Today my blog is one year old. Happy Birthday!
I did a Google search the other day as to why we celebrate birthdays. The answered ranged from thanking G-D and celebrating life to reflecting on the past year. One post I saw actually said we shouldn't celebrate birthdays since we are getting older and closer to death. Way too morbid for me.
Anyway what would you do for a blogs birthday. I thought perhaps the most appropriate thing to do would be to reflect, give thanks, and offer goals for the next year.
So as I reflect I have come a long way. I have developed an amazing PLN through Twitter and I use both Twitter and my PLN to make me a better educator. I am a member of Connected Principal and will be one of the the Presenters at the RSCON3 conference this weekend.
I have also started to blog with edublog and my blog is called Beyond the Classroom Walls.
I want to thank my amazing PLN and I can't name all of you but you have all helped me grow and you are more than just a PLN but you are friends.
However I also realize I have so much to learn and a teacher, administrator, leader, father and husband.
I encourage you to spend a few minutes on Twitter searching the hashtags of #edchat, #cpchat, #rscon3 to get a glimpse of the great educators out there and the progressive and amazing things they are doing.
Learning is a never ending process and we all need to be striving to learn more but as I learned a year ago you need to take risks. If you would have asked me 13 months ago would be on Twitter and blogging the answer would have been an emphatic NO.
Now as I and many others are preparing for the new school year I need to think in what areas do I want to grow as an educational leader. Is it with engaging my students more with technology, or maybe incorporating more 21st Century Skills. The list can go on. One thing I know is that I will need to take some risks.So my hope is that in a year when I celebrate two years of blogging I can reflect and share with you the areas in which I have grown.
Looking forward another year of growing and learning ( and risk taking) together.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
Finding a Balance
In June, during our Administrators Retreat, we spent a lot of time talking about 21st Century Learning. The bottom line is that today students are exposed to a lot more information and technological advances and the skills that are currently needed are not the same as in the past. If you don’t believe me I suggest reading “A Whole New Mind” by Daniel Pink. Today our students need to be creative (not necessarily artistic), need to collaborate, and need to be able to problem solve. Learning needs to be more inquiry based and more student driven than teacher driven.
The question is how does this fit into a Judaic Studies classroom where the focus has always been on very basic skills of reading and translating. How can students get more involved if they are missing basic skills? Therefore, we need to strike a balance and to be honest, I am not 100% sure what that balance entails. We have begun the process of integrating technology and updated learning strategies into our classrooms and we plan to progress further each year as newer possibilities are open to us. As we continue to incorporate these components into our Judaic studies program, we must avoid the natural reaction to rebuff change because the end result will be detrimental to our students.
How do we deal with this issue of the future vs. our sacred traditions of the past? While in New York I bought a book by Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, Chief Rabbi of the British Commonwealth. The title of the book is “Jonathan Sacks from Optimism to Hope; A collection of BBC Thoughts of the Day.” In one of the essays he writes the following: “Ours is a very future-oriented religion. We’re not afraid of new technologies precisely because they allow us to fulfill, in ways undreamt by our ancestors…and to become, in that lovely Jewish phrase, ‘G-D’s partners in the work of creation’. …The biggest mistake we could possibly make in the 21st Century is to believe that by embracing the future means jettisoning the past. .. Those most at home in the wisdom of the past can best face the future without fear.”
It is clear that we can’t nor should we do away with the past nor does it mean that we can ignore the future and new technologies. My hope is that this year we find that balance and we can instill not only the wisdom of the past into our students but embrace the future as well.
Enjoy the rest of the summer
Rabbi Akevy Greenblatt
The question is how does this fit into a Judaic Studies classroom where the focus has always been on very basic skills of reading and translating. How can students get more involved if they are missing basic skills? Therefore, we need to strike a balance and to be honest, I am not 100% sure what that balance entails. We have begun the process of integrating technology and updated learning strategies into our classrooms and we plan to progress further each year as newer possibilities are open to us. As we continue to incorporate these components into our Judaic studies program, we must avoid the natural reaction to rebuff change because the end result will be detrimental to our students.
