Equipping Excellence Class Teachers with Practical Tools to Build a Supportive Learning Environment, Strengthen Students’ Sense of Belonging, and Foster Positive Peer Collaboration
Learning in excellence classes and the five-unit tracks requires motivation, grit and perseverance. Students who enroll in these courses need to invest effort and overcome difficulties, sometimes for the first time in their lives. Their academic success relies on their effort, as well as the support and encouragement received from their parents and fellow students. When teachers are intentional and instrumental in creating a positive learning climate in class, their students become a source of strength for each other.
To assist teachers of excellence classes in nurturing such a positive learning environment, we turned to the Matzmichim Academy. Matzmichim is a not-for-profit organization with 20 years of experience in helping teachers reduce negative behaviors among students and in classrooms. Their programs, which focus on confronting verbal bullying, shaming and physical violence, operate in more than 2,500 classes across the country every year. Their professional reputation with districts, municipalities and schools is very good.
Matzmichim asserts that excellence classes are characterized by high levels of ambition and competition, but that sometimes, tension transforms into a destructive trajectory that ends with dropping out. Effective teachers, however, are able to increase the sense of belonging, the pride of being part of a team, and encourage friendships and collaboration between their students. The problem is that the teachers of mathematics, physics and computers are not trained in how to do this.
Therefore, Matzmichim proposes to develop a kit of tools and a guide for teachers that are aligned with the needs of excellence class students. They are planning a ten-hour course for 240 teachers in 12 schools, where these tools will be acquired. Their content will tackle issues such as how to deepen the connection between students, reduce negative behaviors, develop esprit de corps and a sense of belonging, and create a safe and flourishing learning environment.
The program will be conducted in Hebrew and Arabic, and following the pilot program in the 12 schools, it will be offered to municipalities, districts and school networks.
* The text above shows the grant as approved by the Foundation’s Board of Directors / Grant 607