The Fear Factor

Me My personality My English skills My Hebrew skills My memory - for my lesson, of their names Getting lost - in my lesson, in the building Not knowing children, not being known My moods, patience etc. The staff

The Students Bad eggs Unmotivated students One particularly bad student Too smart for me.

What I Don’t Know Heterogeneous classes Judging level How to change mid-stream How to deal with 40 children at once Tricks in my pocket Grammar

The Powers that Be Interface/Autonomy with the administration Dealing with parents Dealing with The Ministry

Life/Profession Hating this whole thing Not having enough time Too much work I don’t know enough - and never will

Deborah’s Top Ten Hints Go to Samoa 2. Abe Lincoln’s Stovepipe Hat 3. The Boy Scout Motto 4. Never Trust Ben Franklin 5. This isn’t a Carole King Song

6. You’re not the only teacher in the world 7. Suck up to the Shichpool lady 8. She died 6 months ago or this will be a good one to tell at parties 9. Never plan more than you can carry 10. Enjoy yourself

I didn’t work this hard to make you one more cog in the wheel I did it so you would be revolutionaries. I did it so you would transform lives. I did it so you would transform your lives. I did it so you would join me in caring. I did it so your own children would experience a better level of education. I did it because I trust you to not just survive but to flourish.

Final Words for You You see, that’s why I really work like a dog and I worked like a dog all my life. I am not interested in the academic status of what I am doing because my problem is my own transformation. That’s the reason also why, when people say, ”Well, you thought this a few years ago and now you say something else,” my answer is [Laughter] “Well, do you think I have worked like that all those years to say the same thing and not to be changed?” This transofrmation of one’s self by one’s own knowledge is, I think, something rather close to the aesthetic experience. Why should a painter work if he is not transfomed by his own painting?