Category: Teachers

The ATT’s annual Rabbi Dr. Leonard C. Mishkin Teachers Educational Conference brings together over 500 teachers to hear from locally and nationally renowned presenters every President’s Day Monday. The program is an opportunity for teachers to get a glimpse at new ideas and methodologies in teaching, both in Jewish and general studies. Teachers are also able to collaborate with colleagues from throughout the ATT system in workshops and round table discussions. This program is one of many professional development opportunities for educators that the ATT offers throughout the year.

The conference will take place on Monday, February 17, 2020 at the ATT in Skokie, from 8:45 am to 1:00 pm. The conference will feature many workshops for all ATT day school and high school teachers, from pre-nursery through 12th grade.

We’re excited to welcome some of the following outstanding educators this year:

Thomas R. Hoerr, PhD, University of Missouri – St. Louis, author, educational consultant at the Consortium of Jewish Day Schools, Emeritus Head of the New City School. He will speak on preparing students to succeed in life by developing their Formative Five Success Skills – empathy, self-control, integrity, embracing diversity and grit. 

Rabbi Tzvi Mordechai Feldheim, Rosh Mesivta, Mesivta Kesser Torah, Baltimore, Md., will speak to rebbeim on a curriculum for teaching tefillah as well as and giving children the gift of joy in learning.

Rabbi Yehuda Fogel, MA, Educational Consultant, Consortium of Jewish Day Schools, Mental Health Professional, associate principal of Hebrew Academy of Long Beach Middle School, will address differentiated instruction in Judaic studies as well as data-driven instruction. He will focus on four areas: assessment, analysis action and culture.  

Jeanane M. Ferre, PhD, CCC-A, International presenter, CAPD, will discuss managing auditory processing disorders (APDs) in the classroom.

Miriam Gettinger, Principal, Hasten Hebrew Academy, Indianapolis, Ind. and educational consultant, will discuss parent stewardship.

Rabbi Dr. Jay Goldmintz, Faculty Ma’ayanot Yeshiva High School, Author of Ani Tefilla Koren Siddur, Winner of National Jewish Book Award, on religious development and prayer.

Debbie Selengut, Assistant Principal, Bnos Bracha, Passaic, NJ, on prerequisites that the teacher must have to connect with the students and to effectively teach them

Becky Udman, educational consultant, Dallas, Tx, Love and Logic parent/teacher facilitator on empowering students with confidence

Local experts will include:

• Sherra Bloomenkranz, OTR/L on what data is useful when consulting with an occupational therapist and how you can be a good reporter/observer of student behaviors
• Tzippy Kohen of Madraigos Midwest on providing teachers with a better understanding of how everyday student stressors and increasingly more frequent traumatic incidents impact both student and teacher. 
• Lisa Ehrlich-Menard,  MEd, JCFS Response for Teens Youth Advocacy, Coordinator – Outreach and Community Education, on handling the “mean girl” phenomenon
• Wendy Singer, director of education,Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, will offer a lesson on Holocaust education.
• Nathan A. Unterman, STEP UP National Ambassador, Emeritus Physics and Materials Science Teacher/Consultant, on how teachers can address the problem the lack of gender parity in STEM fields and specifically physics, using research based resources and lessons.    
• Sarah Burnstein, Service Operations, Walder Education & Debbie Steinberg, Librarian, Ida Crown Jewish Academy, on moving students into realms of expanded and higher-order thinking by incorporating classroom content into an escape room
• Nina Henry, LCPC, CADC, Addiction specialist, JCFS Chicago, on identifying the signs and symptoms of mental health problems in young people, while acknowledging that adolescent development makes this process more challenging.
• Rabbi Phil Karesh, Midwest Regional Director, Orthodox Union, on answering our teens’ questions that arise in class and in life and that relate to Judaism and their lives as teens. 
• Daniel Alkhovsky, Director DEEP – Developing Excellence in Educational Practice, on math games that foster real meaningful learning in the classroom
• Sarah Oberlander, Arie Crown Hebrew Day School, on mindfulness in the classroom.

To view more information about professional development, click here.

The ATT has just concluded a very successful training cohort geared specifically to new rebbeim in Yeshivas Tiferes Tzvi, Arie Crown and Yeshiva Ohr Boruch. Nine teachers from these schools, who have all spent fewer than three years in the classroom, met for several sessions, totaling 16 hours, focusing on classroom management, building routines, parent communication, building trust and relationships with students, lesson planning and lifelong learning as an educator. The facilitators and presenters were veteran principals and educators from the ATT system and the local educational community.

The rebbeim were offered followup coaching to assist them in working on any of these areas of their choice. This kind of one-on-one coaching as a followup to formal training is proven to be an effective model of improving classroom outcomes.

Feedback from the participants in an anonymous survey following the course proved to be overwhelmingly positive:

“The fact that we sat together and heard real challenges from the classroom made me feel better and more supported.”

“Next year I would be interested in hearing more about different teaching modalities and more on modifying lessons.”

“I was attracted to attend these sessions because I want to be the best mechanech I can be, and I want to continue growing throughout my career.”

“I continue to look for new tools to add to my classroom.”

“I learned that trust must be built with parents and that I must choose my words carefully when criticzing or expressing teacher concerns.”

“There are so many components to proper lesson planning; mastery objective, activities, assessment, time management.”

“It is very helpful to have a protocol to teach routines. I learned about teaching the benefit of the routine, then modeling, reviewing, practicing, noticing the correct way and the incorrect way in the modeling and reviewing again!”

The new rebbeim cohort all left with a commitment and curiosity to continue growing in their careers through professional development.

The ATT proudly announces the winners of the Tenth Annual Hartman Family Foundation Educator of the Year Awards. They are Mrs. Sari Kravitt (Hillel Torah North Suburban Day School) whose top award is sponsored in memory of Mrs. Gayle Anne Herwitz, Mrs. Betty Hainsfurther (Arie Crown Hebrew Day School), and Miss Breindy Miller (Joan Dachs Bais Yaakov Elementary School).

Awards are selected by a committee of educational consultants and community members.  Selection criteria for the Educator Award include exceptional instructional skills in a nurturing environment, commitment to one’s students’ success, superior communication skills with parents, students, and peers, commitment to continued professional development, and contributions to one’s school’s learning community.

The award and selection process are designed to highlight the superlative and innovative efforts of our educators.  The ATT and Hartman Family Foundation hope that through the awarding of this prize not only three of the most outstanding teachers in Chicago are recognized, but the award also further elevates and ennobles the entire profession in the eyes of our community.

To view more about The Hartman Family Foundation Educator of the Year Award, click here.

To join us at the dinner, please submit your reservations: