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

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. Thus, here is the first part of this lesson on the roles and responsibilities of the madrich or madricha.

Title of Lesson: What does a Madrich or Madricha Do?

Enduring Jewish Knowledge Rationale for the Lesson:

A teacher is one who engages students in the study of Torah. From our perspective, a madrich or madricha is a role model, teaching assistant or pre-service teaching intern who helps the teacher instruct, and the students to learn Torah. Also see the enduring Jewish knowledge rationale in a previous lesson.

Essential Question/s: What does a madrich or madricha do?

Assessment/s: (Initial, ongoing, and final activities designed to measure what the student has learned)

Students individually, in pairs, via classroom discussion and as a homework assignment discuss the answer to this essential question. What does a madrich or madricha do in the classroom?

Objective/learning outcome/Learning Outcome: (What the student is supposed to learn from this lesson) The student will be able to define in his or her own words the answers to this question: What does a madricha or madrich do in the classroom?

Name of the Active Learning Procedure/s: Mill and Freeze and You’re the Teacher

Anticipatory Set: (Motivation activity that prepares students for the learning outcome)

Suggested Motivational Statement:

“Now that we have discussed what it means to be a Judaics teacher, and have identified some of the transparent and hidden activities of a teacher, let’s focus on the responsibilities of the teaching assistant and role model in the classroom, the work of the madrich and madricha. I know that some of you have been madrichim in a Judaics teacher’s classroom, and some of you have served as teaching assistants in other formal and informal educational settings. So here’s my question to you. What exactly is a madrich or madricha expected to do to assist the teacher in a supplemental or day school classroom?”

Introductory Activity: (Initial exercise to focus on the objective/learning outcome)

Give students a few minutes to individually record the responsibilities of a madrich or madricha in a supplemental or day school.

Developmental Activity: (Set of procedures or steps to reach the objective/learning outcome)

1. After each student has recorded a list of responsibilities (at least five) expected of the madrich or madricha, invite each student to stand with her list in hand, while holding a writing implement.

2. Then ask each student to mill around the room and greet each member of the class. Model this so that each student knows your expectations regarding how to mill and greet their fellow classmates. Thus, for example, you might say, “Shalom, Meirav, ” “ Hi Adi,” or “Boker tov, Aviv.“ You might also wish to model what you do not want students to do or say (i.e. name call, speak loudly, withdraw from the group, etc.).

3. At a signal given by you, the students stand still. Your signal can be a command like “freeze”, a whistle, a few claps, or the turning off of music, etc. You then invite students to form temporary learning pairs where each member shares one item from her list of responsibilities expected of the madrich or madricha. As with Rally Round, if students have that item on their list, they mark a check next to it. If they don’t have the item, they add it to their list.

On the next post we will share part two of the lesson on the roles and responsibilities of the madrich or madricha.

Lesson Plan on What Does a Judaic Studies Teacher 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 Judaic Studies Teacher Do?” Since there are 13 elements in each lesson plan. We will divide this lesson plan into two parts. Click here to locate the first part of this lesson. Here is part two of this lesson covering what a Judaic Studies teacher does.

Developmental Activity: (Set of procedures or steps to reach the objective/learning outcome)

1. Form students into dyads, and model this cooperative procedure called Rally Round (Kagan, 2009).

2. Select a student to serve as your learning partner and say, “ I’ll tell you one item from my list of things that a teacher does. If you have that item on your list, just put a check next to it. If you don’t have that idea on your list, write it down. So here’s my first item. A teacher plans lessons. Now you tell me one thing from your list.” Next the student, your learning partner, shares an item from her list. They continue this process of sharing new information with their learning partner until they each have no additional information to contribute or the teacher ends the exercise.


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

Invite students to share activities or the responsibilities of a teacher or Judaics teacher. Monitor how well they take turns sharing information and applying Rally Round.

Developmental Activity Continued:

1. Invite each student in the class to share one new item from his or her list. They share information in clockwise or counter clockwise fashion. If a student has nothing new to state, he or she simply says, ‘I pass’. This round robin classroom sharing activity is called ‘Community Round Robin’

2. Give a brief lecture on the roles and responsibilities of a Judaic Studies teacher:

What Does a Judaics Teacher, a Moreh or Morah, Do?