How do we deal with this issue of the future vs. our sacred traditions of the past? While in New York I bought a book by Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, Chief Rabbi of the British Commonwealth. The title of the book is “Jonathan Sacks from Optimism to Hope; A collection of BBC Thoughts of the Day.” In one of the essays he writes the following: “Ours is a very future-oriented religion. We’re not afraid of new technologies precisely because they allow us to fulfill, in ways undreamt by our ancestors…and to become, in that lovely Jewish phrase, ‘G-D’s partners in the work of creation’. …The biggest mistake we could possibly make in the 21st Century is to believe that by embracing the future means jettisoning the past. .. Those most at home in the wisdom of the past can best face the future without fear.”
It is clear that we can’t nor should we do away with the past nor does it mean that we can ignore the future and new technologies. My hope is that this year we find that balance and we can instill not only the wisdom of the past into our students but embrace the future as well.
Enjoy the rest of the summer
Rabbi Akevy Greenblatt
Thursday, July 14, 2011
“Put on Your Own Mask Before You Help Others”
This summer I did something that I have not done in a very long time. We took a family road trip for about three weeks celebrating a family wedding as well as that of a friend’s daughter and visiting places we have lived.
I was a bit leery before I left. This feeling was caused by a) we would be doing a lot of driving and b) that I was taking a lot of time off.
Now that we have returned I can tell you that spending some significant quality family time and being away was exactly what the Doctor ordered. I had a great time connecting with my teenage daughters (we know at times how difficulty that could be), spent time and reconnected and in some cases connected with friends and family. Overall it was one of the best vacations we have had as a family in a long time.
During this time I remembered something I heard a number of years ago. A number of years a go someone told me that you need to take care of yourself before you can take care of others. They used the following example: That on an airplane you are told that you must first put on your oxygen mask before you assist others, bottom line we need to take care of ourselves before we can help others.
As educators we need rejuvenate and help ourselves so that we can be there to help our students.
Social media and technology and all of these other tools are important, necessary and vital, however sometimes we just need to unplug and reconnect with our family and friends and take care of ourselves so that we can take care of others.
Enjoy the rest of the summer
Akevy
I was a bit leery before I left. This feeling was caused by a) we would be doing a lot of driving and b) that I was taking a lot of time off.
Now that we have returned I can tell you that spending some significant quality family time and being away was exactly what the Doctor ordered. I had a great time connecting with my teenage daughters (we know at times how difficulty that could be), spent time and reconnected and in some cases connected with friends and family. Overall it was one of the best vacations we have had as a family in a long time.
During this time I remembered something I heard a number of years ago. A number of years a go someone told me that you need to take care of yourself before you can take care of others. They used the following example: That on an airplane you are told that you must first put on your oxygen mask before you assist others, bottom line we need to take care of ourselves before we can help others.
As educators we need rejuvenate and help ourselves so that we can be there to help our students.
Social media and technology and all of these other tools are important, necessary and vital, however sometimes we just need to unplug and reconnect with our family and friends and take care of ourselves so that we can take care of others.
Enjoy the rest of the summer
Akevy
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Goals for Jewish Education (for that matter Education in general.)
The inspiration and ideas for this post came from a speech given by Rabbi Shai Finkelstein, Senior Rabbi of Baron Hirsch Synagogue.
When we talk about education we most often talk about schools, and yes Jewish Day School and sending Jewish children to Jewish Day Schools is very important. However education covers a lot more than what we would call formal education. There’s informal education which one receives through youth groups, summer camps, Synagogue attendance, and what a child receives at home from his parents.
Using this broader idea of education, what should be our goals?
1. Students need to be engaged and learning needs to be fun and at the same time it needs to be intellectual stimulating as well. However when talking about Jewish education we need to find a way to bring it to life and make it real. We need to see the Amoraim (Rabbis from the Talmud) as if they are in the classroom with us. It is not just some type of medieval study but rather a living Torah that applies today
2. This leads to number two. It needs to be something that we internalize and becomes part of our lives. What we are studying and learning is not just an intellectual pursuit but rather must become part of our lives.
3. What we learn must be real and internalized so that when we are not in school, or when we begin to start families of our own we have the ability to become the teachers and pass it on to the next generation.
How is this accomplished? Our Rabbis gave us a clue when they said that being respectful (a mentch) comes before the learning of Torah. Meaning that if one wants to learn and internalize his learning he first must work on his character and behavior. In other words you need to practice what you preach.
