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Blog #1: First Blog
September, 2009
DeLet Cohort 8
Hello to all!
I am super excited to be a DeLeT Fellow for this year's Cohort 8! A little about me: I was born in North Carolina, raised in Alabama and graduated with a degree in Journalism and Spanish from The University of Georgia. After graduating college, I traveled for a while and eventually moved to Los Angeles, knowing only a few people and not quite sure what I wanted to do. As I was searching for jobs, I gravitated toward and began applying for those in the field of education. Although I have always loved being with kids and previously worked as a gymnastics instructor and summer camp counselor, I didn't understand why I suddenly wanted to be a teacher. Still, something about the idea felt right, so I went for it.
After a few interviews, I was hired as a Hebrew and Religious School teacher at one school and a pre-school teacher at another. After a month of teaching 4th grade Hebrew and Religious School, my boss suggested that I apply for DeLeT. I had never heard of the program before, but once I started researching and talking with the staff, I understood that this opportunity was too good to pass up and that I should give it a try. I loved the idea of studying education and Judaism simultaneously and was excited to earn both a California Preliminary Multiple Subject Teaching Credential and a certificate to teach in Jewish day schools. I was also drawn to the emphasis the program places on reflection and awareness and the individual attention given to students through the use of mentors and Clinical Educators.
DeLet Cohort 8 @ Cohort 7 graduation
I have now completed the first summer study session, begun teaching at my mentor school and can honestly say that there is not another program like this. The relationships between the members of the cohort and staff already extend way beyond academic or professional interactions. We have supported each other through difficult times, had open and thought-proving discussions and have become friends outside of the classroom. The curriculum and workload is challenging and the material we are learning is important, relevant to both my work as an educator and my personal life.
Although my school year has just begun, I feel that teaching is right for me. I need a job that is different every day, allows me to use my creativity and passion, requires me to learn and ensures that I make a difference. Teaching is challenging, requiring flexibility, patience, a big heart and an open mind.
Thank you so much for reading and please stay tuned. My next blog entry is due in a month, and judging by what I have learned and experienced already, I am sure I will have a lot to share.
Love,
Natalie
Posted by Natalie at 11:20 AM
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Blog #2: October Blog
October, 2009
Hello again,
It's hard to believe that a month has already passed since my last blog entry!
During last summer's study session, I felt extremely stimulated and aware of the amount of material I was learning. I met new people, took new classes and felt myself growing as I soaked it all in. Since the beginning of the school year, however, it has been difficult to describe my thoughts about the program. Friends, family and teachers have all asked me, "How is it going?" but I struggled to put into words how I felt. I wasn't overwhelmed or bored, but just couldn't express myself the way I wanted.
Now, a little over a month into the school year, I finally feel like I'm getting the hang of things. My teaching schedule at school has been finalized, my meetings with my mentor teachers and Clinical Educator are producing results and my DeLeT assignments are relevant to my classroom experiences and teaching time. Everything is going smoothly (even my first Back to School Night was a success...) While I am grateful for this, I am also ready to feel that nervous energy again and feel that I can handle more responsibilities in the classroom.
So far, I have mostly been co-teaching with my mentor teachers in both General and Judaic Studies. They explain the lesson to the students and then we walk around the room together; answering questions, monitoring progress, checking work, giving feedback, etc. I also share the lunch and yard duties with my mentor teachers and have small amounts of time throughout the day where I lead Morning Meetings or read stories to the class alone. Still, I feel ready to do more.
After expressing this, my mentor teachers are slowly giving me more responsibilities. For example, my mentor teacher was absent for half of the day one day last week, and instead of hiring a substitute, I taught the class. While I have taught before, the ages and settings were different so I was a little nervous, but it went well and gave me the confidence I need to move on to the next step in my DeLeT education.
This next month is going to be very challenging and busy. I am studying for my 2nd CSET subtest exam, working on my first TPA (one of the assignments that must be completed to get the teaching certificate from California) and will begin planning and teaching lessons and units in the classroom!
Also, the pictures included in this post are from one of my DeLeT assignments about classroom community. Just so you know, I am teaching 1st Grade. The first photo is one of the class rules that my students created. The process my mentor teacher used was interesting and followed a book we were reading in DeLeT almost exactly, so I got to see the academic part of the program put into action.
Instead of creating and displaying the rules herself, my mentor teacher discussed and modeled values and correct classroom behavior for weeks, often using picture books and role playing, before we even had rules. We then held a class meeting in which we brainstormed and eventually created rules that the entire class agreed on. Students wrote and illustrated these rules, which we laminated and hung. This really created ownership of the rules and was a great lesson for me in classroom management. The second photo is a general layout of the classroom (I can give you more details but you would be reading an essay, so I'll save it for next time.)
Thanks for reading!
