Section archive - Teacher Education

This article summarizes a study of the viewpoints of Bible lecturers in the Kindergarten Education Department while teaching content related to the biblical “other.” The study, by two researchers themselves part of the study population, was conducted according to the qualitative approach and included interviews with participants from a State Education and a State-Religious college. The findings highlight the different points of origin vis-à-vis Bible studies and the search for the connection between the “other” of the Bible, the students’ own world and later, that of the children while indicating discrepancies between declared objectives and the characteristics of the students.

This research aims to evaluate the manner in which teachers perceive their professional development process. Forty-three teachers from Israeli schools participated in the study. I used a semi-structured interview to understand the teachers’ perceptions about their professional development. The qualitative analysis identified two dimensions that teachers referred to in their professional development stories: the professional development motivation (intrinsic/extrinsic) and types of aspirations (lateral/vertical). Using these dimensions, four ‘professional development patterns’ emerged. Participants’ professional trajectories are described in terms of these patterns: Hierarchically Ambitious, Hierarchically Compelled, the Laterally Ambitious and the Laterally Compelled. This categorisation could serve as an essential tool to help principals and decision-makers analyse teachers’ personal course of professional development. Hence, the categorisation of the teaching staff according to individuals’ professional aspirations could be utilised to design professional development programmes and incentives that would correspond to teachers’ particular needs.

Gratz College is currently accepting applications for the M.A. in Jewish Education, M.A. in Jewish Communal Service and the M.S. in Nonprofit Management. This is the 4th cohort of the successful Gratz College Midcareer Fellowship program which was first launched in 2013. The graduate degrees in Jewish Education, Jewish Communal Service and Nonprofit Management support greater job competency, increased marketability and more diversified skills for Jewish organizational administrators, Hillel staffers, youth group directors, day and supplementary school educators and professionals working in Jewish organizations.

The Pardes Day School Educators Program – training outstanding Jewish studies teachers for day schools since 2000 – is a vibrant and innovative two-year program in Jerusalem that combines intensive text study at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies with a Master of Jewish Education from Hebrew College. This program is highly selective, seeking outstanding applicants for whom day school teaching is their calling. The Pardes Day School Educators Program includes core components of the Pardes Year Program, plus: holistic education courses preparing teachers for the 21st-century Jewish studies classroom; customized Hebrew language ulpan with Ulpan Or; student teaching at Jewish day schools for one month each year in North America; seminars on Jewish history, spirituality, conflict resolution, Jewish thought and Israel education; one-on-one mentoring with expert teaching coaches; career coaching, job placement assistance and alumni support.