Faculty Spotlight: Yael Safran
Lower School Faculty, Judaic Studies
Currently in her third year of teaching at GOA, Lower School Judaic Studies teacher Yael Safran still views herself as a student as she is consistently learning through professional development programs and collaboration opportunities with colleagues. She has attended a “Documentation, Design and Interpretation" workshop at Lesley University in Boston − which helps students design their own learning path − as well as the "Hiburim" (connections) workshop at Hebrew College in Boston. This past summer, she attended the Center for Israel Education (CIE) conference, which she says was eye opening. “Since the conference, I’ve changed my curriculum to make sure there is a teachable Israel moment in almost every lesson.”
Post CIE, Morah Yael has begun reading classic Hebrew children’s books with her students as well as singing popular Israeli children songs. She has also introduced Israeli artists, such as Hanoch Piven, to Gan, having students research his art and try to create similar pieces in his style. She also has plans to tie in science, learning about how Israelis were able to turn the desert into arable land.
Recognizing the need for students to learn using a variety of methods, Morah Yael strives to help her Gan students learn in an exciting and interactive way, whether it’s playing musical chairs while reviewing Hebrew letters or playing freeze dance while reading Hebrew combinations of letters and vowels. “Watching my students laugh and have fun while they are showing me how they can read in Hebrew is truly unforgettable.”
Wilf Lower School Campus
Eric F. Ross Upper School Campus
©2020 Golda Och Academy - All Rights Reserved