Natalie
Posted by Natalie at 11:20 AM
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Blog #3: November Blog
November, 2009
Hi everyone,
This month passed very quickly. Like I thought, I am very busy with school work and government requirements for the credential process, as well as teaching, teaching, teaching!
In the last entry, I noted that I felt ready to handle more responsibilities in the classroom and this month I have definitely been getting it! First, my mentor teacher gave me lessons to teach and she observed me and gave me feedback. Then, I began to substitute teach and supervise for a few hours when she wasn't there. Now, I have substituted for two full days when my mentor teacher was absent. I am glad that I am getting to know the roles of both the co-teacher and the lead teacher and am excited to continue improving in each.
Other new developments? My mentor Judaic teacher and I have a meeting tomorrow with one of our Rabbis about implementing a new element to the 1st Grade Judaic Studies curriculum. The children love the class and many claim it as their favorite. We do a lot of arts and crafts, reading stories and learning about the holidays. On Wednesday, two 6th Grade students came in to lead a game of "Jewpardy" with our students. It was a big hit. Now, we are going to try teaching students the meaning of the Hebrew text from the Bible and then discussing it. It's like adult Torah study, but for children. It may be challenging but I really think that the kids are capable of understanding it and it will inspire me to learn more about Torah.
Our school also held our first Parent-Teacher Conferences last week. It was interesting to see how my mentor teacher ran them. She started by asking the parents how their children are enjoying the year and if they had any concerns. Then she showed them student work and evaluations and discussed their social skills. I wrote down specific notes and stories about each student so that I was sure to have something to say, although I rarely looked at my notes. The conferences felt very natural. Also, my mentor is in very close contact with the parents throughout the year and does not hesitate to call or email at the slightest issue. I see how effective this is and am continually impressed and learning from with how she deals with the parents.
Also, our DeLeT cohort had our first Kallah this month, in which the Southern California fellows flew into Los Angeles. We had a Sunday day of food and study, in which we discussed Jewish identity, read Haikus that we wrote in a class, discussed the development of Jewish day schools in a conversation led by Michael Zeldin, met the HUC graduate students and much more. We then divided into groups and visited various fellows' schools. It was valuable to see the differences in school cultures and tour the facilities and classrooms of the schools that my classmates teach in every day.
The pictures in today's blog are from the Kallah.
Again, thank you for reading...a new entry is coming next month!
Natalie
Posted by Natalie at 11:20 AM
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Blog #4: December Blog
December, 2009
November was a crazy month, but I successfully completed all of my requirements and assignments. Although I felt very tired at the end of the month, I learned a lot and felt accomplished and proud of my hard work.
The week before Thanksgiving, my school devotes itself to one of its first big performances, Multicultural Day. For a few months before the big day, each grade studies a specific country in detail. They learn about the culture, weather, history and other important aspects of that country. In dance class, students practice an original dance that includes authentic moves and music from the country they are studying. They also cook a food from that country. On Multicultural Day, parents come to watch the entire school perform their dances. The food they cook is set up on a table against the wall for parents to taste. This year, 1st Grade's country was Norway. It was adorable to see the kids getting so excited about the learning (they especially loved studying Vikings) and performing for their families.
My school also has a 6th Grade exchange program with students from Tel Aviv. They were here during Multicultural Day and opened the performance with an acoustic version of "Ose Shalom." It very moving to watch, and became even more emotional when every student from every grade, dressed in their countries' costumes, joined together at the end of the show to sing a more upbeat version of the same song. I loved this day and felt so proud of my students. A picture is included here of some of the First Grade students in their Norwegian costumes.
I have also recently completed a DeLeT assignment in which I created and taught two lessons; one in Judaic Studies and one in General Studies. This was the biggest learning experience for me this year, by far. I taught my Judaic Studies lesson (about how the Maccabees were heroes) and received feedback from my mentor teacher, my Clinical Educator, and also from Rivka (one of our instructors and the educational director for DeLeT.) They gave me a lot of feedback so I listened closely and took notes. We even ran out of time, so I finished talking with both my CE and Rivka on the phone. I appreciate their help greatly and I took their comments into consideration when I revised the lesson to teach to the other 1st Grade class. The differences in the two lessons were incredible and this experience really helped me understand on a deeper level the things we have been learning in class. It also gave me new tools I can use to be a successful teacher. I realized that if I can plan a successful lesson, I can teach anything I want to teach, and this is very empowering. If you were wondering, my General Studies lesson was a science lesson about primary and secondary colors and how they mix together.
Today in DeLeT seminar we lit menorahs in celebration on tomorrow's first night of Chanukah. We all dedicated a candle to a person or idea that inspired us to begin teaching. We turned out the lights and I thought it was beautiful, so a picture of that is also included.
I wish all of you a Shabbat Shalom and very Happy Chanukah.
With love,
Natalie
Posted by Natalie at 11:50 AM
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