Students
Yaakov curses occasionally in class. At first, you choose to ignore him because you don't want to draw too much attention to him. Weeks go by and he has begun to swear more regularly, additionally, he even swears at you!
What do you do?
*Bonus points if you can think of an incentive system to help him stop swearing.*
You spent hours creating an amazing interactive lesson for your observation today. The topic is on end punctuation and you are do excited to do this lesson with your kita hey class. Just as Leila walks in, the WiFi goes down.
What do you do?
*Bonus points for any team who can think of a different (better) solution.*
Your co-teacher, Noya, is reading words for a spelling test. She reads "once" as "uns" (among a few other terribly embarassing mistakes!).
What do you do? Do you correct her in the moment? Wait until after class?
*Bonus points for acting it out.*
It's the 3rd week of September and you're sitting in the Teacher's Room. A teacher you have never seen before walks in and starts yelling at you in Hebrew. You don't have the language to respond but you understand enough to know that because the Israeli teacher doesn't know who you are, she wants you to get out of the Teacher's Room.
How do you respond to this?
*Bonus points for another group to act this whole scene out, PLUS providing a different solution.*
Nate, one of your wonderful students, decided to paint his face black and say, "I'm a real n*word*now" directly to you.
How do you respond to him in the moment?
*Bonus points for what you would do next? Who do you contact? How do you speak further to him?
Your co-teacher, Aaron, treats you like his assistant, therefore, your students also treat you like the assistant. The students don't respect you and as a result, they don't listen to you when you give directions.
How do you handle this?
*Bonus points for another team to provide a different solution.*
During partani (tutoring) you work with a group of 5 kita daled students. You're supposed to be reviewing vowel sounds with them and then "teach them to read" as your co-teacher puts it. Your students are just not understanding all the various vowel sounds. Meanwhile, your co-teacher is getting upset with you that the students still can't read after your 2 weeks of partani.
How do you handle this? What do you say to your co-teacher?
*Bonus points for another team if you can share 2-3 ideas on how to teach vowel sounds.*
You and Eitan have been teaching kita daled together for 3 months now. He often comes late to class, leaving you to get started on your own. Today, Eitan sends you a text 10 minutes into your double English period saying "Can't make it today. There's no plan but you speak English, hatzlacha!"
Besides sending back a nasty text (don't do that!), what do you do? How do you discuss this with Eitan?
*Bonus points for first team to come up with a double period lesson plan for kita daled.
The bell rings to signal hafsaka is over. No one in the Teacher's Room seems to care. Your co-teacher even takes out her snack and offers you a plate to join her.
Do you stay with your co-teacher and be late for class or go to class right away?
*Bonus points- This seems to be a daily routine of teachers not heading to class on time. This is very differerent than what you're used to. Do you disuss this with your co-teacher?*
Ron, one of your outgoing kita yud students, puts balloons under his shirt and starts walking around sharing that he has giant tities! Everyone is laughing and you simply saying "Ron, please take those out of your shirt" or "Ron, please sit down" just doesn't seem to work.
Now what? What do you do?
*Bonus points for how you think the conversation between his homeroom teacher and parents would go?*
You walk into class and find 4 students duck taped to their chairs while 2 more are in the process of being duck taped together. Meanwhile, 6 kids run by and quickly slide down the stairs, a few kids are dancing to a Youtube video, and the rest of the class is just a regular balagan.
Umm, now what?
*Bonus points if you can think of a natural consequence here.*
You're so excited about the interactive lesson you have planned for today involving students getting out of their seats and moving around. After going over the expectations, your class immediately turned into a huge balagan since they are not used to getting out of their seats for learning.
How do you handle this? Do you scratch the interactive piece and continue with the lesson with students in their seats?
