It is 3:45 pm, eight hours since the 11 Judaic, general and “specials” teachers seated in our faculty lounge began their day. I expected to find them leaning back in their chairs, exhaling and reviewing the daily highs and lows of their respective students. Instead, I opened the door to a swell of lively, focused conversation and frequent laughter, punctuated by energetic typing on multiple laptops and jotting down ideas on a dry-erase board.
Each month, these early childhood and elementary educators, who have each taken on an additional role as curriculum leader, meet to share the latest educational research and develop new initiatives. Their goal is to lead and train their colleagues, ultimately, defining a new role for themselves as supportive, energized teacher-leaders. They work together to help align the school’s curriculum within each grade level and to make connections so that students benefit from increased clarity on learning outcomes.
Now in its third year, the Ramaz Curriculum Leader program is breathing new life into the professional lives of midcareer educators, helping strengthen and transform the school’s culture into a more innovative, collaborative, team-based community of empowered teachers.
“This is part of our overall strategy to continue investing in quality educators,” says Ramaz Head of School Jonathan Cannon. “And it requires dedicated time and financial resources.”
In their book Implementing Change: Patterns, Principles, and Potholes, Gene Hord and Shirley Hord write that teacher-leaders help shape team learning and school culture, having a direct impact on student achievement. “Everyone in this program is personally invested in a shared vision for our school,” says Adrienne Laitman, who oversees the program and directs general studies for the lower school.
What’s more, these new stipend positions have effectively galvanized this team to dream big and try new things. The result? “Greater ownership over how and what we teach,” says Ashley Polansky, first grade teacher and now a curriculum leader. “And a professional path to keep moving forward.”
After her first year of teaching, the desire to bolster her experience and salary prompted Polansky to apply for the curriculum leader position. “I always wondered how I could continue challenging myself,” says Polansky, now in her sixth year teaching general studies. “This has given me a chance to direct newer teachers in a dual-curriculum, dual-language school, where there is a lot to juggle and manage. This has been very rewarding for me.”
At this particular meeting, the team is busy brainstorming creative, consistent ways to refresh colleagues on Responsive Classroom, a social-emotional learning approach that teaches students to understand their own feelings and empathize with others. The discussions focus on developing concrete ways to foster positive language, in Hebrew as well as English, when classroom teachers remind, redirect or reinforce students. The group also shares examples of interactive modeling, which essentially gives educators tools to create clear, positive mental images for children to better understand what is expected of them as a classroom community.
“As curriculum leaders, we can make broader decisions beyond our respective classrooms,” explains Tali Seinfeld, a 26-year veteran Judaic studies teacher at Ramaz. “We stay current with new trends and help our colleagues push forward with new ideas.”
A great example, Seinfeld says, has been working with general studies teachers to help students find deeper meaning in tefillah through literacy, showing how prayer connects to everyday life. With Seinfeld’s guidance, the general studies team chose Mo Willem’s The Thank You Book to read aloud and connect to Modeh Ani, the morning prayer of gratitude. Students then wrote letters to people in their lives they may not ordinarily thank: teachers, peers, service people, security teams.
“Even as a seasoned teacher, being in this position has enriched me professionally,” Seinfeld says. “I now have a fresh path to explore and the ability to bring a new idea to its natural, best conclusion.”
For some, however, taking on this new role initially came with a healthy dose of reservation. Admits Noa Betesh, a third grade Judaic studies teacher at Ramaz for the past nine years, “At first, I was hesitant because I was concerned about what my colleagues would think. Would they feel like I’m ‘taking over’?”
Her experience has proved the opposite. “Fellow teachers care what I think; they come to me for advice. I feel more purpose-driven, more mindful, more confident, more appreciated,” she says.
Ask second grade general studies teacher Samantha Dunoff to share the most powerful part of becoming a curriculum leader, and she immediately responds, “Having the time and space to collaborate, reflect, and improve on what we do as teachers.”
Danielle Smith, a fourth grade educator at Ramaz, wholeheartedly agrees. “We are deeply invested in leading collaborative conversations that result in new shared learning, learning that benefits us as educators and the students we teach.”
The curriculum leader program at Ramaz is helping build teachers’ educational muscle to tackle challenges and find their voice to implement changes. “We feel respected by team members when we share information and offer guidance,” Dunoff says. “Before we were teachers; now we feel we are also part of educational leadership.”
