Teachers Prep for First School Day

By COLlive reporter

With the school year just beginning, it’s not only the children who are heading back to school. Teachers are also brushing up on their skills and knowledge, thanks to training opportunities from the Menachem Education Foundation (MEF).

Close to 20 young male teachers spent the last two weeks of August, every weekday from 9-4, attending MEF’s Teacher Induction Program for men.

Rabbi Zelig Silber, a master teacher in Cheder Chabad of Monsey, sought after education mentor, and third year director of TIP for men, facilitated the program.

Topics covered through rigorous and collaborative sessions ranged from classroom management and student rapport to effective assessment and standards based learning. Each participant concluded the two weeks by presenting a high quality lesson plan that was developed over the course of the program.

While some of these educators will spend the year teaching out of town, most of them will remain in the program throughout the year, meeting for monthly sessions and benefiting from one on one mentoring each week, all while teaching in Crown Heights Jewish schools.

“I’m proud to be able to share with others that I did this amazing program,” said one participant, while others noted that it completely exceeded their expectations, and empowered them as teachers.

As for the community’s female teachers, MEF is about to launch its first fully online training program to accommodate their scheduling and geographic needs.

The Teacher Induction Program for women will be led by Mrs. Chanah Rose, school consultant and curriculum specialist at MEF, who taught and served as curriculum director at the Shluchim Online School after her start in Cheder Chabad of Monsey.

This program will begin on the 20th of Elul – Sept. 15, and meet twice a month in the evening in a fully interactive virtual classroom, with a mentoring option also included, with the curriculum and assignments adapted from the highly acclaimed men’s program.

The program is for teachers in their first three years in the classroom who are passionate about making a difference. Space if filling up fast, so if this describes you, apply today!

MEF salutes our community’s educators who “make Chinuch your Shlichus™.” To find out more about how we can help, or to sing up for the Teacher Induction Program for women, email [email protected].