USCJ Early Childhood Director’s Chat November 25, 2013
Recruiting quality teachers, integrating new teachers into the culture of our schools, and addressing
the challenging adventures of the life of a director
The recording of today’s chat:
https://uscj.webex.com/uscj/ldr.php?AT=pb&SP=MC&rID=80420462&rKey=56cada7ad4245104
Our next chat is December 18, Wednesday, 1pm EST
Attendees:
Jamie Klein – The Conservative Synagogue, Westport, CT
Bonnie Halprin – Congregation B’nai Israel St. Petersburg, FL
Ifat Kantorovich - Sinai Nursery School, San Jose, CA
Randi Fox-Tabb – Temple Beth El, Rochester, NY
Michelle Fontaine -Solomon Schechter Day School, West Hartford, CT
Phyllis G. Denenberg - JCC of North & South Brunswick Nursery School, North Brunswick, NJ
Ellen Walters - Director, Early Childhood Learning, Jewish Learning Venture, Philadelphia, PA
Ifat Kantorovich - Sinai Nursery School, San Jose, CA
Anita Krause – B’nai Amoona, St. Louis, MO
Max Handelman – USCJ Chicago
1. D’var Torah – Thanksgivukkah
a. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOtVa9uMivo (check this out on your own time, not
in the recording)
b. Consider this text from the Ballad of Thankgivukkah (full text included in these notes)
i. Imagine Judah Maccabee sitting down to roast turkey
Passing the potatoes to Squanto
And pilgrims in Jerusalem standing with Hasmoneans
Got to get this temple cleaned up pronto
Like applesauce with cranberries, turkey stuffed with fried latkes
It’s clear that this is one heck of a mitzvah
Let’s celebrate this great country, religious minorities
Everybody loves Thanksgivukkah
2. Recruiting quality teachers - crowdsourcing
What qualities do we look for in a quality teacher? What qualities are innate? Which qualities
can we nurture or teach?
Patience
Creativity
Responsibility
Watch how they interact with children
Compassionate
and parents
Passion/passionate about children
How they interact with other staff
Knowledgeable about child
Knowledge that there are different
development, how children learn
kinds of learners
How they embrace the Jewish
environment
Positive personality
Good learner /Willing to learn
Coachability
Can leave their issues at home (or in the
car)
Jewish knowledge
It’s all about the connection
Do they fit in
Experience
Practice teaching time
Open
Smile
How do we prioritize, knowing that there are very few “ideal” candidates out there with every
quality we are looking for? How do we compensate for the lacking qualities?
Children’s safety and happiness comes first
Depends on what position you are hiring for/different priorities for different ages
How do we put the word out? Where do we post? Who do we talk to?
Schechter posts on website, local universities, Craigslist
Jewish in St. Louis website
Congregation e-bulletin and monthly newsletter
Tons of word of mouth, talk to everyone I know
Community bulletin boards on line
Local List servs
Talking to other local directors
Local Jewish education services
Indeed.com
3. New Teachers
 Amelia Gambati and Lella Gandini spoke about how when a Reggio school gets a new teacher,
s/he is matched with a veteran teacher. Not so that the veteran teacher can teach the new
teacher everything about how the school functions, and the school culture, but rather for the
two to collaborate, share experiences, AND share new ideas. The fresh blood is as valued as the
prior experience in the school.
 From Naama Zoran, as she applied Greenspan’s Theory of Development to Educational
Professional Development, I learned that not only does the new teacher need to learn the
system and culture of the school, but the school needs to get to know the new teacher, and
learn from the new teacher. We must recognize that this is part of the change process that the
school is constantly going through, especially when new staff comes on board.
o Do you agree with this thought? What are your reactions to these thoughts? Is this
liberating or threatening?
o Considering this, and reflecting on your own current practice, what aspects of your
current “new teacher integration” supports this idea of new teacher as someone who
comes on board with much to offer and teach and contribute to the culture of the
school? What might you change or add to your current modus operandi?
4. Addressing the challenging adventures of the life of a director – change and resistance
a. Consider the scenario included in these notes
b. First step – take the point of view of the teacher
i. What are some reasons/explanations for her response to the children’s interest
in wells? What might her experience be? What might her comfort zone be? Why
is she resistant to a more developmentally, child-centered, constructivist
approach to the children’s interest?
c. Next – how might a director shift the point of view, meet the teacher where she is and
help her move along?
The Ballad of Thanksgivukkah
by Rabbi David Paskin with help from Ayelet Paskin and Dana Reichman Gitell
© 2013 Rabbi David Paskin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOtVa9uMivo
Imagine Judah Maccabee sitting down to roast turkey
Passing the potatoes to Squanto
And pilgrims in Jerusalem standing with Hasmoneans
Got to get this temple cleaned up pronto
Like applesauce with cranberries, turkey stuffed with fried latkes
It’s clear that this is one heck of a mitzvah
Let’s celebrate this great country, religious minorities
Everybody loves Thanksgivukkah
I had a little turkey(toykey), I named him Macabee
I tried and tried to spin him but I was not lucky
CHORUS
Thanksgivukkah, Thanksgivukkah; Let’s celebrate across America
Thanksgivukkah, Thanksgivukkah; Happy Holidays, Thanksgivukkah!
Nun, Gobble, Hay, Shin
Apple, rhubarb and pumpkin
167 BCE the Has-mo-ne-an dynasty
Was challenged by the lure of Hellenizers
But Greek culture could not compare to spinning tops and Jewish prayer
The miracle of light kept burning brighter
In 1620 pilgrims came across the ocean here to claim
A new land where the Mayflower could dock
At a place we must mention they met native Americans
When they landed here at Plymouth...
Rock of Ages let our song
praise Thy saving power
CHORUS
Thanksgivukkah, Thanksgivukkah; Let’s celebrate across America
Thanksgivukkah, Thanksgivukkah; Happy Holidays, Thanksgivukkah!
Addressing Culture and Resistance – the life of the director
Your school is child centered and developmentally appropriate. Together, as a staff, you
have been working this way for many years. Everyone understands what that means and
how it transfers to the way we engage children in dialogue. Children are viewed as
competent and capable. Conversations with individual children and small groups are the
norm. Teachers follow the children’s interests and engage them in meaningful dialogues
where teachers and children are discovering new ideas and concepts together.
Yesterday there was a great deal of excitement in the three-year-old classroom over their
upcoming trip to the farm. While visiting their classroom you heard them ask many
questions and pose many theories about what they might see there. Besides from the usual
farm animals and plants four boys were very engaged in a conversation about wells. “There
would be one at the farm”, “there would not be one”, “it would have water in it”, “I think the
farmer has to fill the well” “it would have pennies in it”, “WE could dig a well on the
playground” where just some of the comments you and the teacher heard.
You looked forward to your visit to this classroom today with anticipation of how the
children would be able to continue their interest in wells. What resources would the
teacher provide? What provocations? Where would yesterday’s conversation lead these
four children or perhaps the class? Moments like this had been provocations for many deep
projects and investigations in your school.
When you entered the classroom the children were seated in a circle on the floor. The
teacher was in a chair at the front. She was telling them everything she knew about wells
including the story of a well she dug as a child but had to fill up when someone fell in. She
told them she was a “Well Expert”. She then went around the circle and asked each child if
they had ever seen a well. They answered her in short sentences or not at all. She asked
them to join her at the table where she gave them a cut out shape of a well and some
pennies and glue.