Section archive - Teacher Education

8. This article considers the role of the individual during crises in humanism and the ethical responsibility with which the individual is charged in such times of moral calamity. In a narrow sense, the article explores Emmanuel Lévinas's “Nameless” (“Sans nom”), an essay that appears in his book Proper Names, and proposes viewing it as his personal reading in honor of his unique, unaccounted-for teacher Monsieur Chouchani. From a broader philosophical perspective, the article attempts to consider the meaning of ethics and the assumption of responsibility in times when doing so appears to offer no benefit and hold no significance whatsoever. From an educational perspective, it endeavors to better understand the ethical role of the teacher in both tranquil and tempestuous times. And finally, it also offers another profound observation of what Lévinas's article refers to as the “Jewish condition,” not in a national historical sense but as a model of crisis-oriented ethical challenge.

To help meet the demand for more qualified staff, the Davidson School is launching a concentration in Disabilities Inclusion and Advocacy beginning in Fall 2018. In addition to the standard requirements for our MA in Jewish Education, students in the Disabilities Inclusion and Advocacy concentration will complete coursework in special education at JTS and Columbia’s Teacher College, engage in a year-long practicum in the field (with the option of working at a Jewish summer camp in a disabilities/inclusion program), participate in a number of co-curricular programs and learning opportunities, and enjoy cohort-based meetings and opportunities for reflection. We are currently receiving applications for our inaugural year; we are excited to begin this journey and do this meaningful work.

In this research, we examine strategies school principals have used to assist struggling teachers. In an open-ended questionnaire designed for this study, we asked 219 school principals to describe a successful intervention they held. The results show that principals prefer supportive assistance to organizational changes (such as moving the teacher to another class). They rarely used confrontational approaches.

In an attempt to remedy the problem with Israelis and their ability to speak English, the Education Ministry recently approved a tuition-free English teaching course to be implemented throughout the country and help better train future English teachers. Starting this upcoming school year, all Israeli colleges are invited to apply for a part of the NIS 12 million budget and offer this free government-run course to native English speakers who are interested in learning how to teach English to local children.