When we see a competent teacher conducting a lesson, it seems so easy and effortless. In fact, good teaching is a very complex enterprise involving many decisions before, during, and after the lesson is implemented. Indeed, many of the activities a moreh or morah does are never seen by their students. In this course/workshop/seminar we will be sharing both the hidden and transparent activities that professional teachers, or morim do. These activities include but are not limited to:

• Planning lessons
• Determining content and curriculum (i.e. what should be taught)
• Creating a positive classroom environment
• Developing multiple ways of delivering instruction
• Using multiple ways of measuring what students have learned
• Managing student behavior
• Collaborating with other members of the instructional staff including teaching assistants (madrichim), co-teachers, teachers, and administrators
• Communicating with and engaging parents, guardians, and members of the Jewish community to participate in classroom and school activities


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

1. Students can interview a teacher or former teacher and inquire about the activities they do before, during, and after teaching that lesson.

2. Students then 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 complete this sentence stem. One idea I learned or relearned about the responsibilities of a teacher or Judaic Studies teacher is ....

2. The teacher concludes the lesson saying, “Good teaching is a very complex enterprise involving many decisions before, during, and after the lesson is implemented”.

On the next post we will describe part one of a lesson with this title,” What Does a Madrich or Madricha Do?”

Lesson Plan on What Does a Judaic Studies Teacher Do? Part One

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 Judaic Studies Teacher Do?” Since there are 13 elements in each lesson plan (see the description of the 13 elements at this url: http://richarddsolomonsblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/13-elements-of-each-lesson-plan.html) we will divide this lesson plan into two parts.

Title of Lesson: What Does a Judaic Studies Teacher Do?

Enduring Jewish Knowledge Rationale for the Lesson: A Judaics teacher is one who engages students in the study of Torah. Also see the enduring Jewish knowledge rationale from the previous lesson.

Essential Question/s: What does a teacher do? What does a Judaic Studies teacher do?

Assessment/s: (Initial, ongoing, and final activities designed to measure what the student has learned)
Students individually, in pairs, via classroom discussion and as a homework assignment discuss the answers to these essential questions. What does a teacher do? What does a Judaic Studies teacher do?

Objective/Learning Outcome: (What the student is supposed to learn from this lesson.) The student will be able to define in his or her own words the answer to this question: What does a Judaic Studies teacher do?

Name of the Active Learning Procedure: Rally Round

Anticipatory Set: (Motivation activity that prepares students for the learning outcome)

Suggested Motivational Statement:
“Now that we have discussed what it means to be a teacher and more specifically a Judaics teacher, let’s explore this topic more deeply. Having been students in a classroom for many years, you know a great deal about learning and teaching; so here’s my challenge to you. Think about this question. What exactly does a teacher or a Judaics teacher do?”

Introductory Activity: (Initial exercise to focus on the objective/learning outcome)
Give students a few minutes to individually record the activities a teacher or Judaics teacher does in their notebooks.



On the next post we will share part two of this lesson, What Does a Judaics Teacher Do?

Lesson Plan on What is a Teacher? What is a Judaic Studies Teacher?

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 the first 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 the first lesson is: “What is a Teacher”? What is a Judaic Studies Teacher

Title of Lesson: What is a Teacher? What is a Judaic Studies Teacher?

Enduring Jewish Knowledge Rationale for the Lesson:

In the Torah and the Talmud there are many references regarding the responsibility of parents to teach the Torah to their children including:

V'ahav'ta eit Adonai Elohekha b'khol l'vav'kha uv'khol naf'sh'kha uv'khol m'odekha.

And you shall love the L-rd your G-d with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your might.

V'hayu had'varim ha'eileh asher anokhi m'tzav'kha hayom al l'vavekha.

And these words that I command you today shall be in your heart.

V'shinan'tam l'vanekha v'dibar'ta bam

And you shall teach them diligently to your children, and you shall speak of them

b'shiv't'kha b'veitekha uv'lekh't'kha vaderekh uv'shakh'b'kha uv'kumekha

when you sit at home, and when you walk along the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up. (Taken from the V’ahavta Prayer in Deuteronomy 6:4-9)

Denying a child religious knowledge robs the child of an inheritance. (Talmud Sanhedrin 91b)

Every parent is obligated to train his/her children in the observance of mitzvot, for it is written: "Train a child according to his way." (Proverbs 22:6)

"A father is obligated to ... teach him Torah ... One is obligated to hire a teacher for his son in the event that he cannot personally teach Torah. “(Rambam 1:3)

A teacher is one who engages students in the study of Torah (our definition).

