The day started with my 35 minute commute (yes there's a synagogue a minute away from the house I grew up in, and yes we drove 35 minutes to this one, and still do. Charlie was able to FaceTime so I held my phone in my left hand and put both hands on the wheel. I had my headphones on so it was really more talking on the phone and not looking at the screen, but it was funny so I snapped a picture:
I had prepared about a million mini challah doughs for an activity, with the help of a few student aides that are seniors in high school. I literally had a bruise on my hand from doing this on Sunday, DESPITE using a bread machine to do the final kneading of the dough. Have I posted that recipe? Stacy gave it to me a while ago and it's AMAZING. Best challah ever. I'll have to post that. Anyway, one of the activities I did with my students was teach them how to braid and shape challah into the round shape we use for Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year). Usually it's a long braid but we have a round one to remind us of the ongoing cycle of the year. Here are the students working the dough.
In the last picture, you'll see two of my student aides (second to left and second to right). My third is my mom's best friend's son, but he was at a Jewish music thing over that weekend. I couldn't have asked for better "madrichim" (counselors or aides in Hebrew). It's usually a pretty big issue in religious schools because teachers don't really know how to handle or direct/instruct them, and they end up sitting in the classroom with nothing to do and wandering the halls/flirting with each other. Which is really the teachers fault, not theirs, (for the most part). If I was 16 and wasn't given instructions, I would go do that too! This is a really big pet peeve of mine from back when I was teaching in Raleigh, and then the pet peeve grew when I ran the synagogue's school in Summerlin.
So a few tips for teachers that need help managing their student aides and making the most of them:
I am a stickler for making sure they are involved and know about the lesson in advance (yes this takes planning and you can't plan your lesson that day, lol). I am SO beyond blessed that the three I have are naturally ambitious and helpful, but you can make it work with anybody! I make sure to tell them each week that I trust their judgement in discipline and reinforcement, and I am constantly directing them throughout the lesson. I also am not scared to redirect them if I see them lose focus. I think a lot of teachers are scared to do this. It definitely takes a bit of planning ahead, which is sometimes a forgotten skill in Sunday schools, but it's so worth it! I email them the lesson in advance and take their opinions. It really makes an amazing team and I couldn't be more excited for this year with the ones I have!
Okay, back to the day now, off my pedestal. Just an issue I am passionate about.
Niah, one of my amazing Madrichim (okay I'm done I swear) leads a Shofar choir each year. Jewish lesson 101 for those interested: The shofar is the ram's horn we blow on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur (day of atonement). It symbolizes the ram that Abraham sacrificed instead of Isaac, and it's sound/calling reminds us to awaken our souls.
Anyway, it's the upper elementary and middle school students, and they do it in front of the congregation during the high holidays. It's a lot harder to make a sound than it looks, kind of like a trumpet (I've been told). Here is Niah leading their first rehearsal:
That's Rabbi Akselrad to the left of her (the Rabbi that Bat Mitzvah'd me and married me and Charlie).
Here are the kiddos:
Speaking of Rabbi A, I had a meeting with him to go over the confirmation curriculum (one of the classes I teach on Tuesdays), and look what I saw displayed in his office:
He collects bobble heads so I had this made for him after our wedding as a gift to thank him! Hehehe.
Oh listen to how cute this is - during class, my students asked if they could make a hashtag! I about died from the cuteness. I was so excited that THEY were excited about something! So, we are now officially using the hashtag #jewsofseventhgrade and they've already posted pictures of them doing activities, and even a video of the boys braiding the challah! I very much encourage use of technology during class (during APPROPRIATE times) and am more than happy to let them take videos of them having fun learning and being Jewish. Call me crazy, but I think it can be a great learning tool.
Oh, we did the same thing on Tuesday for confirmation and the rest of the high school grades with the challah, but we had time to bake it for them. Since I made the dough on Friday and Saturday, the yeast had really activated by Tuesday, and when they ripped the bread open, it smelled like beer!! I explained to them that beer had yeast, and I was NOT trying to get them drunk. Ha!!!! Good to know. Luckily, it still tasted amazing, just had that initial smell. So don't let your yeast dough sit in the fridge for more than a day!!!! My bad.
Look how pretty though:
Ah! I am on such a high from teaching again. Best "job" for me, ever. I hope to do it for the rest of my life :-)
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