Yesterday, the fellows had a workshop with all of the English teachers. We gathered together to discuss the different challenges that fellows have been facing and how we can work as a team to face them head on. We also talked about how we could work as a team to make this year as great as possible. I was honored enough to be asked to give a speech, explaining how the fellows have been feeling! Here it is!
Good afternoon and thank you for joining us today. My name is Rachel Barnett, and I am a fellow working at Katzir Alef. I was raised in New York’s Reform Jewish community by two wonderful parents, and marched through childhood with the help of my older brother. I stayed in New York for college, studying political science and international relations at SUNY Oneonta, with my final semester spent at the University of Leeds in England. I have a deep love for reading, and am constantly trying to squeeze a few pages in here and there.
Studying politics, I can say that becoming a teacher was not what I thought I’d be doing straight out of college. I imagined I’d be working an unpaid internship, waiting for my chance to play with the big dogs, or battling my way through graduate school. I knew I wanted to return to Israel, but didn’t believe that directly after graduation would be the right time. Since I had just returned from traveling Europe, I was sure Israel would have to wait. However, as fate would have it, the Israel Teaching Fellows program fell into my lap. I knew that it would be a challenge, and would force me beyond my comfort zone. While I had worked with kids before, I wouldn’t say it was my calling. But since I knew ITF would give me the opportunity to help so many people, and in turn help me learn about myself, I jumped at the opportunity.
Along with the other 25 fellows in Rehovot, I was filled with excitement. When we first landed in Israel, we were enchanted by the beauty of the country and its culture. We spent a week vacationing alongside the Galilee, soaking in the sun during our hikes and swims. Most of us had been here before and were aware of the lack of political correctness that we were all raised in. Even with that prior knowledge, each time we heard something not “P.C.”, it threw us through a loop. It’s taken us some time, but I think it is safe to say that we are all becoming more Israeli. We have learned not to wait in a line but rather push our way forward. We have learned that the only way to get through tough times is by turning it into a joke. I’m sure we still have a long ways to go though.
Since starting our journeys in our various schools, we’ve all had moments of pure balagan. In one school, two fellows had a pipe burst in one of the classrooms. It immediately became a mini waterpark. We’ve also had moments that make teaching worthwhile. For me, it was when I was partnered again with a 7th grade student named Noya. When I had first met her, I had given her a small writing assignment. I asked her to write a short 2 or 3 paragraph story. Although her spoken English was very impressive, she seemed to struggle with creating and writing her own story. Much to my surprise, during our second meeting Noya approached me with a typed, several page unfinished story. The story was about her time in Hogwarts and her friendship with Hermione Granger. I was so proud to see how she had taken my small assignment and ran with it. I can’t wait to see where the story will be a few weeks from now.
At the beginning, the students treated us like celebrities. They wanted to meet us and know everything about us. My students were displeased to find out that Jordan was not related to nor dating myself or Perri. I’m sure other teaching fellows that are partnered with the opposite sex had a similar experience. Two months in, the students are used to us being here and don’t greet us with as much enthusiasm. They still say good morning, but now we are just another teacher. This is what I am here to briefly discuss: the teachers. I want to expand upon the challenges that the fellows face along their journey as English teachers, and how we can work as a team to overcome them.
As stated before, we are fairly new to the Israeli culture and community. We are doing our best to adjust, but we could really use your insight. I have heard some wonderful stories from a few fellows about teachers including them within the community. At one school, the two fellows were given beautiful baskets of delicious chocolates for the High Holidays. Other fellows have been invited to their teacher’s homes for dinner. I too have been welcomed with open arms from the teachers at Katzir. Perri was treated to homemade brownies for her birthday, and I was surprised by a large bag of books to read on Shabbat. However, there are still fellows trying to find their place in their schools and in Rehovot. It is hard enough to start a new job, let alone one in a new country. Furthermore, there are many of us who don’t have any family in Israel. This means that we have no easy entrance to the community. While there have been families gracious enough to open their homes to us, holidays and Shabbat are very different than what we are used to. We could really use your help in feeling like a part of the greater Rehovot community, as well as understanding the do’s and don’t of Israeli culture.
