Dr. Zeev Kaim, Internship Program Coordinator, Rechovot Campus
The conference held in recognition of this year’s new teachers and interns reflected the substantial creative achievement of the interns from Orot College who won a national competition. Their creative works open windows not only into the worlds of their values, but also to the complexity of the task facing those charged with educating the children of Israel. How fortunate we are that these are our alumni!
One of the most welcome initiatives introduced by the Department of Internships within the Ministry of Education in the last several years has been the national competition for creative works related to education, written by teaching interns. The idea behind the competition is to bring out the inner voice of the young teachers and to reflect their vantage points as they begin their paths as educators, through their assorted creative pieces. In this way, the wider public also gains a peek into what happens behind the closed door of the classroom, and to understand, at least partially, the complexity of the new teacher’s world.
In their first year in teaching, teaching interns experience crises and successes, they are faced with educational dilemmas, and they must sustain themselves amidst tensions and adjustments. These interns are involved in numerous events and incidents, they are exposed to complex pedagogical processes, and they are called upon for significant educational decisions. Practically speaking, the life of an intern may be compared to the constantly-changing waves of the sea; one moment, you are riding the wave, and the next moment, the wave slaps you in the face. These interns come to teaching out of a sense of a calling, wishing to contribute to the shaping of the face of the young generation - and the way in which they will experience their first year will shape their educational points of view, as well as their perceptions of their roles.
The national competition was conducted among roughly 7000 new school and early childhood teachers. The interns compete in three categories of expressive works related to the theme of teaching: stories, posters, and videos. Hundreds of outstanding creative works were presented anonymously to the judges. This collection of creative works was meticulously evaluated by teams of judges which included educators and experts from the fields of literature, visual arts, and film.
When the names of the winners were announced, it turned out that, as we have come to expect, Orot Israel was among the schools with the most winners. Two alumni of the College were cited as first-place finishers and another was designated a third-place winner in the category of literary works. Our alumni were also cited for distinction in the categories of education-themed posters and videos.
Among our winning alumni, we met Elad Yehudai, whose story “Remove Your Shoes from upon Your Feet” addresses the role of the educator as a leader. The story explores the tension between the educator’s desire to serve his students as a figure of certain authority and a role model, and his desire to be close to the students and to establish an emotional connection with them. The story of another winner, Shmuel Hayyun, “An Aliya Experience,” relates to the experience of the author’s father, a Moroccan immigrant whose aliya and absorption to Israel was mired with the hardships of the transfer camp-era, and to the extraordinary “Aliya Experience” project that Shmuel introduced into his classroom, inspired by his father’s experiences. The story shifts and turns between the past and the present and concludes in an emotional encounter between the father, his son, and the students. And the story of alumnus Aharon bar-Yaakov, “As Water Reflects the Face,” reveals the change he underwent as an educator, from being rigid, inflexible, and authoritarian, to being sensitive, patient, and charitable with his students. The change came about slowly and progressively, and it brought the educator to meaningful and constructive relationships with two of his more complex students.
In the category of videos, Meir Dadush was cited for his video, “Another Way.” The film described the teacher’s special relationship with Amit, a student confined to a wheelchair, whom the teacher was able to very successfully integrate into the classroom. Last but not least, alumnus Bat-El Mermelstein also received honorable mention for her poster, “You Have Strived and Achieved (with Love) – Believe it”.
The high point of the experience was the awarding of the awards at the Cameri Theater. The ceremony was honored with the presence of the Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Education, Mrs. Michal Cohen; Deputy Director General, Teaching Personnel Administration, Ministry of Education, Mr. Eyal Ram; Chairman of the Teacher’s Union, Mr. Yossi Wasserman; and the presidents of the colleges, including our president, Rabbi Professor Neriah Gutel. The ceremony began with roundtable discussions, in which the competition winners explained their works to those in attendance, and each guest received a book which surveyed the winning pieces. Later in the evening, there was a formal recognition ceremony, and the conferring of awards, in which honorees congratulated us and we were represented in some of the artistic works. Dr. Sarah Zilberstrom, Director of the Department of Internships and Entry into Instruction, presided over the festive evening with a contagious excitement and aptly described the showcased works as “the small-large gifts which the interns have bestowed upon us, through their own creativity.” Indeed, without a doubt, it is a great privilege to produce such alumni!