Now that many students have finished their formal education until August or September we need to remember that learning and following the Mitzvoth (commandments) are not something that is just for the 10 months of the school year but rather 24/7/365.
We as teachers and parents need to lead by example showing that our commitment to learning and to our Judaism is something that is year round.
Hopefully if we can practice what we preach and are proper role models we can accomplish our goals and empower our students and children to be the future Jewish leaders.
When we talk about education we most often talk about schools, and yes Jewish Day School and sending Jewish children to Jewish Day Schools is very important. However education covers a lot more than what we would call formal education. There’s informal education which one receives through youth groups, summer camps, Synagogue attendance, and what a child receives at home from his parents.
Using this broader idea of education, what should be our goals?
1. Students need to be engaged and learning needs to be fun and at the same time it needs to be intellectual stimulating as well. However when talking about Jewish education we need to find a way to bring it to life and make it real. We need to see the Amoraim (Rabbis from the Talmud) as if they are in the classroom with us. It is not just some type of medieval study but rather a living Torah that applies today
2. This leads to number two. It needs to be something that we internalize and becomes part of our lives. What we are studying and learning is not just an intellectual pursuit but rather must become part of our lives.
3. What we learn must be real and internalized so that when we are not in school, or when we begin to start families of our own we have the ability to become the teachers and pass it on to the next generation.
How is this accomplished? Our Rabbis gave us a clue when they said that being respectful (a mentch) comes before the learning of Torah. Meaning that if one wants to learn and internalize his learning he first must work on his character and behavior. In other words you need to practice what you preach.
Now that many students have finished their formal education until August or September we need to remember that learning and following the Mitzvoth (commandments) are not something that is just for the 10 months of the school year but rather 24/7/365.
We as teachers and parents need to lead by example showing that our commitment to learning and to our Judaism is something that is year round.
Hopefully if we can practice what we preach and are proper role models we can accomplish our goals and empower our students and children to be the future Jewish leaders.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Reflection vs. Retrospection
picture: noupe.com
As we come to the end of a school year many of the tweets and blog posts that I have seen talk about reflections and looking at our past accomplishments and looking forward as well. To be honest when I hear the word reflection the image that comes to my mind is that of looking in a mirror and seeing my own reflection. Yes there are other definitions for the word (one of them being careful thought, especially the process of reconsidering previous actions). But for me I still have that image of the mirror. Therefore at this time of year do I want to see look at see who I am now who is that person in the mirror or do I want to see how far that person has grown. Perhaps more importantly do I want to see the student that stands before me now or how much he has grown. To be honest I think we need to do both. We need to celebrate our successes and accomplishments and celebrate who we have become and the person that stands before us now, and we need to know and realize how much we have grown. Therefore another word comes to mind and that is Retrospection. That means that we think about or review past events especially from a new perspective or with new information.
We need to realize that we are not the same person that we were in September nor are our students the same and therefore as we look back we need to look back based on our new perspective , so that we can appreciate how far we have come and also understand how much more we all can grow.
So as we end the year let us look back on the past in retrospect, let us reflect and celebrate the present, and let us look forward with renewed energy towards the future.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
In Honor of Teacher Appreciation Week
This week is Teacher Appreciation Week. As a parent and an administrator, I have a tremendous amount of Hakarat Hatov ( Thanks )for all that our teachers do on a daily basis on behalf of our students. We are privileged to have such an outstanding faculty who care so much for their students and our school.
I would like to share you my memories of a teacher who made a difference in my life and I believe he had a lot to do with who I am today. It was my ninth grade Rebbe ( Teacher)in HAFTR, Rabbi Tzvi Bajnon, who today is the Principal of Yeshiva Ketana of Long Island.
Rabbi Bajnon not only was a great teacher but he truly cared and he showed us that he cared. Some of us , myself included, wanted extra learning so Rabbi Bajnon, who lived in Brooklyn, came in half an hour early every day to learn with a few of us before davening( morning prayers) . I remember spending shabbos at his house on more than one occasion, and was even invited to one of his children’s weddings. I still speak with Rabbi Bajnon, admittedly not as often as I would like, but I still have a kesher ( connection)with him today. In fact I called him to tell him that I was writing this article and to express my personal Hakarat Hatov( thanks). Rabbi Bajnon taught me Gemara, Chumash, and Math during my four years of high school, and while I don’t remember every detail of what we learned or even what Mesechta we learned, I continue to feel a strong connection to him and admire him greatly. He made a significant impression on me because of the type of role model he was and because he cared about his students in and out of the classroom.
