Teaching, learning, traveling, laughing, playing, and having a good time. All this and much more when you come for 10 months with the Masa Israel Teaching Fellows program with Israel Experience. It’s not just you in front of a classroom of kids, It’s you making memories, gaining work experience, and immersing yourself in a new and unique culture. This is your experience of a lifetime.
What’s the Program About?
You will work with kids, 3rd – 9th graders yearning to learn, as you will become their role model and mentor. During the 10 months working with the kids, you will not only stay inside the classroom and set curriculum but have opportunities to work on special seasonal projects you initiate. You are required to work 20-25 hours a week. This includes 20 hours with the kids and 5 hours of planning and special projects at the school.
When teaching in Israel, you will partner closely with the English teacher at the school and will undergo orientation before you begin. During the year you will be able to join seminars in the field of English education, learning from experts in the field as well as from your peers dispersed throughout Israel.
What are the Schools Like?
The schools in Israel may be less formal than your familiarity with schools back home. The kids are more vocal, they are more independent when moving about the school, their relationships with the teachers are relaxed and close (they call their teachers by their first name), and overall they are not afraid to speak their mind.
Some of the schools we work with have a higher population of new immigrants, facing not only the English barrier but also other social and economic barriers while acclimating to their new country.
What are the Classroom Dynamics?
Your classroom dynamics with the kids are two-fold – on one hand, you are the teacher providing these kids tools for future success. This requires discipline and attention. While on the other hand, you are a new, fun, young, person in their lives allowing a non-formal connection and are easy to reach. You will learn to balance these and decide where and when each works for you and the students.
What Else Do the Teachers Do?
You will not be restrained in a classroom. There are many other activities you will have the chance to experience:
- Personal Volunteering: We will help you connect with a 4-5 hour a week volunteer opportunity that fits your skills and interests after the school day ends.
- Hebrew Classes (Ulpan): You will learn Hebrew and get to know the Israeli culture.
- Create a Community: With your teaching peers, you will live, travel, and work along with developing a community within your city in Israel.
- Travel: Exploring Israel by foot and learning more about its history, land, and human diversity.
The Masa Israel Teaching Fellows program is much more than work experience, it is a learning, enriching, and empowering program for your students and for you.