Essential Question/s: What is a teacher? What is a Judaic Studies teacher? What is a pre-service and in-service teacher?

Assessment/s: (Initial, ongoing, and final activities designed to measure what the student has learned)

Students individually, in pairs, via classroom discussion and as a homework assignment will discuss the answers to these the essential questions. What is a teacher? What is a Judaic Studies teacher? What is a pre-service and in-service teacher?

Objective/Learning Outcome: (What the student is supposed to learn from this lesson) The student will be able to define in his or her own words the answers to these three questions:

What is a teacher? What is a Judaic Studies teacher? What is a pre-service and in-service teacher?

Name of the Active Learning Procedure: Think-Pair-Share

Anticipatory Set: (Motivation activity that prepares students for the learning outcome)

Suggested Motivational Statement:

“All of us have been taught by many teachers. They may have been our parents, our grandparents, relatives, older brothers and sisters, rabbis, neighbors, friends, youth leaders, and of course those who are designated teachers in our schools. Indeed in the V’ahavta prayer (Deuteronomy 6:4-9) parents are obligated to teach their children to love G-d with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. In addition, the Rambam said: ‘one is obligated to hire a teacher ... in the event that he cannot personally teach Torah to his child’.” (Rambam 1:3)

Therefore for today’s lesson we are going to discuss these three questions: What is a teacher? What is a Judaic Studies teacher?” What is a pre-service and in-service teacher?

Introductory Activity: (Initial exercise to focus on the objective/learning outcome)

1. The first thing I want you to do is think about who was one of your best teachers, and what did he or she do that made him or her so special. Take 30 seconds to think about this person and what he or she did that made him or her so outstanding in your mind. Do not discuss your answer with a classmate at this time.

2. Now record your answer in your notebook. You will have 60 seconds to write your answer.

Developmental Activity: (Set of procedures or steps to reach the objective/learning outcome)

1. Form learning pairs or dyads. Say, “the two of you are learning pairs; you two are learning pairs, and so on. “If you have an odd number of students, let one group become a learning triad, or you can work with that one student. Under certain circumstances you can pre-arrange learning partners based upon your judgment. That is, certain students (a) may not work well as learning pairs, (b) may need additional support, (c) can only work alone, or (d) need you or a teaching assistant to serve as a learning partner.

2. Model what you want each learning pair to do. Select a student to serve as your learning partner and say, “One of my best teachers was ... He was my fifth grade teacher at PS 221 in Brooklyn, New York. He was a great teacher because he had a wonderful sense of humor, and when school was over we played ball together because he was the director of the after school center. Now who was one of your best teachers.”

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

1. Invite students to discuss their best teachers. However, students should not mention the name of a particular teacher as this can lead to an off-task discussion. Monitor how well they take turns sharing information.

2. Invite learning pairs to share what that teacher had done that made him or her so special or memorable.

Developmental Activities Continued:

1. When convinced that all students have had a chance to take turns sharing their data (i.e. who was their special teacher and what he or she had done that made him or her so memorable), invite a few students to share their thoughts with the class.

Note: They can share information in five ways:
1. State what they said.
2. State what their partner had said.
3. State a combination of what they had discussed.
4. State something new that relates to the topic discussed (This is designed to enable students to save face if they were not on task).
5. Pass if they have difficulty speaking in public.

Note: Most students do not use the pass option when they are given think time (i.e. time to reflect upon what they want to say) and peer rehearsal time (i.e. time to practice in pairs before speaking publicly). In addition, students also have the right to share what their partner had said.

Note: This four step cooperative procedure is technically called Think-Write-Pair-Share. It is a variation on the Think-Pair-Share (Lyman, 1981).

2. After information sharing, pose this question to your students. What is a Judaic Studies teacher? Allow students to reflect on this question individual and silently for 15 seconds.

3. Invite students to discuss their thoughts on this question with their learning partner for a minute or so.

4. Allow students to share their definitions of a Judaics teacher with their classmates.

5. The teacher shares his or her definition of a Judaics teacher. Here is one sample statement:

A Judaic Studies teacher (of Judaics teacher) is a person who engages students in the study of Torah. He or she enables others to acquire, share, apply, and create knowledge about the Torah. A teacher is not simply a "talking head." A "talking head" is a lecturer. A Judaic Studies teacher is someone who has the knowledge of both Judaic content (i.e. Tanach, Hebrew, Tefilah, Hagim/Holidays, Jewish history, middot/virtues, and Israel) and process (i.e. activities and procedures) that empowers students to learn.

