TI Teen
Education Family Night
at Monday
Night School, December 1, 2014
Presentation Notes
·
Communication
o
Email (Constant Contact) –
“TI Teen Ed News”
o
tisrael.org > Study >
Teen Program for Grades 8-12
o
The TI Teen Ed Bulletin on
Blogger: http://tisraelteened.blogspot.com/
o
facebook: RYFTI Group,
Events
§
TI Teen Ed News is also
posted here
o
Event registration: paper
flyers and wufoo.com
o
Mike:
mfishbein@tisrael.org, 617-566-3960 x126
·
Part of a Whole: Education
at TI
o
Life-Centered Jewish Education
§
1. Jewish education should be relevant to the
lives of students.
·
-no need to try and
answer questions that no one is asking
·
-teaching skills that
are relevant to the real world (helping learners to make life changing choices)
·
-vital to determine what
is truly important to learn
§
2. Jewish education should deal with the
whole person and the full set of human concerns.
·
- the ultimate goal:
more human (not more Jewish)
·
-Forging a connection
between the entirety of our lives and Jewish tradition
§
3. Jewish education must be grounded in
experience.
·
-Not studied, but lived
·
-Experiential learning
·
-The Passover Seder
o
Four Educational Identities
§
As Critical Readers, we
want to develop our teens’ ability to engage with the texts of our tradition
and to find the connections between historical, narrative, philosophical, and
theological documents and their own decision-making processes.
§
As Social Justice
Activists, we want to develop our teens’ ability to engage with contemporary
issues of justice and inequality as Jews, grounded in a tradition that
emphasizes action, community, and healing.
§
As Reflective Ritual
Practitioners, we want to develop our teens ability to connect with,
participate in, and build Jewish rituals that have meaning in their lives.
§
As Zionists in America, we
want to develop our teens’ ability to place themselves in a global Jewish
context that is vital and pluralistic and recognizes that an engaged
relationship to Israel and Israeli people is a crucial part of contemporary
Jewish identity in the U.S.
·
Teen Program Goals
o
To engage teens
as participants in Jewish educational experiences that are relevant to their
day-to-day lives and that are lived as well as studied.
o
To encourage
students to advocate for themselves and their needs and to grapple with the
full set of human and individual concerns.
o
To develop
teens as leaders who have agency in and ownership of their
education and of what their Judaism means to them.
·
Three Braided Pillars
(at a glance):
o
Monday Night School
§
Led by Clergy, Education
Leadership, and faculty
§
Academic and social, built
around core Jewish knowledge
§
Classes address the four
educational ID’s of TI (Reading, Ritual, Social Justice, and Israel)
§
Extensive dialogue, debate,
with some writing in class. No or
minimal homework
o
RYFTI (Reform Youth
Federation of Temple Israel )
§
Led by High School students
(supported by Director & Advisor)
§
Social, with strong
emphasis on Jewish learning and values
§
Diverse program, social and
experiential learning
§
Fall Kallah & Clergy
Weekend
§
Monthly weekend events
§
Many avenues for peer
leadership and skill building
o
Madrichim Program
§
Student Teaching Program
§
Led by Director
§
Students work closely w/
Sunday School teacher
§
Paid work, commitment to be
present every Sunday
§
Training in student teaching,
child development, and classroom dynamics
§
Learn by observing,
teaching, and through constructive feedback; role model and bridge to Teen
program
A Special Note About Confirmation
For the sake
of space, details about the Confirmation year have been omitted from this
packet. There’s so much to say! Please attend Mike’s breakout session tonight,
or contact Mike with questions or for materials.
The Madrichim Program
-This year,
28 Temple Israel teens will lead their community as TI Religious School Madrichim, or student teachers.
-The goals of the Madrichim Program:
-The goals of the Madrichim Program:
- to help our teens develop as classroom leaders and teachers
-to provide our Religious School students with excellent role models
for youth involvement at TI.
-Teens apply
to the program in the spring and are offered positions over the summer.
-K-6
(sometimes 7) Classrooms and Library (coordinated with Ann Abrams)
-Option to
work Tuesday or Thursday afternoon instead of Sunday morning (no opt-ins this
year)
-Six
“Madrichim Development Meetings” per year
-one hour, 10:30-11:30am
-focus on skill development
(small group facilitation, classroom management, experiential lesson-planning)
-Madrichim begin their work by attending
an orientation, which coincides with one session of Religious School Teacher
orientation, where they are introduced to the skills on which they will
concentrate during the year, and to the teachers with whom they will
collaborate.
-Madrichim will research and craft a
lesson which they will teach to their classes in the spring.
-Madrichim
receive a modest monetary stipend for their work.
