Prep
Your mission: to teach the first half of Breishit. Your time frame: four forty two periods a week.
Your students: modern orthodox teenagers. The expectations: keep your eye on the big picture by doing sugyot/topics, while also doing pesukim and meforshim inside, have kids read, give homework, relate to the kids and discuss things while also staying focused, stretch them intellectually and teach on a high sophisticated level. The curriculum: the first half of Breishit, the rest is up to you. The cycle of how often this is taught in your school: every eight years. Times you've taught this before: none. Years taught in the school: nine. Level of students: 3 classes, one labeled honor, one middle, one not honors or middle.
If you were picking what to teach in Breishit, and how to teach it, what would you do?
I've been preparing this for a while. If there's any interest I will share my plan.
posted by rabbi neil fleischmann @ 4:39 PM
6 Comments:
I'd have to start from the beginning. ;)
While not a teacher in a Yeshiva, per se, I have taught hebrew school in a conservative shul.
One topic we took a look at is the relationship between Abraham and Isaac.
Perhaps in the upper grades you could compare / contrast that relationship, as well as the Abraham/Sarah/Haggai/Isaac/Ishmael relationship with their own families.
Mirty, your description makes it sound like great mini series or movie. Which reminds me, I think education would be better if it was more in touch with where kids were at. The number one form of entertainment in the country is video games. Then of course there's TV and movies and the internet. But video games are number one. All these are all getting more advanced by the minute. These things that some of us think of as diversions are where most kids (and many adults, maybe most also) are spending A LOT of time. Then we drag them into the classroom where we're still using the same dusty chalk and boards that our grandparents learned with. Why aren't we making interactive Torah video games and DVDs, putting money into that!?! I'm serious.
Jack thanks for the comment.
Mike G. I'd love to link to your blog and see who you are. I guess you don't have one. It's OK.
Mike and Mirty, part of the challenge is the expectations about text and scholarship and not wanting it too shmoozy...
In all seriousness I think that the fact that you are really interested in engaging with the students will serve you well.
I don't remember at what point the Akedah hits, but there is so much material there, I would definitely hit that.
> If there's any interest I will share my plan.
Please do.
MK are you there? It's me, Rabbi.
Please seethepost above with the ideas...
Post a Comment
<< Home