6. The teacher explains that a pre-service teacher is a madrich or madricha, or student teacher who is learning the art and science of teaching.

7. The teacher further explains that an in-service teacher is a novice (i.e. first year), beginning (i.e. person teaching during the first five years of his or her career), or veteran instructor with many years of teaching experience.

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

1. Students can ask their parents, grandparents, or another teacher these questions: What is a teacher? What is a Judaic Studies teacher? Did they have a favorite teacher? What did that teacher do that was so special?

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

3. Students should be prepared to share what they had learned during the interview with their classmates.

Closure: (Activity that summarizes and ends the lesson)

Students complete these four sentence stems:
1. A teacher is....
2. A Judaic Studies teacher is ....
3. A pre-service teacher is ...
4. An in-service teacher is ...

On the next post we will begin to share a lesson entitled, “What Does a Judaic Studies Teacher Do”?

13 Elements of Each Lesson Plan

We are beginning a new section of the blog sharing specific lesson plans designed to teach, train and develop pre-service and in-service Judaic teachers in best practices in teaching, lesson planning and managing student behavior. Each lesson plan will contain these thirteen elements.

• Title of the Lesson

• Enduring Jewish Knowledge Rationale for the Lesson

• Essential Question/s: (Questions whose answers lead to enduring Jewish knowledge)

• Assessments (Initial, ongoing, and final activities designed to measure what the student has learned)

• Objective/Learning Outcome (What the student is supposed to learn from this lesson)

• Name of the Active Learning Procedure Included in the Lesson

• Anticipatory Set (Motivation activity that prepares students for the objective/ learning outcome)

• Suggested Motivational Statement

• Introductory Activity (Initial exercise to focus on the objective/learning outcome)

• Developmental Activity (Set of procedures or steps to reach the objective/ learning outcome )

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

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

• Closure (Activity that summarizes and ends the lesson)

On the next post we will share our first lesson plan with this title, “What is a Teacher”?

Negative Reinforcement: A Teacher Intervention That Can Be Used To Manage Student Behavior

When mentoring our pre-service and in-service teachers we need to describe and model both research-based and clinically tested best practices. In particular, behavioral psychology theorists and practitioners have observed that by giving or withdrawing certain positive, and/or negative reinforcers after a student’s behavior is emitted, that student’s behavior can be changed or modified.

The chart at the top of the post identifies several ways that teachers can modify a student’s behavior through manipulating the consequences. You can present something positive- (box 1), present something negative-(box 2), withdraw something positive-(box 3), or withdraw something negative-(box 4). The arrows indicate that behavior will either increase (i.e. arrow pointing up), or decrease (e.g. arrow pointing down).

In today’s post we will describe and give a concrete example of how a teacher might use negative reinforcement as a method to increase a desirable student behavior (i.e. students doing their homework assignment.)

Box 4 is perhaps the most confusing to understand. In this case, the teacher can WITHDRAW something that is perceived by the student to be NEGATIVE, after that student has performed something that is equally distasteful to him or her. How might this intervention, negative reinforcement, work? If we know that a student (a) does not like doing homework, and (b) especially dislikes taking tests, we can eliminate that student's having to take a quiz, if he or she has done all of his/her homework correctly. In Box 4 the arrow points upward because negative reinforcement tends to encourage that student to emit the desirable behavior, in this case doing all the homework correctly. The handout below the chart at the top of the post offers a specific classroom application for negative reinforcement.

On the next post we will begin a new segment on the blog. We will describe specific lesson plans on how to teach, develop or train pre-service and beginning in-service Judaic educators about the application of research-based and clinically tested best practices in teaching, lesson planning, and managing student behavior.

New Wiki for Posing Questions and Commenting on the Content Published in this Blog

In the hope that we can have a real conversation among my readers I have just created a Wiki where you are invited to raise questions and offer your perspectives on the content that we present on this blog. Here is the url of the new wiki for discussion: http://richarddsolomonphd.wikispaces.com/message/view/home/21440361