The majority of us have experience working with kids, more so in a counselor/camper relationship. Being the teacher side of the teacher/student relationship in unfamiliar. We would love and appreciate your expertise and advice. What are some techniques that you have found useful during your tenure as a teacher? What tactics have you tried but were unsuccessful? We would also welcome any criticism. If you see something that we are doing and believe there is a way to improve upon it, please don’t be shy in telling us. Without your guidance, we won’t be able to achieve any of the goals we have created for ourselves. You are all the experts, and we are thrilled to learn from the very best.
One cannot teach without goals. Of course, we all want our students to leave us remembering everything that we’ve taught them. It’s a lofty goal which isn’t necessarily attainable, but why not be optimistic? Linking this back to receiving your guidance, share with us any goals that you’ve had along the way. What were you able to accomplish? What was not so successful? One of the best tools for accomplishing a goal is taking example from the pioneers before you.
All of this can be summarized in one word: communication. If the teachers and fellows have proper and frequent communication, this could be a very fulfilling year for all of us. Without communication, things can get lost and misunderstandings arise. If clear schedules are laid out by the teachers, the fellows know where and when they are expected to be. If fellows communicate about difficulties that may be having with a particular student, the teacher can aid the fellow in getting a better understanding of why the child might be misbehaving and how to handle it. These are just a few examples of how communication can build relations, instead of breaking them. Communication will be the key that creates a strong team in the school.
I truly believe that you are all the best English teachers here in Rehovot, and we are all honored to work by your side. I hope that these struggles are acknowledged, and I encourage you to discuss with the fellows at your school what their personal challenges are in the program. I hope that you are inspired to create goals for your school; goals that you can accomplish together. We are so proud to be a part of the MASA Israel Teaching Fellows program, and we hope that you are as well. You are an integral part, one in which we would have no program if not for you opening your school doors to us. Thank you.
Good afternoon and thank you for joining us today. My name is Rachel Barnett, and I am a fellow working at Katzir Alef. I was raised in New York’s Reform Jewish community by two wonderful parents, and marched through childhood with the help of my older brother. I stayed in New York for college, studying political science and international relations at SUNY Oneonta, with my final semester spent at the University of Leeds in England. I have a deep love for reading, and am constantly trying to squeeze a few pages in here and there.
Studying politics, I can say that becoming a teacher was not what I thought I’d be doing straight out of college. I imagined I’d be working an unpaid internship, waiting for my chance to play with the big dogs, or battling my way through graduate school. I knew I wanted to return to Israel, but didn’t believe that directly after graduation would be the right time. Since I had just returned from traveling Europe, I was sure Israel would have to wait. However, as fate would have it, the Israel Teaching Fellows program fell into my lap. I knew that it would be a challenge, and would force me beyond my comfort zone. While I had worked with kids before, I wouldn’t say it was my calling. But since I knew ITF would give me the opportunity to help so many people, and in turn help me learn about myself, I jumped at the opportunity.
Along with the other 25 fellows in Rehovot, I was filled with excitement. When we first landed in Israel, we were enchanted by the beauty of the country and its culture. We spent a week vacationing alongside the Galilee, soaking in the sun during our hikes and swims. Most of us had been here before and were aware of the lack of political correctness that we were all raised in. Even with that prior knowledge, each time we heard something not “P.C.”, it threw us through a loop. It’s taken us some time, but I think it is safe to say that we are all becoming more Israeli. We have learned not to wait in a line but rather push our way forward. We have learned that the only way to get through tough times is by turning it into a joke. I’m sure we still have a long ways to go though.
