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2023 Educator Awards Video Presentation

Added Mar 06, 2024 •

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I became a teacher cuz my big brother album I am who I call Des I unfortunately lost him back in October of 2008 and I just wanted a way to connect to him as well as keep his legacy alive and one of the things that I remembered about him was that he had when he came back from Park Synagogue another twinkle in his eye when he would talk about the students the jokes the Torah portions and how he would connected to the things our parents taught us just to love he really had for it that first day that I taught I got it understood what he loved about it and I started to laugh at myself as well as continued on his legacy when it comes to Sunday school and you only have that very short time to go ahead and get it all in there whether is Hebrew the Alice bed holidays the weekly portion do you want to make sure it's fun and that they're learning I want to make sure that they're having a good time kids are the future they go ahead they continue the legacy of Judaism and it's just something I want to be a part of that I would like to impacted a child that they did something great and they'll always look back and say it was my teacher Bella it just shows that I've made a connection with them and I made a difference and they make a difference in my life who I am today but I think you guys all the shout out to my parents hate pretty much gave me all the tools that I have that has got me to where I'm at today they instilled and taught me the can-do attitude that nothing is out of my reach something that I do after if I fail they also always told me that that's okay they just always said learn from your mistakes where there is no such thing as failing the belief that they had in me is what I believe in others my goal as a teacher is that every single girl should feel valuable and should feel part of something bigger and that they should feel that there's something special about them and when you struggle academically it could be really really difficult the teachers that are there because they love what they do and because they want to give over a warm and loving message and environment every single day those are the teachers that made a difference in my life one of my favorite parts of my job is being the girls muffin us every single day and meeting with each girl individually and just learning about food they are not just in the classroom and that there's so much more than a mark giving them a place to shine outside of the classroom getting to know who they are or what they enjoy what they don't enjoy it is helping them with all their social nameks and all those pieces navigating their way through Middle School would be so hard for certain girls it's why I love him as a teacher I don't want a girl to feel like a failure just because she's failing her time I want a girl to feel like a success because she has to much to offer in school in the classroom in her family and in the world and that's what makes us unique everybody's different and everybody needs a chance to shine so yeah if you need some extra help in the classroom that's what I'm here for we don't live in a bubble do you know everything that's going on in the world and we can try to shelter them but there's only so much we can do and so I like to take the approach let's address it and let's teach them to be empathetic towards other people let's use it. preciate what we have when other people have less fear can be paralyzing but let's let's not let it paralyze us let it use this to propel us and push us forward and become closer to us and become closer to each other to normalize things and show them that it's okay be scared it's okay if there is any things that are confusing in the world but let's let's approach it to at Orleans and unless I understand it I am just so proud to be a Hebrew educator teaching tell Rob because it's just a link in our well everyone in the world is trying to break her chain we're going to make it stronger so many people that have had an impact on me the first are my parents I feel like my mom taught me a lot about compassion my dad taught me to be a hard worker don't wait till the last minute to apply your best effort I really had to work hard for the grades that I earned I remember as an elementary student I had a math tutor and a reading tutor and my math tutor always dress meet this and my reading tutor was always very encouraging so I think I took those types of skills into my own teaching because of all of those experiences I stress to my students being a hard worker not waiting until the last minute but also bringing the sun into the class my excitement for teaching is hopefully Contagious on to them for their excitement for Learning and it seems to be that way most of the time I think I also have a gift to help students read high expectations like believe in themselves and so even when something might be challenging I'm there with the skills to help them conquer it being a role model is one of the most important aspects of being a teacher demonstrating doing the I think being a hard worker showing them that not everything is easy I think those are life skills that they can learn from me I also think that part of being a role-model is letting them see me make some mistakes I think it's important integrate the two days curriculum because that's so important to why people go to Schecter not only are they getting a quality General Studies education from me but they're also getting that Jewish component and I need different ways and I think that that helps students as they grow older to become confident Jewish mentioned being a mentor teacher is so rewarding knowing that I always have their back