Q: What happens when over 500 day school and high school teachers and administrators from pre-nursery through 12th grade attend the Associated Talmud Torahs of Chicago’s Annual Teachers Educational Conference?
A: Apparently good things according to the outpouring of positive feedback the ATT has received regarding yesterday’s conference…
“Still on a high from the workshops…I would like to really thank you for all the arrangements, the incredible attention to every detail (months in advance!!), the dedication and hard work of putting together this beautiful event!”
It was so inspiring and uplifting to see so many educators gather in such a beautiful building, all passionate about making education the best possible for the students!”
“I wish you all success with future program planning. Local ATT teachers should appreciate the fine resources of the ATT.”
———–comments from presenters at the conference
“Home run yesterday! I got something exceedingly useful out of both of my sessions yesterday. I am using a plan today in my drama class that I got from the presenter who spoke about creating memorable moments.”
“What a great conference and all the upgrades were fantastic – great job.”
“The place was humming, buzzing with electricity. I gained so much from my sessions and walked away recharged.”
———–comments from the participants at the conference
The conference, this past Monday, February 19, 2018, sponsored in memory of Irving Weiss – Yisroel ben Dov, z”l, featured 54 workshops presented by 36 noted consultants from national and local education institutions with expertise related to what works in teaching and learning. Teachers found the day to be informative and practical. They were especially grateful for the opportunity to network with their peers and gain chizuk from the offerings of the unique program.
Especially noteworthy were the new features this year:
- Online pre-registration
- Personalized packets at registration
- Shorter workshops
- Sharing sessions
The excitement of the day was palpable and teachers commented on the value of the sessions as well as the organization of the day. Sessions included practical methodology and information related to: managing anxiety in the classroom with environmental supports that teachers can provide, sensory processing and self-regulation interventions, ways to promote fine motor development in young children, techniques for leading effective and thought provoking classroom discussions, engaging students with proper cooperative learning strategies, ideas for creating unforgettable lessons and making an impact every day, stress-free behavior interventions that allow teachers to connect with all of their students, how to collect student data in real time to support student progress, strategies to create a positive classroom environment, the area of social-emotional learning – EQ vs IQ, technology that helps increase student achievement, promoting mental health in teens, mathematical critical thinking skill building, strategies to increase student focus and achievement with mindfulness, analysis of the Rambam’s 13 Ikrim to influence positive behaviors and middos in students, and the list goes on.
The special new sharing sessions allowed teachers to network with peers in specific areas that included Tefillah, Talmud, Tanach, Hebrew language, social skills, science, creative writing, rotational learning skills, differentiating math instruction using games, classroom management, and motivation.
An administrative workshop entitled, “Student Defiance – Empowering Teachers” was presented by Rabbi Levi Feldman for principals, assistant principals, and program coordinators.
This annual conference is for all religious and general studies teachers in the ATT’s affiliated day schools and high schools. Co-chairpersons of the conference are: Rabbi Avrohom Shimon Moller and Mrs. Chani Friedman. This year, they worked with a committee of teachers from ATT schools to plan the conference. For further information, please contact (773) 973-2828.
The Associated Talmud Torahs (ATT) of Chicago serves the greater Chicagoland Jewish community as its Central Agency for Religious Education. Created in 1929, the ATT has provided a quality Jewish education to its Jewish youth through various educational opportunities. Currently, the ATT has an enrollment of over 3000 students in its schools and hundreds of students in its summer programs. This annual conference day is part of the ATT’s Barbakoff Department of Teacher Education and Development.
Contact:
Mrs. Shayna Rosenberg, [email protected] 3531 Madison Skokie, IL 60076 773-973-2828
