| Day school education has become the darling of the North American Jewish community. At this writing, fully 27% of all students who receive a Jewish education are in day schools.; Within the Solomon Schechter Day Schools of the Conservative Movement, the teachers who teach Jewish studies (Bible, rabbinic literature, Jewish law, etc.) are primarily Israelis who did not grow up within the Conservative movement. Recognizing the gap between the way the schools wanted Bible taught, and the way the teachers were teaching it, the principals of the Solomon Schechter Day Schools asked for a Bible curriculum that would lead the teachers toward better pedagogy, and toward a teaching viewpoint more amenable to the philosophy of the Conservative movement.; This study addresses the nature of the impact of the Bible curriculum on four teachers who use it. The four case studies, examined via narrative analysis, yield a wide range of "impacts." The case studies suggest insights about the ways the curriculum affects the teachers' views of themselves as professionals and as Jews, as well as their views about the meaning of teaching Bible.; This study connects the teachers' reactions, both to the content of the curriculum and to the change process itself with the largest themes of their inner lives: their beliefs, values, subject matter orientations, commitments and personalities. The conclusion of this study is that those who coach teachers are well-advised to use an adult version of differentiated instruction and constructivist learning when providing professional growth opportunities for teachers. |