-Post-Cards
submitted every Sunday
-Lesson
Outlines for each class – kept in binders & used during lesson planning
-Coordination
with and support for classroom teachers
-Collaboration
with Orna Sonnenschein, Director of Elementary Education
Monday Night School
Dinner 5:45-8:30
Class Block
#1 6:40-7:30
Break/Snack 7:30-7:40
Class Block
#2 7:40-8:30
Fall
Semester, Winter Semester, Spring Mini-Mester
5 years, 2
blocks, Fall & Winter = 20 blocks
Core
Curriculum: 8th & 10th grade only, total of 4 blocks
Electives:
16 blocks over 5 years
ELECTIVES
Commissioned
by Mike
Teachers are
grad & HC rabbinical students, our clergy, young professionals (and me)
Solicited
subjects are based on student interest (survey) and TI Ed ID Areas
As much
student input as possible
Teachers submit weekly lesson outlines to Mike; use wide
variety of sources and modalities
CORE
CURRICULUM: 8th Grade
“Our Whole
Lives” (OWL)
Both Fall
blocks (two electives in Winter)
Based on UU
Curriculum (secular); Judaic curriculum component created and developed by
Suzie Schwartz Jacobson
Two teachers
(Suzie Jacobson and Matthew Lowe)
Social/Emotional
topics; Values; Identity & Sexuality
Small group
learning, by affinity and by gender identity
Also: 8th
Grade NYC Trip: American Jewish Identity
A Glimpse
of OWL (email text)
Dear 8th
Grade MNS Parents,
I hope this finds you well! We’re two-thirds of the way through the fall
semester of Monday Night School, and through your 8th graders’ time
in OWL. Suzie Jacobson and Matt Lowe, the OWL teachers, have been sharing great
stories and inspiring moments from their time with their students throughout
the semester. We know that less detail than we’d like about the content of OWL
makes it back to you, and so I’m happy to be sharing with you this glimpse of
the semester, written by Suzie and Matt, copied below. We hope this update is
helpful and fun for you to read!
This Fall, the 8th grade is experiencing OWL - “Our Whole Lives,” a
course that encourages our teens to quite literally bring their whole selves to
Temple Israel. This course introduces topics, values and conversations that
matter in their lives. So far we've covered: consent and boundaries, privilege,
relationships, being cool, cliques, flirting, gender and gender roles, and
transgender issues. The goal is to build trust in the grade by
encouraging conversation and providing opportunities for the teens to be
vulnerable, and say what they really think and feel. Our hope is that by giving
them the chance to talk about the issues that are most pressing in their lives,
they will bond as a class and Temple Israel will be a safe place in their lives
where they feel comfortable and cared for. Some excellent moments this semester
have included: flirting advice from the book of Ecclesiastes; “drawing” our
social cliques and discussing teenage social hierarchies and community;
privilege scenario role plays; and gender boxes and activity that helped us
examine gender stereotyping and social pressure.
There have also been some excellent debates in the second hour - In
Matt’s group we had a recent discussion of whether James Bond is a positive or
negative role model for males; in Suzie’s group we have discussed catcalling,
feminism, and joined a group of 9-12th grade girls to ask and answer our
pressing questions.
Best wishes,
Mike, Suzie,
and Matt
RYFTI
Reform Youth
Federation of Temple Israel
For Teens,
By Teens
Informal/Experiential
Education
Events
Throughout the School Year
5-6 Social
Events (Skyzone, Field Day, Movie Night, Farm Gleaning, Lazer Tag, Scav Hunt,
etc)
Two Weekend
Retreats (Fall Kallah, Clergy Weekend)
RYFTI Board…
From the Letter to RYFTI Members about RYFTI Board
Elections last spring:
Dear RYFTI Member,
Kol hakavod!
Your interest in serving on the RYFTI board is an indication that you
are invested in the future of RYFTI, and for that we thank you and honor
you. Below, you will find the most
pertinent and immediate information you’ll need to understand the 5774 RYFTI
board election process.
The board will consist of 12 members:
o
Two (2) Co-Presidents – 12th
graders only (oversee all the work of RYFTI; liaise regularly with the
educator, advisor, and VPs).
o
Four (4) Vice Presidents –
11th or 12th graders:
§
Worship and Culture VP
(oversee religious & spiritual elements of all events; strengthen RYFTI
culture in our community)
§
Programming VP (oversee the
creative and logistical development of all RYFTI events)
§
Social Justice VP (oversee
RYFTI’s justice work; infuse the pursuit of justice into the life of RYFTI)
§
Outreach and Communications
VP (oversee RYFTI’s efforts to tell our own members, the larger TI community,
and the rest of the world about who we are and what we do; oversee efforts to
generate turnout and increase participation)
o
Six (6) General Members –
10th, 11th, or 12th graders only (work with
each VP as the creative and logistical point-person for all aspects of one
RYFTI event; join action teams to work on a variety of long-term projects)
·
Board members are required
to enroll in Monday Night School.
