yaakov system failing us???

amother

Fri, Mar 02 2012, 12:17 pm

Fox wrote:

What makes a good school? A big factor, IMHO, is the desire and commitment to become a better school. Too many BY schools seem to have trouble distinguishing between guarding our mesorah and defending mediocrity.

I teach in the general studies department of a high school whose director does strive for better education. She mentioned to me that she wants the girls to start learning some of the Tanach with chavrusas a few times a week. Even if they learn less, because they are preparing it on their own, she thinks it will get them more excited and it's like cooperative learning. She said she planned to discuss this with a big Rav before implementing it, obviously.

emhabanim

Fri, Mar 02 2012, 2:18 pm

to Fox:

You are right that an integral aspect of learning is to connect the dots, but if you think that is not what meforshim do you are wrong. The gemarrah's shakla and tarya is often connecting dots and the Rashis and especially Tosfos often explain what appear to be contradictory gemarrahs.... this is analytical and higher level thinking.

Perhaps it is not the schools that are failing us, but the teachers who simply haven't learned how to connect the dots, how to give over this ability to the students. And yes, you don't have to be the top of the class to learn that.

My point was mostly to those who feel learning daily Chumash and Navi is a waste of time as opposed to daily halacha. Chumash and Navi are the yesodei haemunah, the building blocks of all yiddishkeit. Without a strong foundation in them, without understanding their lessons, and without the ability to connect all their dots our daughter's don't understand the basic tenets of yahadus, nor do they understand their integral role in building klal yisroel.

Our children live in a world where they are exposed to so many crazy things: there is no avoiding cell phones, internet, ads etc . if they can't think on their own they will easily fail when they leave the secure walls of yeshivos.

amother

Fri, Mar 02 2012, 2:33 pm

School is a place to learn. Pick the right school in terms of haskafa and academic standards for your daughter and for your son. Simple. Set appropriate goals for grades for each child... regardless of their relations.

If you want to lower the girls education level simply because not all can do it, maybe you should also get rid of the performances because not all the girls can act, or can sing, or can dance or can draw. While you're at it, get rid of shabbatons also because some kids are anti social or homesick.

amother

Fri, Mar 02 2012, 3:22 pm

Yes its true that not everyone has equal opportunity in school activities and performances. these are not things that every girl is required to take part in, for 8+ hours each day, 10 months every year. Also, noone is forced to take part in these activities.

Imagine telling a clumsy girl that she must take part in the school dance even though she may very likely fall on her face. Also she must practice for hours every day and perform at least once a week. Also, if she can't succeed in putting on a decent performance, she will lose the opportunity to be in the choir...

This is starting to sound like the animal school video.

amother

Fri, Mar 02 2012, 3:28 pm

What I'm trying to point out is that no, we won't cancel the performance because not everyone is good at it, but its not mandatory!

There's a lot to be gained from being in the play, but all would agree that we shouldn't put a girl on stage if it will make it miserable.

Well, there's a lot to be said for challenging tests on chumash, but not if it will only serve to make a girl frustrated by torah

amother

Fri, Mar 02 2012, 4:56 pm

Don't know what schools your children go to.... but in my two daughter's different schools play is MANDATORY and a major part of the year. Clumsy kids are given things to do and accomodated, much as learning disabled kids should be in the classrooms... but they don't lower the play standards and they shouldn't lower the academic standards. If your child is not academically gifted, send her to a school with lower academic standards and more extracurricular. Don't put your child in a cookie cutter she can't be successful in and then blame the school.

To those of you who feel we should offer more home ec courses..... are all the girls gifted in sewing and cake decorating? Realistically not every girl needs to sew and make gorgeous cakes, but they all do need to read and write and do basic math. Find the right school for your child's talents and go from there. An academically gifted girl should be challenged and one who isn't but who is creative should be challenged in creative abilities. However, even she still needs basic skills... but she should be tracked appropriately so that she isn't overwhelmed.