MARCH 2018

​The ISJL Education Department receives “special requests” all the time from our partner congregations, and we love it! Some of these requests are for Jewish holiday programming ideas, and others focus on teacher training strategies. Each year, the Fellows compare notes with each other to see who has the most unique or specific programming request and we can’t wait to then share that new program with all of our schools.
 
There is one request though that comes every year, and the need for it is ongoing: training, support, and strategies related to classroom management.
 
We instruct our teachers to be prepared, and the ISJL curriculum is geared to engage all kinds of learners. But a wonderful lesson can become a complete failure if there is a class disruption that cannot be turned around. Some classroom issues can be chalked up to a student having a bad day while others can last all year long for the duration of every class. Even the most seasoned teachers can get worn out, and their joy for teaching can lessen when their only interactions with students are a constant redirection. An out of control classroom can sour the experience for teachers, other students, and even the student(s) causing the problems.
 
It is important to recognize that teachers need our support and understanding with classroom management issues so that they can do the holy work of teaching. We filled this newsletter with strategies that will offer guidance and support. We share the goal of making our classrooms places of joy, exploration, and learning.

Check it out:

• Classroom Management & The ISJL Curriculum. Learn about how management is built right into each lesson plan! 
• Consequences vs. Punishment. Is there a difference? Yes, indeed.
• Apples & Oranges. Sometimes looking at secular school solutions can be frustrating, but can we find ways to work with what we have in our religious schools? (Spoiler alert: We can.)
  
•  Misbehaving, or Misunderstood? Knowing about developmental milestones can help determine the real "issue" at hand.
• Dear Carly... You have some FAQs? She has some answers in this Classroom Management edition!