Tables turned: Netivot students teach adults
The tables were turned at Yeshivat Netivot in East Brunswick on Lag Ba’Omer, May 26, as students became educators for the day, using the school’s Montessori method to teach their parents and grandparents.
The “teachers” taught in four sections — Humash and Ivrit, Cultural, Math, and Language Arts.
In his lesson, first-grader David introduced the “KeLeV” rule governing aspects of Hebrew spelling (first explaining, “It is not a dog!” — which is what kelev means in Hebrew).
Jake Zucker-Levine, a third-grader, gave a lesson on the planets, using models and picture cards. To remember the order of the planets, he gave a useful mnemonic, “My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas.”
Bryan Strub, a second-grader, taught about the Mishkan (Tabernacle), using a 3D model and placing Hebrew labels on each miniature part, including the menora, Aron Kodesh, and copper vessels used by the kohanim to wash their hands and feet.
His mother, Rebecca, said, “Until today I did not have a mental model of the Mishkan. I especially liked hearing about the different vessels.”
David’s mother, Margalit, said, “I was very impressed by the breadth of the materials covered by the children, by their understanding and their ability to teach it to other people.”
In conclusion, first-graders received personalized siddurim, the second-graders Humashim, and the third-graders, Nevi’im.
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