·
Board members are required
(except in extenuating circumstances) to attend all board meetings and
all RYFTI events, particularly RYFTI Board Overnight, Fall Kallah and Clergy
Weekend.
·
The election is open to
current RYFTI 9th, 10th, and 11th
graders. Therefore, there will be no 9th
grade board members in 5774. The
hallmark of leadership as a RYFTI 9th grader will be attendance and
active participation at RYFTI events, and service in opportunities such as
chanting Torah during kallot.
·
We will hold a
parliamentary-style election. All of the
candidates will be listed on a single form, and each RYFTI member who is
present at the election on 5/20 will be able to vote for up to five (5)
candidates. The top 12 vote-earners will
form the 5774 board. The graduating
seniors of the 5773 board, along with the Director of Teen Education and the
RYFTI Advisor, will then slate the 12 elected candidates into the positions
described above.
·
In order to become a
candidate for the 5774 RYFTI board, you must compose and submit at Letter of
Intent, which is due on May 6th. Your letter of intent:
o
is due on Monday, May 6,
2013 (worth mentioning twice in a row).
Late submissions will not be accepted.
o
should be DIGITAL, not
printed, and should be emailed to Mike (mfishbein@tisrael.org).
o
must include your name,
grade, preferred phone number, and email address.
o
should be followed by a
list of your anticipated activities for next school year, and the months,
weeks, or specific dates on which you will be involved with other commitments.
o
should be no more than 500
words.
o
should explain, to your
fellow RYFTI members, your qualities as a candidate. Here are some guiding questions (Note, you
should not list and answer these questions directly – they are meant to be
helpful suggestions, not to dictate the structure of your letter.)
§
Why do you want to be a
RYFTI board member?
§
What will make you good at
the job?
§
How can your fellow RYFTI
members be confident that you will be a dedicated member of the board; that you
will prioritize RYFTI highly among your other activities, interests, and
commitments?
§
How will being a board
member help you to grow as a person?
§
What skills will you work
on as a board member?
§
What challenges do you
anticipate, and how will you meet them?
§
What innovative ideas will
you bring?
§
What experiences have you
had with RYFTI so far?
o
should mention the position
on the board, as described above, that most interests you, and should say
why. Even though you are not running
directly for this position, your interest will inform the post-election slating
process.
Please consider this carefully. Being a RYFTI board member is a significant
commitment. Please speak with current
members of the board – they will be happy to talk to you! Ask them about their experience. Being a member of the board is a great thing,
but you can be an active and important RYFTI leader without being a board
member. That having been said, I hope
that you are ready for this commitment, and I look forward to receiving your
letter! Whether you become a member of
the 5774 RYFTI board or not, by submitting a letter and becoming a candidate,
you are standing up and identifying yourself as someone who cares about RYFTI
and wants to join in the work of making it the best teen community
possible. You can be sure that you will
be included in that effort in the coming year, and we look forward to working
with you!
Candidate
Statement Example:
I have been
involved in RYFTI for four years, and a board member for the past three years.
Each year I have stepped up to a new level of leadership in the community and
contributed through creativity, collaboration, and dedication. I’ve developed
my own leadership abilities as well as nurtured the leadership skills of other
RYFTI members as part of my work in [MEF edit] over the past years. Approaching
my senior year, I am able to notice how I have been changed by my participation
in all of the traditions and engagement with loving members of RYFTI. I have
also witnessed how the RYFTI community has been helpful to others. We have all
grown and changed in the influence of this community through the simple joys of
singing together, working together, planning and leading activities, chanting Torah,
staying up late for senior line, sharing personal beliefs, and eating together
each Monday. The seniors have a special responsibility for the continuity of
RYFTI culture and values. They lead by the example they set for the younger
RYFTI members as well as develop the next generation of RYFTI leadership. I’ve
been encouraged to find my own voice as a leader of RYFTI and I am ready to
encourage others to take their own steps towards leadership and ownership of
RYFTI. I will continue to dedicate myself to work enthusiastically on the
board, and I am ready to do so as [MEF edit].
L’Taken and TIKKUN
Praying
With our Feet: L’Taken and TIKKUN
When he
returned home from one of the great historical moments of the Civil Rights
Movement, the march from Selma, Alabama on March 21, 1965, Abraham Joshua
Heschel wrote, "For many of us the march from Selma to Montgomery was
about protest and prayer. Legs
are not lips and walking is not kneeling. And yet our legs uttered
songs. Even without words, our march was worship. I felt my legs were
praying." Many Jews today refer to
Heschel’s iconic phrase to describe our tradition’s imperative to act for
social justice; when we pursue justice, we are “praying with our feet.” This year, Temple Israel’s teen education
program will offer our 9-12th graders two opportunities to “pray
with their feet,” in the form of meetings with our elected legislators at both
the federal and state levels.
