home

= = =This is the wiki for the Hebrew Ulpan of the =

Be Confident Teaching Your Students in Hebrew! Improve your ability to speak Hebrew in order to **reach students effectively and manage your classroom.** Teachers of Tanach, Gemara, Jewish History or Halacha often feel disadvantaged for a variety of reasons when asked to teach in Hebrew. This is an opportunity to **learn from experts ** and **practice with peers ** so that you will be able to express yourself clearly and comfortably.

Many Jewish day schools view developing the Hebrew language skills of their students as one of their schools’ missions. These schools aim to provide Hebrew instruction to their students in all Jewish studies classes so that students receive instruction in the language of the Hebrew texts they use and increase their Hebrew vocabulary. At the same time, teachers of Bible, Jewish History or Jewish Law often feel disadvantaged for a variety of reasons when asked to teach in Hebrew. This year, the Institute for University-School Partnership of the Azrieli Graduate School for Jewish Education and Administration has responded to this need. Chani Maybruch, Associate Director of Learning and Professional Development at the Institute, worked closely with Azrieli professors and Hebrew language experts to design an “Ulpan for Teaching in Hebrew”. This Ulpan serves as an ideal opportunity to **learn from experts** and **practice with peers** so that teachers will be able to express themselves clearly and comfortably in Hebrew. Participants engage in a variety of learning experiences to improve their ability to speak Hebrew in order to r**each students and manage a classroom effectively.** Ulpan classes are given Mondays and Wednesdays from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm for six weeks, June 28 - August 4. During the morning, Rivka Weiner coaches Ulpan participants on how to teach in Hebrew by developing their vocabulary and facilitating interactive dialogue around exciting Hebrew multimedia. Dr. Moshe Sokolow teaches participants correct Hebrew grammar to develop their ability to decode and write Hebrew text. During the afternoon, Deganit Ronen and Anne Gordon each facilitate a break-out group for students to practice teaching in Hebrew by delivering model lessons and benefiting from direct feedback. This summer we have fifteen participants, who are all currently teaching in Jewish day schools across the east coast. While most participants live in the tri-state area, one participant is from Florida and four participants travel over 4 hours daily from Southern Connecticut to participate in our Ulpan. We have received enthusiastic and glowing feedback from our participants remarking on the interesting style and expertise of our instructors. Our instructors, likewise, have expressed appreciation for the high level of intelligence, motivation and commitment of the Ulpan participants. One instructor said, “I am not counting how many days I have left to teach the Ulpan; I enjoy coming in each day to teach this group!” Since this is a pilot course, we will use the feedback of our instructors and participants to further hone and develop the design of the Ulpan for the coming year. Ultimately, we hope to boost the confidence and ability of teachers to speak in Hebrew to order to raise the level of Hebrew instruction in Jewish day schools one classroom at a time.