or someone's always in their car there is really helpful to them I think it also is inspiring to me cuz you get to hear these new teachers ideas and learn from them as well but it's also building a relationship and kind of teaching them about behavior management and different ideas for their curriculum but I also learned a lot from that we really care about each other's wellness and well-being it's like a warm feeling in my heart what's the reason I wanted to become a teacher I'll tell you what help me believe in the power of teachers I couldn't read until I was in the fourth grade up until this point teacher Sami stupid we could be or abstinence but all of a sudden these symbols became words with boss to share and World opening up to me and in sixth grade mrs. Ruben believed in me even more than I believe in myself she convinced me to try out for Mark Twain Virginia gifted and talented school I got in for two towers theater and vans and the gifted program I couldn't believe it but I told mrs. Reuben that I couldn't believe it she said she wasn't surprised she knew it all along the power of teachers I'm lucky enough to call a Jewish community of Cleveland home that only professionally personally as well when I first moved to Cleveland I was struck by the sense of kinship in unity shared being a parent in the Cleveland Jewish Community has changed so much over the years the resources for our day school children really worth Peterson opened up doors I have a good fortune to promote Independence at rattner Mendel Schechter Hebrew Academy an issue with the benefit of getting to work and all these different schools is that I have all these teams to learn from and to share with and that is really what is going to help bring the child the greatest success getting a chance to be in the classroom really put me in a roll to work side-by-side with teachers it helps me individualize a program for a student and be there for a Consulting role with the teachers it's also helped me develop a relationship with her parents and all together we work as a team to help a child I have had to learn how to be adaptable but I've learned from the children themselves over the years what they need and the best ways to help them that I've learned from my students themselves their strength and the best way to overcome their challenges one of the greatest rewards if hearing a student who says can't see that they can when I pull into the parking lot and walk into the building I just want to make sure that every child that I engage with that walks away feeling stronger and more confident no more missed opportunities I had this kindergarten teacher he made School feel like home away from home and that is something that I want to do for my kid I love to talk and communicate with my parents and get to know my parents and I want my parents to get to know me as a teacher and as a mother each child is different child is not the same I want to guide them through different Milestones of their life because this is the beginning of my co-workers they are amazing work well with each other we communicate well with each other we support weather in our work and everything I love it there they see things that I don't see in myself when this time that I want to give up they don't allow me they push me to do for its and do better and the support of my coworkers they showing me how a work family is supposed to be some days I don't know where I get to end Ephraim when I see those faces in the weight loss faces light up when they see me it it does something to my heart I have one parent say to me your energy is contained I love it that made me feel good cuz I made her day that really touched my heart at the end of the year I want them to know that their child was loved honor I'm very honored he's firmly and strongly that engaging all five senses in Learners is the key to success that is what makes our Learners fall in love with being Jewish I think that now more than ever ever ever before that is what is important and the more that we can engage them meaningfully in Jewish experiences also means to fall in love with being a part of a Community our job is a synagogue is to bring Jewish life to as many people as possible and being together is the most important thing that we can do what it means to be an out-of-the-box thinker and how it kind of comes out in in the work that I do is that I I really believe that no idea is a bad idea I really love to synthesize all of the different ideas and thoughts and plans and values that we were including all of those things to create a program that I put on I'm a really firm believer in Partnerships and I think that that is something that makes Jewish Cleveland so so unique is that we all work together to create a beautiful amazing Dynamic and engaging Jewish Community we're so lucky to have this had a ball incredible agency and not just an agency but relief people and resources and you know when it's and it's not responding it's it's really and truly it's the people behind the agency people who are part of it help make it what it is and make it such a wonderful and incredible organization to partner with I think that experience will Jewish Education is the most important thing that we can do for our teens and learners of all ages and that's what I strive to do in my work both as the instructor and as a director of the bridge is that the more communal experiences that we offer in which our Learners are continuous engaging their senses and developing meaningful relationships with one another that is where we find success and it's the way that they will continue to learn from each other both in the classroom are the classroom and far beyond any of those places that is why we do what we do and that's that's the beauty of experiential Jewish Education