One of these
trips is an established tradition: the Religious Action Center’s L’Taken
Social Justice Seminar in Washington, D.C.
Groups of RYFTI teens have been participating in this four-day,
three-night experience for many years.
We last joined the L’Taken seminar in the winter of 2012, and we’ll return
this year, February 7-10, 2014, with 15 students. In the L’Taken seminar, our teens will learn
about major public policy issues, get familiar with the lobbying process, and
explore the Jewish values that underlie the Reform Movement's positions on
social issues. Over four days they will study together, tour major sites in the
nation's capital, have a fun night out in Georgetown, and most importantly,
they will spend Monday morning on Capitol Hill, lobbying their own senators and
representatives.
In the past, we’ve primarily encouraged participation of
juniors and seniors on this trip, and have taken only a few 9th or
10th graders. This year we’re
making a change, and are most highly recommending this trip for our freshmen
and sophomores. This change is directly
related to our second opportunity, created with our junior and seniors in mind;
a new experience called TIKKUN: to Take on the World. TIKKUN was inspired by the L’Taken seminar in
Washington, but is intended to offer a more in-depth experience than can be
achieved in one weekend. TIKKUN has two
components. The first is a semester-long
elective class in our Monday Night School program, developed and taught by
Rabbi Matt Soffer and 2003-2004 RYFTI Co-President Celia Segel. This class is currently in session, and is
being taken by 14 MNS teens. The second
component is an intensive experience, similar to the L’Taken seminar, which
will be inclusive of additional students, and will culminate in a trip to
Beacon Hill, on Monday, January 13, 2014, where our students will lobby their
own MA legislators. The TIKKUN intensive
will represent a substantial leadership opportunity for students in the TIKKUN
class, who will assist in preparing their peers for our lobbying day.
CJP’s Boston Haifa Teen Exchange
Program:
A program
through which a cohort of teens from the Boston area builds relationships with
a partner cohort from Haifa through exchange travel supported by parallel
curricular work.
An
Overview, In Bullets:
·
CJP has invited TI to
participate in this program
·
A number of other area
institutions have been engaged in this program
·
Participating institutions
have reported that this program succeeds in building meaningful, lasting
relationships between the two student cohorts, and between the American
students and Isarel.
·
The Haifa partner site will
be a public high school; the Haifa teens will engage in this exchange as part
of their high school class work.
·
The Haifa group will be
larger than our cohort.
·
The Haifa group will likely
visit in the fall, during their Sukkot vacation.
·
The TI group would travel
to Israel during a school vacation.
·
Our community will host
Haifa teens
·
We envision offing this
program as a fall semester MNS elective.
·
Our target students would
be 11th & 12th graders. Including 10th
graders is also an option
·
The Exchanges:
o
The Haifa students would understand
that our teens are in school during their visit.
o
The Haifa group would come
to MNS and to a TI service (e.g., Shabbat or Simchat Torah)
o
The Haifa teens may be
interested in attending one day of high school with their host TI student.
o
Most of the Haifa group’s
time would be spend touring Greater Boston; they may even go to New York or
D.C.
o
Our trip to Israel would be
anchored in Haifa, but we would tour other areas as well.
o
The Haifa teens would be
available to accompany us for more of our stay, because hosting us would be
part of their class.
·
Cost: still to be
determined, but we estimate $1,500 per participant.
TI Teen Education 5775 Self-Care
Seminar Series (intro letter, 1st paragraph)
Dear Parents
of Temple Israel's Teenagers,
We hope this
letter finds you and your families well and that everyone is launched into a
positive school year thus far.
We are thrilled to have your children as part
of our synagogue community and, as is the case for many of our teens, as
participants in Monday Night School. We wanted to let you know about an
exciting unit of curriculum we have planned for the teens in grades 9-12 at
Monday Night School (MNS), but is also open to any teenager who is a part of
our Temple's community.
Last year, as a response to what felt like the
growing awareness of stress in the lives of teens in our nation and in our
local communities, we decided to dedicate three sessions of MNS to help address
the pressures that teens face, and to provide them with specific wellness
strategies to manage the everyday stress and pressures they might face. We are
hoping that these will be lessons that the teens take with them for their
lives. We recognize, too, the opportunity that being in a community such as MNS
presents us in helping our teens recognize that they are part of a greater
whole - fellow teens, teachers, clergy, and parents - who care deeply about
them, and who are here as a constant backdrop of support. We aspire to
continually provide a safe space, to use it to teach coping strategies to
relieve and alleviate stress when it comes up. With these sessions, we will
strive to help our teens effectively support each other, as well as remind and
teach the teens to be good to themselves.
No comments:
Post a Comment