In their first year in teaching, teaching interns experience crises and successes, they are faced with educational dilemmas, and they must sustain themselves amidst tensions and adjustments. These interns are involved in numerous events and incidents, they are exposed to complex pedagogical processes, and they are called upon for significant educational decisions. Practically speaking, the life of an intern may be compared to the constantly-changing waves of the sea; one moment, you are riding the wave, and the next moment, the wave slaps you in the face. These interns come to teaching out of a sense of a calling, wishing to contribute to the shaping of the face of the young generation - and the way in which they will experience their first year will shape their educational points of view, as well as their perceptions of their roles.
The national competition was conducted among roughly 7000 new school and early childhood teachers. The interns compete in three categories of expressive works related to the theme of teaching: stories, posters, and videos. Hundreds of outstanding creative works were presented anonymously to the judges. This collection of creative works was meticulously evaluated by teams of judges which included educators and experts from the fields of literature, visual arts, and film.
When the names of the winners were announced, it turned out that, as we have come to expect, Orot Israel was among the schools with the most winners. Two alumni of the College were cited as first-place finishers and another was designated a third-place winner in the category of literary works. Our alumni were also cited for distinction in the categories of education-themed posters and videos.
Among our winning alumni, we met Elad Yehudai, whose story “Remove Your Shoes from upon Your Feet” addresses the role of the educator as a leader. The story explores the tension between the educator’s desire to serve his students as a figure of certain authority and a role model, and his desire to be close to the students and to establish an emotional connection with them. The story of another winner, Shmuel Hayyun, “An Aliya Experience,” relates to the experience of the author’s father, a Moroccan immigrant whose aliya and absorption to Israel was mired with the hardships of the transfer camp-era, and to the extraordinary “Aliya Experience” project that Shmuel introduced into his classroom, inspired by his father’s experiences. The story shifts and turns between the past and the present and concludes in an emotional encounter between the father, his son, and the students. And the story of alumnus Aharon bar-Yaakov, “As Water Reflects the Face,” reveals the change he underwent as an educator, from being rigid, inflexible, and authoritarian, to being sensitive, patient, and charitable with his students. The change came about slowly and progressively, and it brought the educator to meaningful and constructive relationships with two of his more complex students.
In the category of videos, Meir Dadush was cited for his video, “Another Way.” The film described the teacher’s special relationship with Amit, a student confined to a wheelchair, whom the teacher was able to very successfully integrate into the classroom. Last but not least, alumnus Bat-El Mermelstein also received honorable mention for her poster, “You Have Strived and Achieved (with Love) – Believe it”.
The high point of the experience was the awarding of the awards at the Cameri Theater. The ceremony was honored with the presence of the Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Education, Mrs. Michal Cohen; Deputy Director General, Teaching Personnel Administration, Ministry of Education, Mr. Eyal Ram; Chairman of the Teacher’s Union, Mr. Yossi Wasserman; and the presidents of the colleges, including our president, Rabbi Professor Neriah Gutel. The ceremony began with roundtable discussions, in which the competition winners explained their works to those in attendance, and each guest received a book which surveyed the winning pieces. Later in the evening, there was a formal recognition ceremony, and the conferring of awards, in which honorees congratulated us and we were represented in some of the artistic works. Dr. Sarah Zilberstrom, Director of the Department of Internships and Entry into Instruction, presided over the festive evening with a contagious excitement and aptly described the showcased works as “the small-large gifts which the interns have bestowed upon us, through their own creativity.” Indeed, without a doubt, it is a great privilege to produce such alumni!
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