Since starting our journeys in our various schools, we’ve all had moments of pure balagan. In one school, two fellows had a pipe burst in one of the classrooms. It immediately became a mini waterpark. We’ve also had moments that make teaching worthwhile. For me, it was when I was partnered again with a 7th grade student named Noya. When I had first met her, I had given her a small writing assignment. I asked her to write a short 2 or 3 paragraph story. Although her spoken English was very impressive, she seemed to struggle with creating and writing her own story. Much to my surprise, during our second meeting Noya approached me with a typed, several page unfinished story. The story was about her time in Hogwarts and her friendship with Hermione Granger. I was so proud to see how she had taken my small assignment and ran with it. I can’t wait to see where the story will be a few weeks from now.
At the beginning, the students treated us like celebrities. They wanted to meet us and know everything about us. My students were displeased to find out that Jordan was not related to nor dating myself or Perri. I’m sure other teaching fellows that are partnered with the opposite sex had a similar experience. Two months in, the students are used to us being here and don’t greet us with as much enthusiasm. They still say good morning, but now we are just another teacher. This is what I am here to briefly discuss: the teachers. I want to expand upon the challenges that the fellows face along their journey as English teachers, and how we can work as a team to overcome them.
As stated before, we are fairly new to the Israeli culture and community. We are doing our best to adjust, but we could really use your insight. I have heard some wonderful stories from a few fellows about teachers including them within the community. At one school, the two fellows were given beautiful baskets of delicious chocolates for the High Holidays. Other fellows have been invited to their teacher’s homes for dinner. I too have been welcomed with open arms from the teachers at Katzir. Perri was treated to homemade brownies for her birthday, and I was surprised by a large bag of books to read on Shabbat. However, there are still fellows trying to find their place in their schools and in Rehovot. It is hard enough to start a new job, let alone one in a new country. Furthermore, there are many of us who don’t have any family in Israel. This means that we have no easy entrance to the community. While there have been families gracious enough to open their homes to us, holidays and Shabbat are very different than what we are used to. We could really use your help in feeling like a part of the greater Rehovot community, as well as understanding the do’s and don’t of Israeli culture.
The majority of us have experience working with kids, more so in a counselor/camper relationship. Being the teacher side of the teacher/student relationship in unfamiliar. We would love and appreciate your expertise and advice. What are some techniques that you have found useful during your tenure as a teacher? What tactics have you tried but were unsuccessful? We would also welcome any criticism. If you see something that we are doing and believe there is a way to improve upon it, please don’t be shy in telling us. Without your guidance, we won’t be able to achieve any of the goals we have created for ourselves. You are all the experts, and we are thrilled to learn from the very best.
One cannot teach without goals. Of course, we all want our students to leave us remembering everything that we’ve taught them. It’s a lofty goal which isn’t necessarily attainable, but why not be optimistic? Linking this back to receiving your guidance, share with us any goals that you’ve had along the way. What were you able to accomplish? What was not so successful? One of the best tools for accomplishing a goal is taking example from the pioneers before you.
All of this can be summarized in one word: communication. If the teachers and fellows have proper and frequent communication, this could be a very fulfilling year for all of us. Without communication, things can get lost and misunderstandings arise. If clear schedules are laid out by the teachers, the fellows know where and when they are expected to be. If fellows communicate about difficulties that may be having with a particular student, the teacher can aid the fellow in getting a better understanding of why the child might be misbehaving and how to handle it. These are just a few examples of how communication can build relations, instead of breaking them. Communication will be the key that creates a strong team in the school.
I truly believe that you are all the best English teachers here in Rehovot, and we are all honored to work by your side. I hope that these struggles are acknowledged, and I encourage you to discuss with the fellows at your school what their personal challenges are in the program. I hope that you are inspired to create goals for your school; goals that you can accomplish together. We are so proud to be a part of the MASA Israel Teaching Fellows program, and we hope that you are as well. You are an integral part, one in which we would have no program if not for you opening your school doors to us. Thank you.