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Monday, March 22, 2010

Lesson Plan on What Does a Madrich or Madricha Do: Part Two


When mentoring our pre-service and in-service teachers we need to describe and model both research-based and clinically tested best practices. This is one of many lessons we will be sharing on teaching Judaic content, lesson planning, models of teaching, differentiated and individualized instruction and learning activities designed to transform the classroom into a Jewish community of cooperative learners. The title of this lesson is “What Does a Madrich or Madricha Do?” Since there are 13 elements in each lesson plan we will divide this lesson plan into two parts. The first part of this lesson plan can be located at this url: http://richarddsolomonsblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/lesson-plan-on-what-does-madrich-or.html Here is the second part of this lesson on the roles and responsibilities of the madrich or madricha.

Guided Practice: (Students apply new skill/s or strengthen previously learned skills during classroom instruction.)

After pairs have exchanged one item, you give the command, “mill”, which means that students continue to greet the other members in your classroom community. This activity is called “Mill and Freeze”.

Developmental Activity Continued:

1. You determine how long to allow this community building (i.e. students milling while learning the names of the members of the class) and information sharing activity to last.

2. Invite each student in the class community to share one new item from her list.
You can use “Community Round Robin” where in clock-wise or counter clock-wise fashion each students is invited to speak or introduce “You’re the Teacher”. This is how “You’re The Teacher” is implemented. The teacher invites a student to share one item from her list. After that student has completed her response, she becomes the teacher, and then selects the next student to speak. This process continues. Students are encouraged to add new items to their list of madrichim responsibilities.

3. Give a brief lecture on the roles and responsibilities of the madrich or madricha.

A madrich or madricha is a member of the instructional staff who supports the classroom teacher. Here is a list of some activities a teaching assistant might be expected to do (Howard, 2006):


Administrative Responsibilities
Setting up the classroom
Taking attendance
Collecting tzedakah
Distributing supplies, books, and other materials
Preparing snacks
Correcting students' work
Managing progress charts
Preparing materials for upcoming activities
Reorganizing the classroom at the end of the day
Temporarily taking charge of the class if the teacher is indisposed
Teaching a five minute mini-lesson to a small group or the entire class
Participating in and leading portions of a prayer service

Interactive Responsibilities
Greeting students as they enter the classroom
Helping students with art projects
Assisting students with class work
Leading students in small-group activities
Leading transitions between activities
Reading stories to the class
Tutoring students who need extra help
Mentoring students who have difficulty focusing during class

Creative Responsibilities
Creating bulletin boards
Making samples for upcoming art projects
Developing costumes, scenery, or puppets for class performances
Editing student-centered newspapers
Providing musical accompaniment to prayer service

Independent Activities: (Students practice new skill/s or strengthen previously learned skills outside of the class.)

1. Students interview a teacher or former teacher, madrich or madricha, and inquire about the madrichim responsibilities.

2. Students record the responses of the person they interviewed in their notebooks.

3. Students should come to class prepared to share what they had learned during the interview.

Closure: (Activity that summarizes and ends the lesson)

1. Students do a Mill and Freeze again and share (a) their own definition for a madrich or madricha, and (b) give a few examples of what madrichim are expected to do.

2. Teacher monitors this exchange of information, and shares his definition for the role of the madrichim.

On the next post we will begin the first part of a lesson entitled, What Does a Student Teacher Do?”

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