*Bonus points for another team to share how they review their expectations before a new activity?*
You learned so much from Abbie and Sam's PD on classroom routines and were so excited to implement CONSISTENCY in your classroom. The only problem is, your co-teacher doesn't exactly feel the same way. You decided together that students have to raise their hands before answering a question when doing a group lesson. Only problem is that you are the only one who seems to be sticking to that rule and now students are always just calling out their answers.
What do you do? How do you discuss this with your co-teacher?
*Bonus points if you act it out!*
You spent all night preparing a wonderful lesson. You got to school early to print all of your materials. Boris, as always, is hogging the machine. It doesn't seem to matter what time of day you try to make photocopies, Boris is always there!
Now what?
*Bonus points if you can act out the solution.*
You're sitting in an English team meeting, only problem is that it's being held entirely in Hebrew. You don't understand a thing and have already asked a few times for everyone to speak in English.
Now what?
*Bonus points for another team if you can think of an alternative solution.*
Everyday when you walk into class, your students run and give you a hug. Okay, sweet at first but now it's just getting too much. They always try to hold your hand, touch your hair, and think your stuff is their stuff.
How do you handle this?
*Bonus points if another team can think of a different solution.*
You're in the middle of teaching a really great lesson about adjectives. You have a song, video, and activity all planned. The only probem is, your students are just not able to follow along. Either the material is too difficult or they just have too much energy, something is not doing right.
What do you do?
*Bonus points if you can lead the group in a a whole class movement break.*
Your co-teacher Maya never has anytime to plan with you. In fact, it seems like she never lesson plans hersef. Every morning she comes in and says to you, "What should we teach today?".
How do you handle this? How do you respond to her?
She's not changing her ways, even after your lovely chat with her.
*Bonus points if you can share your personal plan on how to get through the year like this.*
You get to class and find out there is another class taking place. Your co-teacher isn't at school, nor does she give you a heads up about the change. Your students are all texting you to find out where their class is supposed to take place. You go into the Teacher's Room to try to figure out what's going on but even the secretary is confused.
What do you do?
It's raining outside.
*Bonus points if you can think of another (better!) solution.*
Your co-teacher, Etti, barely speaks English, both while teaching and when speaking with you. It has gotten to the point that she doesn't even want you in her classroom since she's embarassed of her English. Sometimes she "let's you" pull kids from her class and other times she just ignores you until you go away.
What do you do? Who do you speak to about this?
*Bonus points if another team can think of a different (better!) solution.*
Your school doesn't believe in locking the classroom doors during recess. This results in students destroying not only their classmates property, but sometimes even yours. Today, when you walked into class, you found students going through your files and tearing up your papers.
How do you handle this in the moment?
*Bonus points if another team can share how they would discuss with their principal.*
You're co-teacher, Inbar, always teaches from the textbook. She's made it pretty clear that she doesn't like change. So much so that she is just teaching grammar rules each day with little to no vocabulary and spoken instruction. You, being the awesome teacher you are, knows how important these skills are.
What do you do?
*Bonus points if you can share a mini lesson that includes grammar, vocabulary, and spoken language instruction.*
Gal, your super intimidating, yet awesome co-teacher has a great handle on the class. He knows how to teach AND has great classroom management. Only problem is that he has never co-taught before and treats you like his assistant. Most days you find yourself just sitting at the back of the class, making photocopies, or grading tests.
What do you do?
*Bonus points if you can give a mini-lesson on the importance of co-teaching and/or the different models of co-teaching.*
Your sitting in the Teacher's Room preparing for class and your english coordinator tells she doesn't want you to go to class but instead stay back and grade tests for another class.
What do you do?
*Bonus points if another team can share how they would handle this if this was a regular occurance.*
You finally got your students settled down and are in the middle of your lesson. Agam, a kita hey girl from the other class, storms into your room screaming that Morah Tamar needs 4 of your students right away! This is not the first time that Morah Tamar wants some of the students in your class.
What do you do in the moment?
*Bonus points if you can act out how you would have the conversation with Morah Tamar.*