MARGARET PORAT
For the last six or seven years, I have been involved in an absolutely wonderful project which I would like to share with you. I have, for years, felt a real responsibility in preparing our potential English teachers for the field of teaching. I have always had at the back of mind the question “Would I like one of my grandchildren to study with that particular teacher?” With this in mind, I decided to approach the English coordinator at ESRA and asked if there were any native speakers who could perhaps help our students who needed to be more exposed to English and who needed to use the language as much as possible. I approached Naomi Resnick, the English coordinator for the Sharon Area, and before I could say Jack Robinson, she gave me a list of willing volunteers, some of whom had been English teachers in the past and others who were just English- speaking retirees.
My next job was to match up the students with the volunteer. It was not always an easy job – the location, the time etc., but slowly and surely the project advanced and and by the end of the last year there were approximately 15 students studying once a week with the volunteers, most of them in the Kfar Saba area. Most of the students went to the homes of the volunteers but some of the volunteers were even prepared to come to the college to meet their student. We even had one volunteer who conducted the lesson by phone as the student lived in Pardes Chana and could not possibly come to Kfar Saba for the lesson. We also have some volunteers from Protea Bekfar (a retirement home in Tel Mond) and some of the tutors from the tutor course have even been helping our students under the guidance of Dr. Daniel Portman.
What can I say? This has been a most satisfying project. I think that both sides have really benefited. Please see articles by two of my most veteran teachers, Selma and Donna.
Moreover, the students have also benefited enormously. Some of them do not want to stop their weekly meetings even during the summer vacation. One of the students has been with his volunteer teacher for four years and, even though he has basically completed his studies, is not prepared to give up on this opportunity which he has received. Others have developed a real lasting relationship with their teacher and it is amazing how much they feel they owe to the teacher who has become, not just a teacher , but a lasting friend.
I will not be continuing teaching in the department but I sincerely hope that this project will continue in the future.
It was a great pleasure for me to initiate the program and I hope it will go from strength to strength involving more and more volunteers and more students.
My next job was to match up the students with the volunteer. It was not always an easy job – the location, the time etc., but slowly and surely the project advanced and and by the end of the last year there were approximately 15 students studying once a week with the volunteers, most of them in the Kfar Saba area. Most of the students went to the homes of the volunteers but some of the volunteers were even prepared to come to the college to meet their student. We even had one volunteer who conducted the lesson by phone as the student lived in Pardes Chana and could not possibly come to Kfar Saba for the lesson. We also have some volunteers from Protea Bekfar (a retirement home in Tel Mond) and some of the tutors from the tutor course have even been helping our students under the guidance of Dr. Daniel Portman.
What can I say? This has been a most satisfying project. I think that both sides have really benefited. Please see articles by two of my most veteran teachers, Selma and Donna.
Moreover, the students have also benefited enormously. Some of them do not want to stop their weekly meetings even during the summer vacation. One of the students has been with his volunteer teacher for four years and, even though he has basically completed his studies, is not prepared to give up on this opportunity which he has received. Others have developed a real lasting relationship with their teacher and it is amazing how much they feel they owe to the teacher who has become, not just a teacher , but a lasting friend.
I will not be continuing teaching in the department but I sincerely hope that this project will continue in the future.
It was a great pleasure for me to initiate the program and I hope it will go from strength to strength involving more and more volunteers and more students.