Teachers will travel to Zurich to visit schools, meet local teachers, encounter professional development programs, and experts in the fields
Secondary school science and mathematics teachers are at the heart of the foundation’s work. We acknowledge that in order to take meaningful steps towards improving the quality of teaching we need to be attuned to the needs of teachers, and the everyday realities of classroom teaching and school organizational culture, as seen through their eyes. Therefore, consulting with teachers and engaging them in our work and learning processes are cornerstones of our DNA and crucial to the foundation’s success.To this end, we are continuously striving to forge and deepen meaningful relationships with excellent teachers of mathematics and the sciences. Beginning with a Teacher’s Club in 2012, and continuing in a more organic nature, our ‘teacher-consultants’ have been helping the foundation review aspects of new and existing strategies and grants; actively participating in education conferences, internal meetings and collaborative initiatives, and representing the voice of teachers in the media. In all of these instances, the teachers present a unique and valuable perspective – the viewpoint of an excellent practitioner who faces the daily life challenges of teaching and learning in an Israeli classroom.
In this framework, the foundation invited five master teachers in 2014 to participate in a 4-day study trip to London, to examine the ways in which advanced-skill teachers are involved in improving teacher efficacy and teacher quality in England. We wanted to expose them to similar work in different contexts, and particularly, to innovations and methodologies that are used by fellow teachers. We visited schools and education organizations and had face-to-face meetings with teachers. The visiting teachers gained many insights which they shared in a detailed report with their colleagues.
This year, we would like to invite another group of five teachers to visit Zurich, Switzerland in early 2015. PISA results have shown that Switzerland has earned consistent improvement and high achievement in mathematics and the sciences, which indicate a high quality of teaching. Teachers will visit at schools, meet local teachers, encounter professional development programs, and experts in the fields (with a focus on practice) who can tell them more about in-service professional development. They will document the visit and upon their return, will share the learning process and insights in writing and presentations.