[etni] Fw: Letter from Judy

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "English Inspectorate" <info@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Letter from Judy


State of Israel
Ministry of Education
English Inspectorate

August 22, 2006

Dear English Teachers,

On behalf of the English Inspectorate, I would like to offer my sincere 
condolences to those who have lost loved ones in the war. We would also like 
to wish a speedy recovery to those who have been wounded.

Although a cease-fire has been called, there has not yet been a cessation of 
the intense emotions resulting from the hostilities.  We have all been, in 
some way, affected by the war.  We, as well as our pupils, feel a mixture of 
feelings: grief, sorrow, anger, frustration, uncertainty.  The time ahead of 
us will not be easy.  For the next few months, and perhaps for years, many 
of our pupils will be dealing with the physical and emotional effects of the 
war, including the death or injury of loved ones and the loss of homes and 
property.

More than ever it is up to us, and not just to politicians, to recreate the 
hopes and dreams that have been shattered, to renew our faith in our 
potential, and to repair the emotional damage.  More than ever, your role as 
a teacher in educating a new generation is momentous--in giving support and 
assistance to pupils who are truly in need of help and understanding, in 
dealing with all that has transpired in the last few weeks, that even we, as 
adults, find difficult to comprehend.

On the one hand, we need to "get back to normal" (if there is such a thing) 
and open our course books and teach.  However, on the other hand, we also 
need to be attentive to the needs of our pupils, to relate to their 
experiences and provide opportunities for them to find expression for their 
feelings and anxieties.  The Psychological Department of the Ministry of 
Education (ùô"é) has prepared guidelines for teachers to use to discuss 
these sensitive issues in the classroom.  They also describe signs of stress 
and trauma that teachers should be aware of and report to the school 
counselor.  The guidelines can be accessed at:
http://cms.education.gov.il/EducationCMS/Units/Moe/MatzavHerum/

We know from research, and from our own teaching experiences, that very 
often pupils are willing to relate to personal issues in a foreign language 
more freely than they are in their mother tongue, making English lessons an 
ideal place to encourage discussion.  We do not expect English teachers to 
assume the role of social worker or psychologist, but only that of a 
facilitator, providing pupils with opportunities to share their experiences 
with their classmates.  Very often, listening to their friends' experiences 
and fears helps pupils to deal better with their own feelings. We are 
posting some ideas for classroom activities linked from the front page of 
anglit.net and welcome teachers to send us additional ideas to 
info@xxxxxxxxxx, which we will post.

I sincerely wish us all a productive year of quiet and peace that will allow 
us to educate our future citizens.

Dr. Judy Steiner
Chief Inspector for English Language Education

The English Inspectorate
http://www.anglit.net

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