The traditional way that education was delivered was through
recitation and memorisation techniques. The underlying model for schools was an
education system in which adults, paid hourly or daily wages, kept like-aged
youngsters sitting still for standardized lessons and tests.
But, teaching styles have changed significantly over the
years.The fundamental job of teaching is no longer to distribute facts but to
help children learn how to use them by developing their abilities to think
critically, solve problems, make informed judgments, and create knowledge that
benefits both the students and society.
Thus, many teachers today are encouraged to adapt and adopt
new practices that acknowledge both the art and science of learning. They
understand that the essence of education is a close relationship between a
knowledgeable, caring adult and a secure, motivated child. They grasp that
their most important role is to get to know each student as an individual in
order to comprehend his or her unique needs, learning style, social and
cultural background, interests, and abilities.
Rivka Oratz has been a part of the public education system
for over three decades. She is a principal, leader, teaching coach and school
educator in New York City. She is also co-founder of the Chinuch hotline,
staffed with veteran Mechanchim and Mechanchot who are equipped to field the
questions of their colleagues in the field of Chinuch. Recently, Rivka Oratz
published a booklet entitled Dapei Hadrachah L'arichat Avodot B'seminar to
guide seminary students through independent research and compilation of written
Avodot.
Over the past decades, Rivka Oratz has studied school
leadership and successful school improvement practices. Lev Bais Yaakov High
School in New York City, where Mrs. Rivka Oratz has been serving as Principal
since 2010, utilizes a responsive classroom framework for learning, where the
school’s strong academic curriculum is strengthened by their attention to the
social and emotional needs of students. This intentional and hands-on approach
creates a supportive space where students develop resilience and patience, a
greater capacity to focus and retain knowledge, and an overall eagerness to
embrace the joy of learning. And because it is a small private school, they can
be very intentional and nimble in maximizing students’ learning potential and
interests. As the school principal, every day Mrs. Oratz witnesses their
students who are engaged in their classrooms and in their world.
