[etni] Fw: "HOTS and Literature" course and on the job

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Esther Revivo - estherrv@xxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: "HOTS and Literature" course and on the job


Evrea wrote:
"...I don't think that should stop us from arguing for our right to 
compensation for marking reading logs and giving Bagrut grades for them, for 
having to take courses in the new program, and for being involved in this 
exciting and innovative new program.

 1-Let me first say that I am presently taking the on-line course with Mitzi 
Gefen. The course is extremely interesting and I am greatly enjoying it. I 
hope that I continue to feel this way when we get to the real HOT part of 
the course.
 Whether I will teach the program remains to me seen. How nice that Ron Erez 
finally saw fit to write a letter, no matter what it included, after 
"standing up" our colleagues who slaved to organize a meeting with the Irgun 
at ETAI !

 2- I have never heard of teachers getting paid for an in-service course 
except for the gmulim. Even in other fields I don't know of people who get 
paid to do such courses. For example, my daughter-in-law is a high powered 
graphic artist-- she is made to attend such courses; another friend of mine 
is in charge of her school's p.c. room and she is constantly "upgrading" her 
knowledge at Matach without payment...

3- I most emphatically agree with these words by Evrea:
" Demanding that we be paid for our work doesn't mean that we can't be 
enthusiastic about a literature program. "

I find it hard to believe that any teacher of weak four pointers can be 
"gung ho" for this change in the Bagrut program.
For, we all know and have felt the pressure by parents AND principals to 
somehow push these kids through. And by blood, sweat and tears we have often 
succeeded in doing just that. But there is a limit to how much we can do.

It is the ultimate chutzpa for anyone to say (and thankfully I haven't heard 
anyone say this aloud here :)
 that teachers who are ambivalent about the program are lazy; opposed to 
change; and probably don't like or teach literature in any event. We EFL 
teachers have done too much for too long without recompense and enough is 
enough!


Having said that, I can't help but ask myself......
Am I going to TEACH the Hots come September? To be totally honest I really 
can't give an answer. Why? Because as I've said so many times before, our 
pupils in the peripheral areas of Israel have the chips stacked against them 
as it is.
I can only hope that the Irgun (to whom I moved earlier this year because of 
the Ofek Chadash issue,) finally gets its act together and works out a 
solution with the MOE. And to me that doesn't mean simply saying, "Don't do 
projects," or "Don't do HOTS."

 I don't see myself putting yet more stumbling blocks in front of our 
Ulpana's pupils. Believe me, they have enough to deal with without any more 
of them!



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