The programme is aimed at prospective and new religion school teachers working in Progressive religion schools and provides students with a basic foundation in Jewish education. The programme runs for four terms over fifteen months, one evening a week based either at Leo Baeck College or in a community.
Please note that this programme does not enable students to gain Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Participants must be aged 16 or over.
Participants are expected to teach in a religion school, attend the course regularly, participate in class and undertake supervised teaching practices.
COURSE STRUCTURE
TERM 1 – EDUCATION TERM
An introduction to teaching skills in the Jewish classroom including lesson planning, classroom control and management, the classroom environment, child development as it relates to the Jewish context in a religion school and creativity in the classroom.
TERM 2 – HEBREW TERM
This term demonstrates the importance of integrating the Hebrew language into the Jewish classroom. Emphasis is placed on teaching methods appropriate in a religion school classroom and on practical application. This term will give participants an opportunity to improve their own Hebrew, whatever their knowledge. Students with any level of Hebrew are eligible.
TERM 3 – JEWISH STUDIES TERM
This term familiarises students with the main practices and beliefs of Judaism, including the calendar and the Festivals, God and Spirituality, Israel and life cycle events. The focus this term is on how to teach these aspects of Judaism through arts, values-based education, texts and various teaching methodologies.
TERM 4 – HISTORY AND BIBLE TERM
This term looks at Judaism as a chain of tradition. An overview of Jewish history is presented with issues relating to evidence, objectivity and the teaching of Jewish history. The question of Bible as history will be explored and participants will study Biblical and historical sources with the aim of exploring together effective ways of teaching text in the classroom together with ways of approaching family history are also discussed.