I recently tweeted that teachers often teach more outside the classroom than inside the classroom.
Rabbi Bajnon thank you for helping me become the educator I am today.
As we remember our teachers and the teachers of our children, let’s remember that what makes a teacher special is not always the content of their daily classroom instruction or how much we learned in their class about a specific topic, but how they helped shape our lives.
I would like to share you my memories of a teacher who made a difference in my life and I believe he had a lot to do with who I am today. It was my ninth grade Rebbe ( Teacher)in HAFTR, Rabbi Tzvi Bajnon, who today is the Principal of Yeshiva Ketana of Long Island.
Rabbi Bajnon not only was a great teacher but he truly cared and he showed us that he cared. Some of us , myself included, wanted extra learning so Rabbi Bajnon, who lived in Brooklyn, came in half an hour early every day to learn with a few of us before davening( morning prayers) . I remember spending shabbos at his house on more than one occasion, and was even invited to one of his children’s weddings. I still speak with Rabbi Bajnon, admittedly not as often as I would like, but I still have a kesher ( connection)with him today. In fact I called him to tell him that I was writing this article and to express my personal Hakarat Hatov( thanks). Rabbi Bajnon taught me Gemara, Chumash, and Math during my four years of high school, and while I don’t remember every detail of what we learned or even what Mesechta we learned, I continue to feel a strong connection to him and admire him greatly. He made a significant impression on me because of the type of role model he was and because he cared about his students in and out of the classroom.
I recently tweeted that teachers often teach more outside the classroom than inside the classroom.
Rabbi Bajnon thank you for helping me become the educator I am today.
As we remember our teachers and the teachers of our children, let’s remember that what makes a teacher special is not always the content of their daily classroom instruction or how much we learned in their class about a specific topic, but how they helped shape our lives.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
What Do We Focus On
Justin Tarte (@justintarte) tweeted the following: RT @edteck: Observing a Classroom? Watch the Students, Not the Teacher - http://bit.ly/de5OHN
This reminded me of a story that I often tell my teachers. I heard the story many years ago at a Principals conference.
A teacher wanted to submit a video of one his lesson to an organization that at the time was awarding $10,000 to the teacher of the year. He gave the video to his mentor to look at and for feedback. The mentor watched it and to be honest he wasn't very impressed and he said to himself perhaps I am tired and maybe I need to watch it at a different time. So he waits a few days and still nothing too exciting. He decides that he can't call his former student now teacher back he will just have to wait for him to call. And so after a few days he calls and asks so what did you think. Before his mentor could answer the teacher who was so excited said wasn't it great how I moved around the room and wasn't it skillful how I Incorporated material for the visual and the oratory learning and so on. Then it clicked with the mentor. When the teacher watched the video he watched himself but when the mentor watched it he was looking at the class and the students and saw a completely different picture.
Moral of the story we need to remember that we the teachers are not the focus but that we must be always focused on our students.
My quick thoughts
Akevy
This reminded me of a story that I often tell my teachers. I heard the story many years ago at a Principals conference.
A teacher wanted to submit a video of one his lesson to an organization that at the time was awarding $10,000 to the teacher of the year. He gave the video to his mentor to look at and for feedback. The mentor watched it and to be honest he wasn't very impressed and he said to himself perhaps I am tired and maybe I need to watch it at a different time. So he waits a few days and still nothing too exciting. He decides that he can't call his former student now teacher back he will just have to wait for him to call. And so after a few days he calls and asks so what did you think. Before his mentor could answer the teacher who was so excited said wasn't it great how I moved around the room and wasn't it skillful how I Incorporated material for the visual and the oratory learning and so on. Then it clicked with the mentor. When the teacher watched the video he watched himself but when the mentor watched it he was looking at the class and the students and saw a completely different picture.
Moral of the story we need to remember that we the teachers are not the focus but that we must be always focused on our students.
My quick thoughts
Akevy
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